Has Jermain Taylor finally won your respect?

[ReadyUp]

I understand that he beat Hopkins. I certainly thought he won both fights, but they were definately fights that left a LOT of question marks. Especially the first one, because Hopkins ****ed away the first 8 rounds doing nothing, and then beat Jermain's ass in the last four rounds. So, when Hopkins tried, he beat Taylor's ass. He did look pretty good in the second fight.

I thought he lost the Winky fight (along with a lot of other people).

I understand. But you have to factor in that no one has ever looked good winning against Hopkins or Wright...(I know it was a draw)...but these are guys that people are saying, "well we don't respect your wins against them because it was close." Nobody beats or even draws against these guys unless they are elite fighters.

In the 1st fight, that was Hopkins plan. Let the kid expend himself and then try to knock him out. Didn't happen. If B-Hop believed he could **** JT up at will he would have in the 2nd fight. Still didn't happen.

Jermain Taylor is still a great champion and fighter in my book. It was a case of a naturally big, athletic middleweight running into an even bigger, harder punching middleweight. And even though he was knocked out, the fight was close and did his share of damage. Last night it was also semi-close.

You don't become the undisputed middleweight champion of the world by luck. Let alone defend the belt 4 times.

[ReadyUp]

yes, but he can't go back and change how close the hopkins and wright fight were.

People don't even come close to beating guys like Hopkins and Wright. Is it really that shameful to win 2 close decisions and have 1 draw against them?

[Hitman932]

i respected him more before this second fight. personally i thought his performance in the first fight was gutsy. he threw everything he had at pavlik and he continued firing away even when it was obvious he was playing into pavliks hands

this second fight it was right there for him and he wasnt willing to step up and take it. he fought a boring conservative fight and took zero chances, he lost a very close fight and he has only himself to blame. throwing less than 40 punches a round is downright awful

[Fox McCloud]

I don't know...

Like I said in the second post I made on this topic, I said that I respected Jermain's wins (except for the Wright fight... not sure how many of those judges had Lampley-syndrome). It is a good deal that Jermain could fight a guy who can neutralize his style and still come away with a close victory.

It just is very concerning to me that when Jermain gets a fighter that allows him to fight in the way that he likes to fight, he drops a pair, one of them by KO.

All that tells me is that Jermain Taylor is not even the best fighter at his weight class at his own game, which usually means that he will never even be regarded as the best fighter at his own weight division as long as Pavlik is around.

Because now Pavlik can say to Taylor, "Anything you can do, I can do better."

Because it is true, Pavlik is a more polished version of Taylor it seems, without some of the flaws that hold Taylor back.

[Fox McCloud]

People don't even come close to beating guys like Hopkins and Wright. Is it really that shameful to win 2 close decisions and have 1 draw against them?

That is totally true... Taylor did as well as anyone ever has against those two.

[DA1CATAS]

haha, what? hes in his prime, and is coming off a couple losses to one of the hardest hitting middleweights in recent history, with his last that couldve went his way..Jermaine will be a world champ again, how is it too late?

Thats what I was thinking...

I think he needs the right coach.

[Sin City]

I understand. But you have to factor in that no one has ever looked good winning against Hopkins or Wright...(I know it was a draw)...but these are guys that people are saying, "well we don't respect your wins against them because it was close." Nobody beats or even draws against these guys unless they are elite fighters.

In the 1st fight, that was Hopkins plan. Let the kid expend himself and then try to knock him out. Didn't happen. If B-Hop believed he could **** JT up at will he would have in the 2nd fight. Still didn't happen.

Jermain Taylor is still a great champion and fighter in my book. It was a case of a naturally big, athletic middleweight running into an even bigger, harder punching middleweight. And even though he was knocked out, the fight was close and did his share of damage. Last night it was also semi-close.

You don't become the undisputed middleweight champion of the world by luck. Let alone defend the belt 4 times.

People don't even come close to beating guys like Hopkins and Wright. Is it really that shameful to win 2 close decisions and have 1 draw against them?

great valid points. you're right.

[Crazylegs77]

Taylor is a good guy and a tough fighter.

[Fox McCloud]

Thats what I was thinking...

I think he needs the right coach.

He already had it.

He looked good against Winky Wright when he listened to Emanuel Steward. Let me repeat that. He looked good against Winky Wright.

He just doesn't ****ing listen.

[Sin City]

Thats what I was thinking...

I think he needs the right coach.

read my reply on the first page and you will see the point I was making..