Tweet
"Champ Taylor seeks Wright fight"
By Chuck Johnson, USA TODAY
LAS VEGAS — Jermain Taylor, having won Saturday's rematch against Bernard Hopkins, looks forward to defending his undisputed middleweight crown against Winky Wright.
"I want the fight just as much as Winky does," Taylor said. "I'm the type of fighter who wants to know who's best."
That matchup is contingent on Wright getting past Sam Soliman this Saturday to become Taylor's No. 1 mandatory challenger. Promoter Lou DiBella also plans a tuneup fight for Taylor in the champion's hometown of Little Rock.
"It would be a crime to put Jermain in another tough fight without a breather after going 24 rounds with Bernard Hopkins," DiBella said. "We expect a fight with Winky by next summer, but Jermain deserves a rest. I'm going to line up something (with an easier opponent) so his fans in Arkansas can come see him."
Wright won every round against Felix "Tito" Trinidad this year and has been campaigning for a shot at the middleweight crown. "I have a lot of respect for Jermain," Wright said. "At least he is willing to do what (some other top fighters) wouldn't ... and that's fight me."
A fight billed as "No Respect" was fought with much respect Saturday as Taylor (25-0) retained the title with a unanimous decision against Hopkins.
Anticipating an all-out war, a crowd of 10,621 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino instead saw a chess match very similar to July 16 when Taylor took the early rounds and gained a split decision, ending Hopkins' division-record streak of 20 successful title defenses.
The rematch fell short of both fighters' vow to dominate. Taylor's victory was another close call as judges Dave Moretti, Patricia Morse Jarman and Chuck Giampa each scored the fight 115-113 for the 27-year-old champion. A replay of the fight will be aired Saturday (10 p.m. ET) on HBO, coupled with the live telecast of Wright vs. Soliman from the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.
"I've still got a lot to learn, but I did win it," Taylor said. "The man is a clever fighter. It's hard to hit him. You've got to pull all the tricks in the book just to hit him."
Hopkins, who turns 41 on Jan. 15, was more gracious than after the first fight, when he felt he was robbed. This time he gave Taylor some credit but still thought he won despite another slow start.
"The world saw Bernard Hopkins, one month shy of 41, put on a 12-round exhibition that I don't have to be ashamed of," he said. "Jermain Taylor put on a young lion-type of performance, but I still believe I did enough to be the champ. People are still calling me champ, and that's the respect I'll be given until I die."
Hopkins (46-4-1) said he has no regrets after fighting what possibly was the last fight of his Hall of Fame-bound career. Whether he fights again or not, he plans to be involved in boxing as a partner with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.
"I don't have anything to be mad about," he said. "I changed my life from being a penitentiary, Philadelphia street guy to a positive role model and one of the four or five best champions in middleweight history. I can't fight forever. I want to be able to help others become the next Bernard Hopkins. My time has come and passed.
"It's time to pass the torch, whether it's next year or now."
By Chuck Johnson, USA TODAY
LAS VEGAS — Jermain Taylor, having won Saturday's rematch against Bernard Hopkins, looks forward to defending his undisputed middleweight crown against Winky Wright.
"I want the fight just as much as Winky does," Taylor said. "I'm the type of fighter who wants to know who's best."
That matchup is contingent on Wright getting past Sam Soliman this Saturday to become Taylor's No. 1 mandatory challenger. Promoter Lou DiBella also plans a tuneup fight for Taylor in the champion's hometown of Little Rock.
"It would be a crime to put Jermain in another tough fight without a breather after going 24 rounds with Bernard Hopkins," DiBella said. "We expect a fight with Winky by next summer, but Jermain deserves a rest. I'm going to line up something (with an easier opponent) so his fans in Arkansas can come see him."
Wright won every round against Felix "Tito" Trinidad this year and has been campaigning for a shot at the middleweight crown. "I have a lot of respect for Jermain," Wright said. "At least he is willing to do what (some other top fighters) wouldn't ... and that's fight me."
A fight billed as "No Respect" was fought with much respect Saturday as Taylor (25-0) retained the title with a unanimous decision against Hopkins.
Anticipating an all-out war, a crowd of 10,621 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino instead saw a chess match very similar to July 16 when Taylor took the early rounds and gained a split decision, ending Hopkins' division-record streak of 20 successful title defenses.
The rematch fell short of both fighters' vow to dominate. Taylor's victory was another close call as judges Dave Moretti, Patricia Morse Jarman and Chuck Giampa each scored the fight 115-113 for the 27-year-old champion. A replay of the fight will be aired Saturday (10 p.m. ET) on HBO, coupled with the live telecast of Wright vs. Soliman from the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.
"I've still got a lot to learn, but I did win it," Taylor said. "The man is a clever fighter. It's hard to hit him. You've got to pull all the tricks in the book just to hit him."
Hopkins, who turns 41 on Jan. 15, was more gracious than after the first fight, when he felt he was robbed. This time he gave Taylor some credit but still thought he won despite another slow start.
"The world saw Bernard Hopkins, one month shy of 41, put on a 12-round exhibition that I don't have to be ashamed of," he said. "Jermain Taylor put on a young lion-type of performance, but I still believe I did enough to be the champ. People are still calling me champ, and that's the respect I'll be given until I die."
Hopkins (46-4-1) said he has no regrets after fighting what possibly was the last fight of his Hall of Fame-bound career. Whether he fights again or not, he plans to be involved in boxing as a partner with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.
"I don't have anything to be mad about," he said. "I changed my life from being a penitentiary, Philadelphia street guy to a positive role model and one of the four or five best champions in middleweight history. I can't fight forever. I want to be able to help others become the next Bernard Hopkins. My time has come and passed.
"It's time to pass the torch, whether it's next year or now."
Comment