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ESPN Dan Rafael Article on Taylor and his jab
havent seen many on taylor, so i thout id put this up there
LAS VEGAS -- Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor's left jab is widely considered one of the best in boxing, the bread and butter of his impressive arsenal.
But that wasn't always the case for Taylor, who defends his title for the first time on Saturday night (HBO PPV, 9 ET) at Mandalay Bay in a rematch against Bernard Hopkins, whom he beat on a controversial split decision in July.
When Taylor was 16 and a blossoming amateur in Little Rock, Ark., he was, as he likes say, "right-hand crazy."
All Taylor was concerned with was pounding his opponents with his right hand. He admits that he gave very little thought to setting up his shots or using strategy to win.
His left jab was nonexistent, a deficiency noticed by Ozell Nelson, Taylor's father figure and amateur coach who now assists head trainer Pat Burns.
"When Jermain first came into my gym in Little Rock as a 13 year old, he was more of a street fighter, a brawler, just toe-to-toe. But with his long arms, for him to be successful in boxing he had to use his reach instead of brawling. So a jab was a big part of it," Nelson said
havent seen many on taylor, so i thout id put this up there
LAS VEGAS -- Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor's left jab is widely considered one of the best in boxing, the bread and butter of his impressive arsenal.
But that wasn't always the case for Taylor, who defends his title for the first time on Saturday night (HBO PPV, 9 ET) at Mandalay Bay in a rematch against Bernard Hopkins, whom he beat on a controversial split decision in July.
When Taylor was 16 and a blossoming amateur in Little Rock, Ark., he was, as he likes say, "right-hand crazy."
All Taylor was concerned with was pounding his opponents with his right hand. He admits that he gave very little thought to setting up his shots or using strategy to win.
His left jab was nonexistent, a deficiency noticed by Ozell Nelson, Taylor's father figure and amateur coach who now assists head trainer Pat Burns.
"When Jermain first came into my gym in Little Rock as a 13 year old, he was more of a street fighter, a brawler, just toe-to-toe. But with his long arms, for him to be successful in boxing he had to use his reach instead of brawling. So a jab was a big part of it," Nelson said