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Just as Jermain Taylor's time as middleweight champion is beginning, so many people think it is about to come to an end. Though I concur with the logic that asks why Taylor, having survived two of the most tense and frustrating technical fights of his career against Bernard Hopkins, would want to step right in for his second defense with Winky wright who is virtually impossible to look good against.
Wright specializes in taking the buzz out of a fight. Behind that impenetrable guard of Wright's, he succeeds in delivering the most subtle strategies that, while not exactly a visual stimulus, are in fact very effective and have nullified some of the most exciting styles and biggest punchers in the world.
However, I take issue with some of wright's most famous wins. Firstly, he came to the prominence he now enjoys after thoroughly outboxing Felix Trinidad over twelve rounds. For the first time in his career, Trinidad entered and left a boxing ring, and it was as if he was never there. Of course, Wright's defense, accuracy and consistency put Trinidad out of his rhythm all night, but there was nothing of Trinidad that night that resembled the dynamic warrior he had always been.
Retiring immediately after the fight is a sign to me that Trinidad was in it for the money all along, or should never have taken the advice of promoter Don King to come out of his first self-imposed retirement.
Then we have Wright's two wins over Shane Mosley. I cannot confess to have seen both these fights in their entirety, but I can say that Shane Mosley is a natural lightweight, and at that weight he was a devastating puncher and an all-out action fighter. Mosley took the big money in moving up two whole weight classes to face Oscar de la Hoya at welterweight, and when business dried up in that division, Mosley found himself at light middleweight; almost twenty-pounds above his ideal fighting weight.
The difference in size between Mosley and Wright, the natural 154-pounder, was obvious. Therefore, how much credit can you really give to Wright for doing what should have been a formality for someone of his ability while holding such immense natural size and strength advantages?
Taylor's offerings against Hopkins were no more impressive. Hopkins had become a cautious counter-puncher content to do just enough by the time he came up against Taylor. It was only Taylor's willingness to march into fire and outwork Hopkins over the distance that saw him through the first fight. In the rematch, Taylor stamped his authority a little further by outpointing Hopkins soundly. But the respect that Taylor had acquired for an operator of Hopkins' standing prevented him from being himself in the ring.
That being said, Wright is precisely the opponent designed to inhibit most fighters from doing what they would ordinarily do.
That is why Taylor must leave his respect for Wright's ability at the door coming into this fight. Wright will look to interrupt Taylor's flow of attack and will not waste punches; therefore, if Taylor is over-zealous and disorganized in attack, the cleaner and more effective punches from Wright will make it seem as if he is winning the fight with ease.
Taylor must set a pace that Wright will not be able to maintain. At thirty-four, Wright is approaching the very end of his long career but has not been to war, and will not relish the prospect of being forced to open up to take the fight to Taylor.
If Taylor can force the issue and take a dominant footing in the opening few rounds, he will take away the initiative that Wright is expected by all to assume. In doing so, he will force Wright to come out from behind that brick wall of a defense more and more, and when he does, Wright will have to swap punches with one of the biggest middleweights in terms of physical size, strength and punching power the division has seen in some years.
Taylor must exert educated aggression, but he must not be found wanting in the key moments of the fight as he was against Hopkins in their first fight. Taylor must dominate from the opening and have plenty in reserve to overwhelm Wright should the chance arrive.
In order to create that chance, Taylor must be content to throw punches at whatever openings Wright happens to give, whether they be to the head or the body. If those openings are too rare, Taylor must understand the merits of breaking Wright down by ****ing in shots to the arms and shoulders; wearing the old man down until those hands follow.
I have no doubt that the main reason that this fight is happening is because Wright is the only financial option for Taylor in the middleweight division thanks to Hopkins' exit and the presences of IBF champion Arthur Abraham and WBA champion Felix Sturm over in Germany.
Nevertheless, Taylor would not take the fight with Wright unless he was sure he could win. I take Taylor to look as good as you can look against Wright in winning a unanimous decision.
Wright specializes in taking the buzz out of a fight. Behind that impenetrable guard of Wright's, he succeeds in delivering the most subtle strategies that, while not exactly a visual stimulus, are in fact very effective and have nullified some of the most exciting styles and biggest punchers in the world.
However, I take issue with some of wright's most famous wins. Firstly, he came to the prominence he now enjoys after thoroughly outboxing Felix Trinidad over twelve rounds. For the first time in his career, Trinidad entered and left a boxing ring, and it was as if he was never there. Of course, Wright's defense, accuracy and consistency put Trinidad out of his rhythm all night, but there was nothing of Trinidad that night that resembled the dynamic warrior he had always been.
Retiring immediately after the fight is a sign to me that Trinidad was in it for the money all along, or should never have taken the advice of promoter Don King to come out of his first self-imposed retirement.
Then we have Wright's two wins over Shane Mosley. I cannot confess to have seen both these fights in their entirety, but I can say that Shane Mosley is a natural lightweight, and at that weight he was a devastating puncher and an all-out action fighter. Mosley took the big money in moving up two whole weight classes to face Oscar de la Hoya at welterweight, and when business dried up in that division, Mosley found himself at light middleweight; almost twenty-pounds above his ideal fighting weight.
The difference in size between Mosley and Wright, the natural 154-pounder, was obvious. Therefore, how much credit can you really give to Wright for doing what should have been a formality for someone of his ability while holding such immense natural size and strength advantages?
Taylor's offerings against Hopkins were no more impressive. Hopkins had become a cautious counter-puncher content to do just enough by the time he came up against Taylor. It was only Taylor's willingness to march into fire and outwork Hopkins over the distance that saw him through the first fight. In the rematch, Taylor stamped his authority a little further by outpointing Hopkins soundly. But the respect that Taylor had acquired for an operator of Hopkins' standing prevented him from being himself in the ring.
That being said, Wright is precisely the opponent designed to inhibit most fighters from doing what they would ordinarily do.
That is why Taylor must leave his respect for Wright's ability at the door coming into this fight. Wright will look to interrupt Taylor's flow of attack and will not waste punches; therefore, if Taylor is over-zealous and disorganized in attack, the cleaner and more effective punches from Wright will make it seem as if he is winning the fight with ease.
Taylor must set a pace that Wright will not be able to maintain. At thirty-four, Wright is approaching the very end of his long career but has not been to war, and will not relish the prospect of being forced to open up to take the fight to Taylor.
If Taylor can force the issue and take a dominant footing in the opening few rounds, he will take away the initiative that Wright is expected by all to assume. In doing so, he will force Wright to come out from behind that brick wall of a defense more and more, and when he does, Wright will have to swap punches with one of the biggest middleweights in terms of physical size, strength and punching power the division has seen in some years.
Taylor must exert educated aggression, but he must not be found wanting in the key moments of the fight as he was against Hopkins in their first fight. Taylor must dominate from the opening and have plenty in reserve to overwhelm Wright should the chance arrive.
In order to create that chance, Taylor must be content to throw punches at whatever openings Wright happens to give, whether they be to the head or the body. If those openings are too rare, Taylor must understand the merits of breaking Wright down by ****ing in shots to the arms and shoulders; wearing the old man down until those hands follow.
I have no doubt that the main reason that this fight is happening is because Wright is the only financial option for Taylor in the middleweight division thanks to Hopkins' exit and the presences of IBF champion Arthur Abraham and WBA champion Felix Sturm over in Germany.
Nevertheless, Taylor would not take the fight with Wright unless he was sure he could win. I take Taylor to look as good as you can look against Wright in winning a unanimous decision.
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