Thread: Did JCC Really Ruin Meldrick Taylor ?

I mean JCC obviously shortened his career with that beating, but i don't think he was totally ruined straight after that fight like everyone makes out. He had a very good performance against Aaron Davis, who was fresh off KO'ing Mark Breland in a great fight.

He also beat a good underrated fighter in Glenwood Brown, who at that time was known as a pretty respectful hitter. He floored Meldrick Taylor twice, but Meldrick Taylor fought back hard winning a majority of the rounds in a good performance.

It seems like to me that when he met the bigger/stronger Terry Norris, it all went down from there. And Terry Norris basically finished him as an elite fighter, because he looked bad vs Crisanto Epsana straight after the Terry Norris fight. And never beat anyone worth noting again.

But whats your thoughts ?

Originally Posted by ICB

I mean JCC obviously shortened his career with that beating, but i don't think he was totally ruined straight after that fight like everyone makes out. He had a very good performance against Aaron Davis, who was fresh off KO'ing Mark Breland in a great fight.

He also beat a good underrated fighter in Glenwood Brown, who at that time was known as a pretty respectful hitter. He floored Meldrick Taylor twice, but Meldrick Taylor fought back hard winning a majority of the rounds in a good performance.

It seems like to me that when he met the bigger/stronger Terry Norris, it all went down from there. And Terry Norris basically finished him as an elite fighter, because he looked bad vs Crisanto Epsana straight after the Terry Norris fight. And never beat anyone worth noting again.

But whats your thoughts ?

i agree, he looked completely shot in the Chavez rematch, but i do think that the first loss to Chavez took a lot out of him

No. Ref Steele did.

Yes the fight with JCC took a hell of alot outta Taylor and Norris finished off what was left.....really sad to see because if he had beaten Chavez he could have taken a different path...but u can't change anything and what will be will bemm shame


Job Biscuit (Norris was one hell of a fighter...hurtfull mutherfocker)!!!!


eh eh!!!

Originally Posted by Otley

Yes the fight with JCC took a hell of alot outta Taylor and Norris finished off what was left.....really sad to see because if he had beaten Chavez he could have taken a different path...but u can't change anything and what will be will bemm shame


Job Biscuit (Norris was one hell of a fighter...hurtfull mutherfocker)!!!!


eh eh!!!

Even if had beaten JCC i don't think it would of changed his career, but it would of been better for his mental state.

But you guys should check out his fights vs Brown, Davis, very good performances.

Originally Posted by Pacstraightleft

No. Ref Steele did.

By not helping to make it to the end of the round based on the time

Ive always thought it a little hasty to label him 'done' after that war but yeh...he fought a heart fight and it was very taxing on longevity overall. Taylors style was speed,movement,speed and he was a short lived phenom at it. Some of the fastest hands you will ever see regardless of era. He came back after Chavez vs Primo Ramos in rematch and early was taking some clean left hooks and was even snapped by rugged Ramos's jab more than once. Once he hit mid fight in 5th,6th and on you could see the bursts come back...hit and move,repeat. Ramos was always rugged and nailed him extremely badly in the balls for time out but Taylor sucked it up and went back out,pissed off very much and nailed Ramos with big shots and almost seemed the turning point of fight.

Full respect for Davis win and Taylor commanded it. Davis was always troubled by speed but I think he was always juuuust a bit under appreciated as far as solid skills go. Stick and move owned the night for Taylor. That Breland brawl undoubably taxed Davis likewise but Taylor was fluid in there though not overly spectacular. Think sometimes the weight rise for Taylor gets overlooked. Brown was a very good hitter but could be out hustled and out sped too as Mo Blocker had shown in a fight which the scorecards were generous in. Its been a long time but I thought Taylor fought Browns fight in spots and had him only winning up by two points at fights end. It was a solid back and forth rough one and not wise to take Norris as next up for Meldrick...you could see writing on wall going into that fight. He didnt belong there,with that Norris, on that night. A name vs name fight I thought at time. Gangly freak of an long hitter Espana just finished a spent Taylor after that. He was spent totally going into Chavez rematch and that was more about Chavez seeking 100 and 'redemption' vs a rival than a realistic rematch I really believe...see Randall 3

YES he did!!!!! Man he was pissing blood after the fight, and his face was fractured severely. He never looked anywhere near top form again...

Tito v Vargas, Margo v Cotto, are two more fights that remind me of that but less severe...

Meldrick Taylor ruined Meldrick Taylor because he had the skill to be a very sharp boxer but he chose to be a face first Philly fighter and look what happened to him.

I know plenty of boxing fans love seeing that brawler go for broke style, but it doesn't make sense for everyone.

Originally Posted by ICB

I mean JCC obviously shortened his career with that beating, but i don't think he was totally ruined straight after that fight like everyone makes out. He had a very good performance against Aaron Davis, who was fresh off KO'ing Mark Breland in a great fight.

He also beat a good underrated fighter in Glenwood Brown, who at that time was known as a pretty respectful hitter. He floored Meldrick Taylor twice, but Meldrick Taylor fought back hard winning a majority of the rounds in a good performance.

It seems like to me that when he met the bigger/stronger Terry Norris, it all went down from there. And Terry Norris basically finished him as an elite fighter, because he looked bad vs Crisanto Epsana straight after the Terry Norris fight. And never beat anyone worth noting again.

But whats your thoughts ?

In my opinion, yes.

The answer to that question is YES. I remember seeing him outside of a night club in Philly called The Ritz on South street about 3 months after that fight. He didnt seem the same. He was wearing a suit that looked like it was 3 sizes to big. Very sloppy looking. Hunched over. I dont even think he was drinking but he looked bad. I just shook his hand and keep it moving. Chavez did something to him mentally as well as the ass kicking. He broke his spirit. I seen the same thing in Bryant Brannan after the Roy Jones KO in 1996.

What if he had won the fight would his career have been different.

Originally Posted by Master

What if he had won the fight would his career have been different.

He may not have been looked at as such a tragic figure but I doubt his career would have flourished after the JCC fight because that fight took a lot out of him...obviously.

I think Taylor chose the wrong style to fight with and it cost him big time. If he used more of a Ray Leonard style or even a Pernell Whittaker style (and he had the skill set to do either) he would have had a longer more successful career.

That being said Meldrick Taylor is the epitome of a Philadelphia fighter, someone who's a beast of a fighter in the gym but couldn't hack it in the big fight. He had plenty of tools to be a Hall of Fame fighter, but he didn't use them properly and I blame him and more importantly his trainers and handlers because they allowed or advised him to fight in such a manner.

I really don't think Taylor was missing being the second coming of Leonard simply by him choosing not to box and box some more....which he did plenty of and was not always this throw caution to the wind mini slugger from Philly living on heart?! His win over McGirt was a masterpiece. Don't think it would have mattered in any fight of his career save for the Chavez fight if he stuck and moved his azz off. Even there he would have soaked up body damage and may have known he had to sit in to keep respect and blunt that infamous JCC attack on Fleet movers. He was bulky and lacked pop. Short handspeed was key. The epitome of a Philly fighter is a guy who couldn't hack in in the big fight? Wow!

Yeah Spicoli Philly fighters were guys that over worked themselves in the gym and didn't have anything left come fight night. Being a "Philly Fighter" didn't use to be a good thing. It was definitely a pejorative term until Bernard Hopkins came around.