Jermain Taylor fit, ready for return to ring and Pat Burns

[dstew]

Taylor fit, ready for return to ring
By Tim Cooper, Arkansas ******** Gazette

Friday, May 28, 2010

LITTLE ROCK — Jermain Taylor says he is refreshed and ready to get back into the ring, and the former world middleweight boxing champion from Little Rock is hoping his former trainer will help him get there.

Taylor (28-4-1) said Thursday he will hopefully begin negotiating with former trainer Pat Burns to help him in his return to boxing.

“We really haven’t had any serious negotiations yet,” Taylor said. “But if I do go back with Pat, I know how he is. He’ll work me hard, and I don’t have a problem with hard work.”

Burns said he has not spoken with Taylor about the situation and did not want to comment until after he had done so.

Taylor, who turns 32 in August, has not fought since Oct. 17, when he was knocked out in the 12th round by undefeatedArmenian-German champion Arthur Abraham in the Super Six tournament in Berlin, Germany. Taylor officially withdrew from the tournament in January, saying his “body and mind” needed a rest from boxing.

After a successful amateur career that included winning a bronze medal in the 2000 Olympics, Taylor made his professional debut Jan. 27, 2001, with Burns as his trainer. Burns remained in Taylor’s corner for his first 25 professional fights - all victories. But before Taylor’s World Boxing Council title fight with Winky Wright in 2006, Taylor replaced Burns with Boxing Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward.

After losing to Kelly Pavlik on Sept. 29, 2007, Taylor fired Steward and replaced him with Ozell Nelson, who has been with Taylor since he started boxing and served as his first trainer.

[freddyp]

I wonder if JT still has it. He's been inactive for awhile now.

[murmagic]

he needs a few tune ups before fighting any good comp imo, he fought all elite level fighters in a row for a few years

[dstew]

In Februrary, when Taylor announced his withdrawal from the Super Six, he also talked about how he was working with a speed and conditioning coach several times a week to maintain a level of physical fitness expected from a top athlete. Apparently this would be the first time he'd ever spent time in a gym regularly - outside of an actual training camp - since early in his career.

At the end of his 10-month sabbatical, when his L.A. co-manager Al Haymon calls with details of his return to the ring, Taylor doesn’t want to just then begin his fight preparation. He plans never again to approach the usual eight-week fight prep as — in the words of both Taylor and his workout trainer Ben Faires — a “fat camp.”


When February dawns, Taylor will be starting his fifth week training with D1’s Faires, a former University of Central Arkansas football player.


“At first, when I started training him, his fight on April 17 was still scheduled, but then he backed out. So we were able to back off a little bit,” the young, well-muscled Faires said.


So, while the prescription was rest and relaxation, it’s anything but that for Taylor for an hour or so most days. The schedule calls for a five-day workout week with two weightlifting days, alternating to four days a week and one weightlifting day.


“My whole deal is I want to give him enough to give him a great workout, get him stronger — basically everything we do here at D1, to become a better athlete. If we make him a better athlete, he’s going to be a better boxer,” Faires said.

Nelson, his fight trainer for his past three fights, added, “Instead of working on a good strategy for the fight, we were working on that weight. Every day, when we should be getting to work on this move right here, that move there — instead we were working on getting that weight off.”

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/spor....132115&page=3

[Monkz]

As a JT fan it will be great to see him back but I don't think he's capable of beating any of the top guys at 168 unless he dramatically improves his stamina.

[DLT]

Shouldve never left Burns in the 1st place

[-PANDA-]

reconciling with pat burns is the best move for taylor

pat did a great job with him and kept him humble

hope taylor really makes this chance count

[-PANDA-]

Shouldve never left Burns in the 1st place

he didnt willingly do so but he had so much star buzz after he beat hopkins the 2nd time his handlers felt he wasnt progressing and needed a high profile trainer

[Ya Boy NeXt]

Definitely a good move for Bad Intentions, to get back with Pat Burns. I'm just wondering if it'll cause friction in camp being that I read somewhere that Ozell and Pat do NOT get along at all. Plus, it's not like Taylor's going to tell Ozell to hit the road, he's been there since the beginning and will be until the end.

I hope Jermain can make an exciting run at 168 when he comes back, the kid's got so much talent and potential that went unfulfilled.

[Doorag]

Re-match Froch after Abe knocks him out of the super six?