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Taylor doubts Wright's might
Middleweight title holder raps Winky, plays hardball in negotiations
By KEVIN IOLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Normally soft-spoken Jermain Taylor delivered the first salvo Saturday in what might become a war of words with top middleweight contender Winky Wright.
Taylor, holder of three of the division's four title belts, said he is not impressed with Wright and believes Wright is not a good draw among fans.
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Taylor's promoter, Lou DiBella, has been battling over a purse and site with Wright promoter Gary Shaw.
Taylor said Wright doesn't deserve a 50-50 purse split or for the fight to be held in Tampa, Fla., next to his home of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Though Wright is widely regarded as one of the two finest fighters in the world -- alongside Las Vegan Floyd Mayweather Jr. -- Taylor claims he wouldn't have a problem defeating Wright.
"I feel I'm bigger than Winky, I'm stronger than Winky and it's a style thing," said Taylor, 25-0 with 17 knockouts after back-to-back decision victories over longtime champ Bernard Hopkins.
"I don't see (Wright) giving me any problems. I'm really not that impressed with him."
When Taylor was reminded of Wright's May shutout of former champion Felix Trinidad, he erupted.
"I'm not impressed by that," he said. "Who was Trinidad at that point? He hadn't looked like anything in a long time. Beating him? Big deal."
Though Wright-Trinidad was 2005's top-selling pay-per-view (510,000 buys), Taylor said most of the credit for that belongs to Trinidad, not Wright.
"You put Winky out there on a pay-per-view, he wouldn't sell one," Taylor said. "Not one."
The WBC will hold a purse bid Jan. 30 if DiBella and Shaw don't reach a deal by then.
If Taylor doesn't agree to fight Wright after the purse bid, he would be stripped of the WBC belt. He has previously given up the IBF title.
Taylor said he would listen to his team's advice, but said he would urge DiBella to find a way to allow him to remain WBC champion.
"I'm going to tell Lou to find a way to keep those belts," Taylor said. "Some people say the belts don't matter, but I love my belts. I am not afraid to fight Winky Wright, period. I love to fight and I love to find out who's the best, so if it's Winky, great, bring it on.
"As long as it isn't 50-50, we'll fight. He doesn't deserve 50-50. Meet at a good point to make us both happy and we have a fight."
Shaw proposed bringing the fight to Tampa because of the success he had promoting a fight there in August, when super middleweight champion Jeff Lacy attracted a sellout crowd with a paid gate in excess of $2 million.
But Shaw, who said he asked DiBella for a 50-50 split but never negotiated the matter, said he thought a Taylor-Wright fight would do well in Las Vegas.
HBO is prepared to pay $5 million to put the fight on, Shaw said. He said he believes he could get a $3 million site fee in Las Vegas and at least $500,000 in other revenues, meaning the fighters' purses would be coming out of a net of $8.5 million.
"Jermain told you that Trinidad drove the pay-per-view with Winky and I'm not denying that, but he can't deny that Hopkins sold the pay-per-views in both of their fights," Shaw said. "My statement is, if they want the fight, they know my phone number."
Middleweight title holder raps Winky, plays hardball in negotiations
By KEVIN IOLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Normally soft-spoken Jermain Taylor delivered the first salvo Saturday in what might become a war of words with top middleweight contender Winky Wright.
Taylor, holder of three of the division's four title belts, said he is not impressed with Wright and believes Wright is not a good draw among fans.
Advertisement
Taylor's promoter, Lou DiBella, has been battling over a purse and site with Wright promoter Gary Shaw.
Taylor said Wright doesn't deserve a 50-50 purse split or for the fight to be held in Tampa, Fla., next to his home of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Though Wright is widely regarded as one of the two finest fighters in the world -- alongside Las Vegan Floyd Mayweather Jr. -- Taylor claims he wouldn't have a problem defeating Wright.
"I feel I'm bigger than Winky, I'm stronger than Winky and it's a style thing," said Taylor, 25-0 with 17 knockouts after back-to-back decision victories over longtime champ Bernard Hopkins.
"I don't see (Wright) giving me any problems. I'm really not that impressed with him."
When Taylor was reminded of Wright's May shutout of former champion Felix Trinidad, he erupted.
"I'm not impressed by that," he said. "Who was Trinidad at that point? He hadn't looked like anything in a long time. Beating him? Big deal."
Though Wright-Trinidad was 2005's top-selling pay-per-view (510,000 buys), Taylor said most of the credit for that belongs to Trinidad, not Wright.
"You put Winky out there on a pay-per-view, he wouldn't sell one," Taylor said. "Not one."
The WBC will hold a purse bid Jan. 30 if DiBella and Shaw don't reach a deal by then.
If Taylor doesn't agree to fight Wright after the purse bid, he would be stripped of the WBC belt. He has previously given up the IBF title.
Taylor said he would listen to his team's advice, but said he would urge DiBella to find a way to allow him to remain WBC champion.
"I'm going to tell Lou to find a way to keep those belts," Taylor said. "Some people say the belts don't matter, but I love my belts. I am not afraid to fight Winky Wright, period. I love to fight and I love to find out who's the best, so if it's Winky, great, bring it on.
"As long as it isn't 50-50, we'll fight. He doesn't deserve 50-50. Meet at a good point to make us both happy and we have a fight."
Shaw proposed bringing the fight to Tampa because of the success he had promoting a fight there in August, when super middleweight champion Jeff Lacy attracted a sellout crowd with a paid gate in excess of $2 million.
But Shaw, who said he asked DiBella for a 50-50 split but never negotiated the matter, said he thought a Taylor-Wright fight would do well in Las Vegas.
HBO is prepared to pay $5 million to put the fight on, Shaw said. He said he believes he could get a $3 million site fee in Las Vegas and at least $500,000 in other revenues, meaning the fighters' purses would be coming out of a net of $8.5 million.
"Jermain told you that Trinidad drove the pay-per-view with Winky and I'm not denying that, but he can't deny that Hopkins sold the pay-per-views in both of their fights," Shaw said. "My statement is, if they want the fight, they know my phone number."
Just Taylor fight the other belt holders so he can unify them all again. It's not Taylor's fault that the fight ain't gonna happen.
Taylor shouldn't even have the belts? And who do you think should have them? 
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