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By Cliff Rold - Be careful of wishes which come true.
Heading into his 2007 defense against Kelly Pavlik, then-World Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor was taking his lumps. He’d captured and kept the title from modern legend Bernard Hopkins in controversial fashion. Following Hopkins, he defended against a Winky Wright who had won eleven straight and unified the Jr. Middleweight division. The result was a draw with arguments on both sides about the result.
Taylor followed with what passed for soft touches. A defense against former Jr. Middleweight titlist Kasim Ouma and former undisputed World Welterweight champion Cory Spinks produced wins but nothing aesthetically pleasing. In none of these fights, from Hopkins to Spinks, did Taylor look the part of gilded star he’d been built, largely on HBO, to play. The critics were howling and the fans were losing patience. It was time for Taylor to be THE champ or be pushed aside. [details]
Heading into his 2007 defense against Kelly Pavlik, then-World Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor was taking his lumps. He’d captured and kept the title from modern legend Bernard Hopkins in controversial fashion. Following Hopkins, he defended against a Winky Wright who had won eleven straight and unified the Jr. Middleweight division. The result was a draw with arguments on both sides about the result.
Taylor followed with what passed for soft touches. A defense against former Jr. Middleweight titlist Kasim Ouma and former undisputed World Welterweight champion Cory Spinks produced wins but nothing aesthetically pleasing. In none of these fights, from Hopkins to Spinks, did Taylor look the part of gilded star he’d been built, largely on HBO, to play. The critics were howling and the fans were losing patience. It was time for Taylor to be THE champ or be pushed aside. [details]
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