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Taylor’s Dilemma
THU February , ANTONIO ANDRES CARRIEDO - Jermain Taylor emerged victorious from the ring at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on the evening of July 16, 2005 because he fought well against long reigning middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, but also in large part because he looked to be the more lively and exciting of the two. Projections that he was “the future” of the 160 lb. division hinged on Taylor’s steadily improving skills, charismatic personality and “exciting” fighting style.
When compared to the aging, sometimes abrasive Hopkins many excused the controversial decision entirely when Taylor performed better in the rematch in the same ring five months later.
Taylor did not, however, entirely live up to his end of the bargain. Hall of Fame trainer Emmanuel Stewart was brought in prior to the rematch with Hopkins and though there was improvement in Taylor’s performance from the first fight to the rematch, Taylor did not continue to improve. He proceeded to fight then 154 lb. champion Winky Wright to highly competitive draw in June 2006; then won uninspiring decision victories over former 154 lb. titlist Kassim Ouma and former linear 147 lb champion and current 154 lb. titlist Cory Spinks.
The Spinks fight in particular proved problematic because Taylor looked completely lost in attempting to deal with Spinks’ movement and defensive prowess. Stewart repeatedly chastised Taylor during the fight. To make matters worse his eventual conqueror Kelly Pavlik KO’d Edison Miranda in dominant and thrilling fashion on the televised undercard.
So, the man who many had dubbed as “the future” of the division because of his youthful exuberance in the ring and presumed “exciting” style faced the challenge of turning back an even younger, hungrier and genuinely more exciting challenger. This left Taylor in the unenviable spot of fighting against a guy who had absolutely nothing to lose. In the end, Taylor lost in a thrilling matchup.
Taylor succeeds in large part because of his natural athletic gifts. He has quick hands, brute strength and great reflexes. This explains why he routinely forces many of his opponents into defensive shells. However, he has not displayed an ability to break those opponents out of the shell nor has he proven to be a very versatile fighter. This is problematic for a fighter who has been billed as a true champion willing to take on and conquer all challengers in an “exciting” fashion.
So, Taylor had to not only fight Pavlik, but also beat him in exciting fashion to maintain that image. Taylor has the athletic gifts to give Pavlik fits. Even in their first fight he was able to frustrate Pavlik’s offensive efforts in extended spurts throughout the middle rounds. His hand speed even allowed him to catch Pavlik with flush power shots in the second round. In theory, Taylor could drag Pavlik out into the middle of the river and see how long he lasts. He didn’t do that the first time. It remains to be seen whether he can do it in the rematch.
It’s fascinating to consider that despite his comprehensive apprenticeship, Pavlik has not fought past the conclusion of the ninth round. He’s fought many skilled boxers who’ve given him a few problems, but he has consistently found a way to solve the puzzle and therein lays a crucial difference between Pavlik and Taylor. Pavlik can rely on an exciting seek and destroy style because it works for him. He’s incredibly good at it. Taylor on the other hand may have to begin relying more on his natural athletic ability and defensive skills in order to slow Pavlik down and wear him out. The irony is that this is exactly what Hopkins did to Taylor in their fights.
Hopkins was roundly criticized for being “boring” against Taylor. He did not get much credit for taking most of Taylor’s gifts away from him in their matchups. If Taylor does manage to pull the upset in his rematch with Pavlik it figures to be done in a similarly “boring” fashion. The man who was to have replaced Hopkins by bringing youth and excitement will have effectually become the boring old man a few months in advance of his 30th birthday. Taylor must do whatever is necessary for him to win the fight. He cannot worry about whether or not people find it exciting because a repeat loss to Pavlik is unlikely to earn him the paydays and big fight opportunities he was used to receiving as an undefeated champion. However, a “boring” win over Pavlik may also cost him the mainstream appeal that seemed all but certain to fall in his lap a mere 31 months ago.
The lesson learned might be that being the “next big thing” is not all that it is cracked up to be. Because there will always be a new “next big thing.” It’s time for Taylor to focus purely on being successful the way Hopkins, Wright and Spinks have been their entire careers. Unfortunately for Taylor, his time as an “exciting” fighter may have already passed him by.
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