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Taylor may face Wright in Little Rock
Wednesday December 28, 2005 10:01AM
LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor may be fighting for a title in North Little Rock, if he decides to stay home for his next bout.
Taylor's managers have said the Little Rock native wants his first title defense to be at home. Taylor (25-0) beat Bernard Hopkins on Dec. 3 in Las Vegas to retain his WBC and WBA championships.
But the WBC has ordered Taylor to make his next fight against challenger Winky Wright (50-3), giving the fighters' handlers until Jan. 20 to arrange a bout.
Taylor's promoter, Lou DiBella, said an April fight against Wright at Alltel Arena in North Little Rock is a possibility.
"We're not saying we are going to fight Winky next, but we are seriously exploring the possibility," DiBella said. "It has to be a deal that is favorable to Jermain. We are the champion. If Winky wants to be champion, he has to recognize that he has to go through us. But we are not foreclosed to the possibility of fighting Winky next."
Wright promoter Gary Shaw said he and DiBella have talked about setting up a fight. Shaw said he would not object to the fight being in Little Rock.
DiBella said the bout would have to have corporate support that has not been evident for other Taylor fights in Little Rock.
"We want his next fight to be in Little Rock, but it would have to make economic sense to us," DiBella said. "I need to get a sense of the corporate reaction that, frankly, we haven't seen for the smaller fights in Little Rock. We need a gate that's competitive with Vegas."
Taylor has fought in the state five times -- three times at Alltel and once each at Barton Coliseum and at the Statehouse Convention Center.
Shaw also said corporate support could make the difference in bringing the fight to Arkansas.
"It's all going to come down to dollars and cents," Shaw said. "How much can we do in Little Rock versus Vegas?"
all good news as far as i'm concerned, as long as they make it happen sooner than later.
Wednesday December 28, 2005 10:01AM
LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor may be fighting for a title in North Little Rock, if he decides to stay home for his next bout.
Taylor's managers have said the Little Rock native wants his first title defense to be at home. Taylor (25-0) beat Bernard Hopkins on Dec. 3 in Las Vegas to retain his WBC and WBA championships.
But the WBC has ordered Taylor to make his next fight against challenger Winky Wright (50-3), giving the fighters' handlers until Jan. 20 to arrange a bout.
Taylor's promoter, Lou DiBella, said an April fight against Wright at Alltel Arena in North Little Rock is a possibility.
"We're not saying we are going to fight Winky next, but we are seriously exploring the possibility," DiBella said. "It has to be a deal that is favorable to Jermain. We are the champion. If Winky wants to be champion, he has to recognize that he has to go through us. But we are not foreclosed to the possibility of fighting Winky next."
Wright promoter Gary Shaw said he and DiBella have talked about setting up a fight. Shaw said he would not object to the fight being in Little Rock.
DiBella said the bout would have to have corporate support that has not been evident for other Taylor fights in Little Rock.
"We want his next fight to be in Little Rock, but it would have to make economic sense to us," DiBella said. "I need to get a sense of the corporate reaction that, frankly, we haven't seen for the smaller fights in Little Rock. We need a gate that's competitive with Vegas."
Taylor has fought in the state five times -- three times at Alltel and once each at Barton Coliseum and at the Statehouse Convention Center.
Shaw also said corporate support could make the difference in bringing the fight to Arkansas.
"It's all going to come down to dollars and cents," Shaw said. "How much can we do in Little Rock versus Vegas?"
all good news as far as i'm concerned, as long as they make it happen sooner than later.
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