Thread: Jermain Taylor ponders return to middleweight

from Taylor ponders return to middleweight | MiamiHerald.com

Taylor ponders return to middleweight
BY SANTOS A. PEREZ
sperez@MiamiHerald.com

An ease in weight reduction under familiar surroundings suddenly has intrigued Jermain Taylor about a possible return to the middleweight division.

Taylor apparently was finished with the 160-pound class following his title-losing bout against Kelly Pavlik in September 2007. In their direct rematch six months later, Taylor and Pavlik fought in the super-middleweight class.

In fact, Taylor, who also lost to Pavlik in the second bout, will fight another super-middleweight fight against Jeff Lacy on Nov. 15 in Nashville.

But Taylor's return to Miami for training camp and Pavlik's recent loss against Bernard Hopkins is creating a captivating scenario for the former middleweight champion and 2000 U.S. Olympian.

''There is a possibility I might go back to 160 [pounds],'' Taylor said. ``Don't count it out. As long as I can physically handle it -- why not?''

Although Taylor lost twice against Pavlik, he scored consecutive victories against Hopkins in 2005. The 43-year-old Hopkins easily defeated Pavlik in a light-heavyweight bout Oct. 18.

With a victory over Lacy, a teammate of Taylor's on the 2000 U.S. Olympic team, Taylor could move to light-heavyweight or return to the middleweights for third bouts against Hopkins and Pavlik, respectively.

''I don't know what I am going to do but here it is -- the middleweight champion lost to the man I beat twice,'' Taylor said.

That Taylor is thinking of a middleweight comeback centers on the advantages of training in Miami. Taylor trained locally during the first five years of his professional career but set up training camps elsewhere after the first of his two victories against Hopkins.

''I am at 5 or 6 pounds over the weight limit,'' Taylor said. ``I can thank Miami for that. The weight easily comes off here.''

Taylor's Miami return comes after the longest layoff of his professional career.

''It was hard, I was down on myself,'' Taylor said of the period following his second loss against Pavlik. ``But I had a great summer with my wife and kids. It was well overdue.''

Late in the summer and rejuvenated by his layoff, Taylor (27-2-1, 17 KOs) informed longtime trainer Ozell Nelson he was ready to resume boxing.

''With the long layoff, he had time to think about it, sleep on it and think about it again,'' Nelson said. ``Now his mind is great and is focused on this fight.

``Jermain understands if he wins, he is back in the mix.''

JONES BOUT CRUCIAL

Taylor's future fight schedule could depend on the outcome of Saturday night's light-heavyweight match between Joe Calzaghe and Roy Jones Jr. in New York.

Hopkins likely will target Jones if the Pensacola native defeats Calzaghe. But if Calzaghe wins, Hopkins could pursue a third bout against Taylor at a higher weight than in their first two matches.

Taylor needs to stop focusing on Pavlik/Hopkins and get his head in the Lacy fight. Sure, while the current middleweight champ lost to the man JT beat twice, the current MW champ is also the man who beat him twice. Jermain was in a position to win both fights, but didn't.

It almost sounds like he's living in the past and if he lets his losses to Pavlik and the Pavlik/Hopkins outcome eat away at him, he's going to be in trouble against Lacy. He needs to get his head straight, get a few solid wins under his belt, and then if he wants to revisit the Pavlik losses with a renewed sense of confidence and some improvements in his game, then fine. But right now, FORGET IT.

At this point it would be very dumb to go back down to middleweight he looks like a true super middleweight now and did against Kelly in the second fight. The first fight he looked depleted and tired.

i think he should stay at SMW theres alot more competition up there he can bring his name back if he beats them

I agree, just fight what's there at SM, then be patient as Pavlik and Abraham will eventually have to move up as well to get in the mix.

He kept complaining about the weight and now he wants back in? Taylor just needs to get in the ring. I always thought 168 was a good move for him..

He should stay at 168.

No way could he get back down to MW and be afective.

Originally Posted by The Fightfan

At this point it would be very dumb to go back down to middleweight he looks like a true super middleweight now and did against Kelly in the second fight. The first fight he looked depleted and tired.

he looked depleted and tired because he punched himself out in the 2nd round.

Originally Posted by hfahrenheit

Originally Posted by The Fightfan

At this point it would be very dumb to go back down to middleweight he looks like a true super middleweight now and did against Kelly in the second fight. The first fight he looked depleted and tired.

he looked depleted and tired because he punched himself out in the 2nd round.

True but that second wind that he usually got never came back too him as it had in the past.

Jermain's problem has nothing to do with weight. He's a nervous guy. When he's in that ring he expends WAY too much nervous energy. I'm sure Steward had him as physically ready as he could possibly be, but you can see it in the tightness of his body how nervous he is. If he learned to relax in there his stamina problems would evaporate. You'd see Taylor as a racehorse in there, easily completing 12 rounds. But the guy can't get past something that made him tire out in the first fight with Hopkins and the first one with Pavlik and he had a much harder time with both guys than he should have.

Originally Posted by Killface

Jermain's problem has nothing to do with weight. He's a nervous guy. When he's in that ring he expends WAY too much nervous energy. I'm sure Steward had him as physically ready as he could possibly be, but you can see it in the tightness of his body how nervous he is. If he learned to relax in there his stamina problems would evaporate. You'd see Taylor as a racehorse in there, easily completing 12 rounds. But the guy can't get past something that made him tire out in the first fight with Hopkins and the first one with Pavlik and he had a much harder time with both guys than he should have.

Excellent point, and one that I think is overlooked a lot.

He's constantly fidgeting from the waist up, almost like there is low voltage electricity going through his arms, shoulders, and neck. He touches his forehead with his glove every few seconds - maybe a nervous tick, maybe wiping sweat - whatever it is, it expends energy.

Unless Taylor can get a third fight with Pavlik--which at this point makes little sense for Pavlik--then the bigger money fights are going to be at 168 and 175. If he beats Lacy, I'd love to see him fight Kessler.

Originally Posted by littlerock

Originally Posted by Killface

Jermain's problem has nothing to do with weight. He's a nervous guy. When he's in that ring he expends WAY too much nervous energy. I'm sure Steward had him as physically ready as he could possibly be, but you can see it in the tightness of his body how nervous he is. If he learned to relax in there his stamina problems would evaporate. You'd see Taylor as a racehorse in there, easily completing 12 rounds. But the guy can't get past something that made him tire out in the first fight with Hopkins and the first one with Pavlik and he had a much harder time with both guys than he should have.

Excellent point, and one that I think is overlooked a lot.

He's constantly fidgeting from the waist up, almost like there is low voltage electricity going through his arms, shoulders, and neck. He touches his forehead with his glove every few seconds - maybe a nervous tick, maybe wiping sweat - whatever it is, it expends energy.

It's the nervous energy, plus he tends to load up on all his punches. He needs to learn when to take something off a punch so he isn't wasting his ammo for the stretch run.

The fact that he is thinking about this... let alone having his camp release statements about this is bad...

Most people have wrote Lacy off but what the hell... give him at least some credit... I really don't think that Taylor can afford to have his head up in the clouds and overlook lacy at all.

Originally Posted by AdamGB

Most people have wrote Lacy off but what the hell... give him at least some credit... I really don't think that Taylor can afford to have his head up in the clouds and overlook lacy at all.

I agree. I haven't seen Lacy look good at all after the Calzaghe fight (even if he has won, and seems I remember thinking Tsypko beat him), and I had pretty much written him off. But with Taylor talking like that, Lacy's chances look much better.