Comments Thread For: The Talented Mr. Taylor

[M111]

Yes exactly.

Lopez is the more skilld guy, faster, better defense when applied, powerful, explosive yet not many have him winning simply because of how hes been talking lately.

Interesting fact The Ring magazine had a 20 expert panel pick the winner most agree it will be close but every single one picked Taylor...this same panel of 20 also all picked Canelo to beat bivol last year...Interesting indeed.

Im also surprised how fickle the boxing crowd can be how they forget so easily.

Lopez might be the more naturally skilled fighter in some regards, but he certainly hasn’t shown that at 140. He’s slower on his feet, doesn’t appear to have carried his power and no longer fights with the same confidence he did before the Kambosos fight. He’s been marked up in every fight since Loma and suffered a number of knock downs so not sure I rate his defence much either.

Taylor had one duff fight against a tricky southpaw. I predicted Bivol Canelo right. I predict Lopez will lose this one by knockout as Taylor will not let him off the hook once he starts to gas by the mid rounds and starts taking punishment. Unless Lopez lands big and lands big early he’s in for a long night. He couldn’t do that against Kambosos, Campos or Martin though and hasn’t even rocked anyone at 140 and Taylor is light years better than all of those guys, bigger, longer and crafty. I don’t think Lopez has either the physical or mental fortitude to last the full 12.

[Boxing Beast]

"What have you done for me lately" - Janet Jackson
Josh Taylor has married, switched camps, and lost 3 of his 4 belts.
Teofimo Lopez has been active against world class competition in that same time. I think Teofimo may just win this one even though I see Taylor is a more complete fighter.

[Regge]

Lopez might be the more naturally skilled fighter in some regards, but he certainly hasn’t shown that at 140. He’s slower on his feet, doesn’t appear to have carried his power and no longer fights with the same confidence he did before the Kambosos fight. He’s been marked up in every fight since Loma and suffered a number of knock downs so not sure I rate his defence much either.

Taylor had one duff fight against a tricky southpaw. I predicted Bivol Canelo right. I predict Lopez will lose this one by knockout as Taylor will not let him off the hook once he starts to gas by the mid rounds and starts taking punishment. Unless Lopez lands big and lands big early he’s in for a long night. He couldn’t do that against Kambosos, Campos or Martin though and hasn’t even rocked anyone at 140 and Taylor is light years better than all of those guys, bigger, longer and crafty. I don’t think Lopez has either the physical or mental fortitude to last the full 12.

I agree with you 100% about the Kambo fight...Martin I give him a pass because he's a super tricky guy who makes anyone look bad but kambo is no excuse Teo was horrible that night and if he fights that way against Taylor it will be a bad night for him.

[M111]

"What have you done for me lately" - Janet Jackson
Josh Taylor has married, switched camps, and lost 3 of his 4 belts.
Teofimo Lopez has been active against world class competition in that same time. I think Teofimo may just win this one even though I see Taylor is a more complete fighter.

Not sure I’d call Campa world class and he did rubbish against Martin which doesn’t bode well as Taylor is also Southpaw. Taylor didn’t lose any belts in the ring. Lopez is going through a messy divorce. Taylor has been less active that’s it.

[Rodtang]

Put Martin in there with anyone else at 140 including Taylor and he’ll make them look bad, he’s a good sneaky fighter. Taylor arguably did worse in his last fight. Taylor is a bit of a smoke screen imo. Prograis is overrated, a very basic predictable fighter who will keep getting outboxed. And Ramirez was ****ing Taylor all over the ring before he snuck in an uppercut in the clinch when Ramirez thought the ref was separating them.

Prograis is overrated and Ramirez was ****ing Taylor all over the ring? Oh how I laughed . Have you ever tried watching boxing sober?

[Rodtang]

Lopez might be the more naturally skilled fighter in some regards, but he certainly hasn’t shown that at 140. He’s slower on his feet, doesn’t appear to have carried his power and no longer fights with the same confidence he did before the Kambosos fight. He’s been marked up in every fight since Loma and suffered a number of knock downs so not sure I rate his defence much either.

Taylor had one duff fight against a tricky southpaw. I predicted Bivol Canelo right. I predict Lopez will lose this one by knockout as Taylor will not let him off the hook once he starts to gas by the mid rounds and starts taking punishment. Unless Lopez lands big and lands big early he’s in for a long night. He couldn’t do that against Kambosos, Campos or Martin though and hasn’t even rocked anyone at 140 and Taylor is light years better than all of those guys, bigger, longer and crafty. I don’t think Lopez has either the physical or mental fortitude to last the full 12.

Pretty much agree with your assessment here. Although I just want to point out a common misconception regarding Taylor here. He's not really as long as people think. He's only got an inch on Lopez. Everybody seems to describe him as this guy with fantastic reach. Not so. Which is why he is always in the thick of it and marking up a lot. It's why a Crawford fight worries me for him. Crawford is smaller but has a good 4 or 5 inch reach advantage. But Lopez is the target for now.

[crimsonfalcon07]

Lopez has been boxing with his ego, not his skill lately. If he can pull his head out and realize he's not some juggernaut, and he actually has to use his skills and be defensively responsible, he'll have a better chance. I've thought this whole time that people hugely overrated him from his gimme win over Loma, but the raw talent is there. If he got a real trainer instead of his delusional pops, and dropped the ego and came willing to work, I think he could be the fighter he thought he was. But I'm not sure that he has the ability to do that any more, if he ever did. The bravado persona is such an essential part of his self-identity after all.

He's been a lot more prone to those shift hooks since then, winging wild punches all over the place and sometimes missing wildly. He over relies on the Philly shell but doesn't use it properly defensively, which is why he's been knocked down by everyone except Campa, who he should have gotten out of there easily. He's been popping out in a straight line, and leaving his head on the line when he punches. Lots of basic mistakes that he was better about before, although he's only had a handful of fights at top level, so it's hard to say whether he slipped, or if this was always the level he operated at.

It's a shame, because if he could harness that talent and put work ethic and boxing IQ behind it, he really could be one of the best of the generation.

[STREET CLEANER]

That was kind in the story when they said "The well managed but limited Romero who holds a title by way of one of the worst title fight stoppages of the twenty-first century". His mouth gets him into fights and any top fighter will fight him to get relatively paid and collect a title on the way.

I like Taylor over Lopez but Taylor has had a long layoff. Lopez has looked ordinary in his last two fights but he has been active and can find his groove back.

Lopez better win by KO because all the smack he has been saying about TR and ESPN has clearly put a bullseye in his back.

[MONGOOSE66]

Is it me or does Taylor look 42???

[JonDP]

Prograis is overrated and Ramirez was ****ing Taylor all over the ring? Oh how I laughed . Have you ever tried watching boxing sober?

Best believe it, if Lopez catches Taylor the way Ramirez did, he’s not going to have a pleasant time. Prograis is prime for getting outboxed by the likes of Haney any time now.