Jermain Taylor’s Dreams Deferred

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Patrick Kehoe - Former world middleweight champion Jermain Taylor awaits his next opponent, knowing a loss lays him bare onto the icy slab marked: STEPPING STONE. Who will believe “Bad Intentions” has anything meaningful left to offer, in the championship boxing ring, if he cannot defeat a straight ahead, reactive tough guy like Arthur Abraham, flexing his undefeated record or not? Taylor knows exactly where his mercurial boxing career has landed him, fighting for his professional life – respectability all but vanquished – on the road in Berlin, the proverbial underdog – to a danger man riding the winds of confident assuredness – coming off a last round knockout loss, in a title fight he was winning, against the determined, but, ultra pedantic Carl Froch, in April. [details]

[MANGLER]

I respect the hell outta Taylor for his res. Dude is all heart. But I can never like him again after those Bhop and Winky decisions, thoi do enjoy most of his fights. His stamina sucks and I now doubt his chin. I think AA will knock his ass out.

[Spray_resistant]

Great article very accurately summarized Taylor's career and the predicament he is currently in. I hope he can reach his potential later tonight, this should be a stylistic match where AA just like Froch and just like Pavlik are at a disadvantage not the other way around.

[Shadows]

GREAT atricle.

Taylor has many flaws and will never be perfect, but he's my favorite fighter and I'll root for him to the end.

[kingfaze19]

damn this article is perfect, taylor's stamina is horrible for someone at such a high level in the sport, its actually embarrassing that his poor cardio cost him a win vs froch..he should have stayed with pat burns, the man that knew him better,the man that guided him to the promise land instead of dumping him for emanuel just because he has a big well known name, so what, he doesnt know you like pat does

taylor is paying for his mistakes now, if he loses this fight, hes done, officially washed up..he should be able to dominate abraham easy if he comes in in good shape

[STEELHEAD]

i'm going to believe in his sht one last time.
if he's resoved his stamina issue. if he's going to stay focus and not fight anxious.
kehoe was too kind in saying taylor doesnt do the right things at the right time. taylor is a dummy. i seen signs of dummyness in the hopkins
that he's never resolved.
and the dummy gets all spooked and don't listen to his corner.

i kept thinkin he'd mature out of that stuff. and the countryboy on the loose crap in social life.

but i feel he knows this is it. and a win would erase all the dam dummyness
in one sweep.

i see JT staying more focus fighting more on the backfoot.
finding a way to get the early rounds against the slow starter.
and making abe panic off of gameplan.

man... i look at king abrahams resume...realy...for real whats there?
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php...8432&cat=boxer

hey i appreciate the way he lays back then takes apart apponents.
and know he has devistating accumalative power.
but against who...some europugs that don't even rate on the world scene and peeps that stand infront of him.
look at his resume.

[cottofan2]

I have nothing against JT and always rooted for him vs B-Hop and Pavlik. But I do think Abraham is the real deal, the future of boxing at that weight class. JT may put up a few good early rounds but once Abraham has measured him up, it should be lights out for JT. Maybe he's got a shot vs Froch or other fighters but not Kessler or Abraham.

[Blue Heffner]

I have nothing against JT and always rooted for him vs B-Hop and Pavlik. But I do think Abraham is the real deal, the future of boxing at that weight class. JT may put up a few good early rounds but once Abraham has measured him up, it should be lights out for JT. Maybe he's got a shot vs Froch or other fighters but not Kessler or Abraham.

That's what I'm afraid of for JT, allowing Abraham to do just that. But Taylor always puts up good fights, that's why I'll root for him til the end. Taylor by KO. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say if he drops King A, he will finish him this time.

[southpaw_07]

man... i look at king abrahams resume...realy...for real whats there?
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php...8432&cat=boxer

hey i appreciate the way he lays back then takes apart apponents.
and know he has devistating accumalative power.
but against who...some europugs that don't even rate on the world scene and peeps that stand infront of him.
look at his resume.

i'll bumping up this thread after the fight, when your favorite fighter is on his way to the hospital for another checkup due to a devastating KO loss

The americans wont give AA any credit for beating the crap out of their fighter as JT is "shot"....

[nomadman]

I don't really mind who wins this fight to be honest. I like both guys.

It's pretty much a given that Taylor will win the first few rounds, as AA doesn't really get it going till about the fourth. When he does, though, he should have had sufficient time to analyse Jermain's style and read his timing, and then I foresee a major turnaround in the fight, a la Miranda II. A lot of people are underestimating AA here. He may be superficially a straight up guy, but he does a lot of subtle things very well. His timing, accuracy and counterpunching are all first class. Couple that with an excellent defence and genuine one-hit knockout power and I wouldn't be surprised if Taylor hits the deck round about the 6th or 7th, maybe even earlier.

Anyway, whoever wins this fight let's get one thing clear. His opponent was neither 'shot' nor a 'bum'. He just lost to the better man.