Has Jermain Taylor finally won your respect?

[warp1432]

Kinda....

I don't know. I don't really care about him fighting Ouma and Spinks. Though the questionable decisions still leave a bad taste in my mouth. I felt he lost both Hopkins fights and irked out a draw against Winky (could have seen it against or for Taylor too. Really close fight.)

The hopkins fights, I thought Hopkins landed the better shots and Taylor really wasn't landing that much. I won't say it was a robbery because I acknowledge they were close fights and could see it for Taylor (kinda), but I felt Bernard took them.

[Fox McCloud]

Even though I scored both Hopkins fights for Taylor, I still have my doubts that he won them.

I do not trust my judging skills at all. I am not a good judge by any measure IMO. I don't have the patience to watch for minute details.

Also, the high numbers of press row scorers and boxing experts who scored it for Hopkins gives me a lot a doubt about whether Taylor really did do enough to deserve those fights. Even though that is all true, I still am not just automatically giving the fights to Hopkins, because there were plenty who scored the fight for Taylor too.

That being said, I am still impressed that he made the Hopkins fights so damn close.

[Xyei]

I still am not just automatically giving the fights to Hopkins, because there were plenty who scored the fight for Taylor too.

That being said, I am still impressed that he made the Hopkins fights so damn close.

Taylor had a lot of momentum at that point in his career. Then he fights Hopkins again, Wright, Ouma and Spinks and lost it (momentum). When, he fights Pavlik who has a ton of momentum career wise right now, look what happens? If Taylor had rather, fought a few guys more suited to his style (after the Hopkins fights) who knows what would have happened?

I think it was a close match-up between them (Pavlik vs. Taylor) and the hungrier guy won.

[Njord777]

Logic is flawed for many people on this board. Many people think Kelly Pavlik is the best middleweight in the world right now- he's champion, undefeated with boxing skills and power, right? So Jermain Taylor gets knocked out and- though many feel he should take a tune up- gets right back in the ring with this guy. He steps back into the ring with the best middleweight in the world- according to many people here- a man who just knocked his ass out and what does he do? Well, in my opinion he fights a better fight. He shows a very tough mental game- standing firm and not letting himself get bullied on the ropes like the first fight; finding a way to stop Kelly's right from landing like it had before. I don't care if you think Kelly is the best thing since sliced bread - Pavlik-Taylor II was a good, close fight.

So let's use logic; Jermain Taylor got knocked out by what many here regard as the best at 160. He steps back into the ring with him and has a much better showing, perhaps lands the better punches, and losses a close decision. That takes balls; confidence and willpower to stand up to someone who put you down. It takes toughness; to come out with a different mentality and stick to a game plan. Jermain Taylor lost. Fine. I thought, depending on how you saw it he could have eeked out a decision- but I'm not complaining and Pavlik's win...but everyone who likes Pavlik has to give Taylor credit. He stood in the middle of the ring with your boy, fought a good, close fight- and lost standing on his feet. That's something, considering the first fight, he can take a measure of pride from.

You can't say Pavlik is the best at 160 and not give Taylor some measure of respect for how he came out in the second fight. It doesn't make sense. I mean, is there that much shame in losing a close fight to the undisputed middleweight champion whom many say is supposed to lay you out again?

Yeah, in my eyes Taylor got some respect for this fight.

[rebmogul]

Clearly one of the most disrespected champions around today. If anyone remembers, he was heavily criticized after his win over Spinks. People said that he only fought smaller opponents, people said he was a fraud and he would never be able to eke out a win over a real Middleweight. What people were ignoring was that his resume went: Bernard Hopkins, Bernard Hopkins, Winky Wright, Kassim Ouma, Cory Spinks. Exetremly impressive, and after all of those contests, he was still undefeated.

Well now he has fought a real middleweight, twice in a row, and twice lost in fantastic, close fights. However, he was dominating Pavlik on the cards, and just about KO'd him, in the first fight, and one can make the case that he beat Kelly the second time. Haters, detractors, Pavlik fans, non-believers, has he finally won your respect in going 19 rounds with Kelly Pavlik and just about serving him his first defeat?

absolutely. he has the heart of a true champion

[Silencers]

He earned my respect after his first loss to Pavlik, he earned even more after yesterday's fight.