Jermain Taylor’s Dreams Deferred

[dstew]

Good article, good writing, but I might've edited it a little more...

I usually find myself rooting for the nice guy who seemingly has the biggest personal challenges to overcome in order to realize his full potential. In this case, that's Taylor. Actually, it's perpetually Taylor.

[amayseng]

taylor turned me

i never thought taylor beat hopkins and i loved when pavlik crushed him.
i have always seen holes in taylors game, he is unathletic and uncoordinated, anyone ever see him dribble or shoot a basketball?
he was an overachiever early.

however, i became a HUGE taylor fan watching the froch fight, which he dominated but unfortunately ran out of steam at the end.

i see the same fight again tonight, sure aa is solid and stong, but taylor has
the tools, jab and movement to beat him....if

he actually uses his movement and jab....

lets hope he doesnt gas out...
if he doesnt i say taylor wins an easy 7-5 rounds..

[oA2o]

I'm from Arkansas and I have watched Taylor's entire career. The Hopkins victories were close calls and I felt that Hopkins should have gotten the nod given how long he ruled the middleweight division. HBO hyped Taylor up and he could have lived up to the hype, but he became comfortable with doing the minimum to win fights given that it worked to his benefit in the fights with Hopkins. Lou Dibella forced him to go with Steward instead of staying with Pat Burns who was the perfect man in Taylor's corner. Taylor should have fought Miranda or Lorenzo instead of Ouma he was soft matched because of the two fights with Hopkins and the fight with Winky.
He had Pavlik out in round 2 as we all know and gassed out to be brutally knocked out and still had in his head that the minimum was good enough and that he did not throw the "right" punches to finish Pavlik. Pavlik was just a power puncher who moves in straight lines making him easy to hit. Taylor should have been training year round like a true champion is supposed to and this is where he has come up short against so called "no name" fighters who stay conditioned and focused year round.
That being said Taylor should beat Abraham but Abraham is a beast. He is smart and calculating and I believe he will be the strongest puncher that Taylor has faced. Abraham would destroy Pavlik and was willing to come to Youngstown to face him but we see that Bob Arum knew better than that. Abraham is eager to make a name for himself and has the qualities to be superstar in my opinion even though his resume is filled with mostly unheard of fighters. I won't be bothered if Abraham wins or Taylor wins, I just believe it will be a clash of two warriors with something to prove.
AND GIVE TAYLOR CREDIT. THE COMBINED RECORD OF ALL OF HIS OPPONENTS FROM HOPKINS TO ABRAHAM IS SOMEWHERE AROUND 339-14!!!!! THAT SAYS SOMETHING FOR HIS HEART.

[wayne hawkins]

Taylor once said he never watches boxing. Isn't that how you improve? He is a very athletic guy, but that only gets you so far. Boxing is something you must eat, sleep and live. It's sad to me because he's one of the good guys.

[Inthewhitegirls]

i never thought taylor beat hopkins and i loved when pavlik crushed him.
i have always seen holes in taylors game, he is unathletic and uncoordinated, anyone ever see him dribble or shoot a basketball?
he was an overachiever early.

however, i became a HUGE taylor fan watching the froch fight, which he dominated but unfortunately ran out of steam at the end.

i see the same fight again tonight, sure aa is solid and stong, but taylor has
the tools, jab and movement to beat him....if

he actually uses his movement and jab....

lets hope he doesnt gas out...
if he doesnt i say taylor wins an easy 7-5 rounds..

What? Taylor is very athletic. In fact he is probably the most all around athlete of the 6.