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WBC/WBO Middleweight Champion Jermain Taylor and ex-unified light middleweight champion Winky Wright met earlier this week to hype their upcoming bout scheduled for June 17th at the FedEx Forum in Memphia, TN. Also on hand were the show’s promoters Lou DiBella and Gary Shaw along with trainer Pat Burns as well as Ozell Nelson.
Jermain Taylor: “I have never seen anything like Winky’s defense. He can defend all day, but we are going to have to eventually fight. This is weird, I am used to being up here arguing with Bernard Hopkins. Winky came over and shook my hand. I didn’t know what to do.
“He gave me my respect. But in the ring there is no respect. I am undisputed middleweight champion of the world. Winky is the best, this is one more fight that I will have to prove myself, but I have been proving myself all of my life. I live right down the street (Little Rock, Arkansas), you can come to my house.”
Winky Wright: “Thank you Jermain, we made the fight happen. Two great fighters will be coming to Memphis to show who’s best. I am here for one reason: to beat Jermain Taylor on June 17. He beat Hopkins, I beat Tito, now we will find out who the best middleweight is.”
Lou DiBella: “The public wanted this fight, these are the two best middleweights in the world. Winky is in the lion’s den, but he’s been in the lion’s den before. The issue is not the lion’s den, it’s the young lion Jermain Taylor. Jermain didn’t have to fight Winky coming off beating Bernard Hopkins twice.
“He’s going from fighting the toughest guy out there, to fighting the toughest guy out there. Jermain is the best fighter I have ever promoted. I am proud to be his promoter. He is my franchise. He is a low maintenance champion. I think it is his toughest fight. Jermain will prove himself again to be the best middleweight.”
Gary Shaw: “It’s been a long way from Australia to here. Lou beat me out (in signing Jermain after the Olympics). I’ll just have to get him on June 17. This is the most significant middleweight fight since 1987. Winky truly is going to be a Hall of Famer. For sure he is the single best defensive fighter in the last decade. This is a fight that Jermain truly has to win because Winky is the gatekeeper of the 160 pound division.”
Pat Burns: “FedEx Forum is a beautiful venue. We trained here due to the hurricane in Florida last year, and Memphis did everything right for Team Taylor. I have known Ronald (Winky) since he was a little boy, a little teenager, before he turned pro. Winky is all business, he dodges no one, and that shows you the confidence he has facing Jermain. We fought a lot of southpaws moving up the ranks, now we are ready to fight the best southpaw.
“Jermain is not dodging anyone, Winky is the best out there. Winky is a left-handed Bernard Hopkins. He is slick and smart. It’s a great opportunity for Memphis and Little Rock to get together. They are going to see one heck of a fight; it is going to be an historical event.”
Ozell Nelson: “Winky is a good fighter, a southpaw, but Jermain has no problem with southpaws. Jermain only fights the best, on June 17th he will again show he’s the best.”
