does "bad intentions" taylor have the "wright" moves?

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By DJ Carter, BRC (May 2, 2006)
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Should Jermaine Taylor have taken this bout with Winky Wright so soon? Does he have what it takes to carry and rule the Middleweight Division? Does he deserve the respect that many still do not give him?

Taylor hasn't even begun to scratch the surface of greatness that awaits him. Is it all happening too fast, I ask?

I disagree with comments made by ESPN's Brian Kenney to Mayweather Jr. Kenney said that in order to be a true champion you have to beat the man with the belt. So then I guess that makes Mayorga, Baldomir, and Hatton true champs. Yeah, right! Even he doesn't believe that, and I bet he wishes he could recant what he said. Defeating a belt holder does not make you the p4p greatest or a true champ. I feel, like many others, in order to be a true champion you have to be the best.

So why doesn't Taylor get respect after defeating Hopkins twice. Because, neither fight was impressive. In the first bout, we saw a very tentative Taylor that exhausted himself midway through the bout. We saw an overly careful Hopkins, unwilling to trade shots toe to toe with this power puncher. Did Taylor hurt B-Hop at any point during the fight? Not in my opinion. Did B-Hop hurt Taylor in his later trades down the stretch? Visibly so.

One thing that can truly be said, is that Taylor has a hell of heart. He did something that Trinidad couldn't do, he hung in there to the very end without falling. Is his heart what won over the judges? Maybe. Hopkins has never been a media or fan favorite, but I didn't see anything less than what I expected for Hopkins to do. You know Hopkins, he lets his opponents tire themselves out and then he goes to work. And so it was written all over Taylor's face as the scores were being announced. What was going on through his mind? Was he thinking he should've done more to secure a victory? Because even he knew his performance was questionable. It was rather amusing to see the expression on Hopkins' face though, when he was dethroned. I still have some built up resentment for him exploiting my favorite boxer Felix Trinidad, so you know I enjoyed every moment of it. Much to Taylor's own dismay, he pulled off a huge upset. However, even though I am not a Hopkins fan, I give respect when respect is due. I must admit even I was shocked by the decision. If anything I had it pegged as a draw.+

Fast forward to the rematch, Still No Respect. With Hopkins unsportsmanlike behavior after the fight, he was coming in a sore underdog. This bout was scripted similar to the first, but with one exception. Hopkins did everything the same, but he never expected for Taylor to get a second wind in the last round. As slim as it was, Taylor eked out a win again. But was it impressive? In order for him to get that respect, he should've either knocked Hopkins out or won by unanimous decision.

Can he gain this respect against Winky Wright? A boxer that is good, but not great. A boxer who avoided a bout with Hopkins, instead opting for premature, ill prepared Trinidad fresh from retirement. I'm not making excuses for Trinidad by any means, just calling it like I saw it. Winky knew the man to beat was clearly Hopkins, at that time. As he claims, ultimately he wished to obtain the same title Hopkins used to adorn around his waist. What's up with that, Winky? Fans want to know. Instead Winky now faces an unsure Taylor. I say unsure, because at first DiBella did all he could to get out of this bout. He admitted Taylor was not ready to step in the ring with Winky so soon after the Hopkins bout. Since Winky is the best in that division, after Hopkins moved up to take on Tarver, he is the man to beat. After all, in order to be the best p4p you have to beat the best. But in order for him to retain his title, he has to impress. Meaning Taylor has to either KO Wright or win by unanimous decisions. Splits just won't cut the mustard anymore. The fans need to see a Taylor that is confident, that has endurance and don't forget that heart of yours. Taylor needs to be the more patient fighter, only fools rush in. His patience will surely frustrate Winky out of his shell defense. As Bernard Hopkins said, "Winky can be beaten." This will prove difficult for Taylor, he would have to force Winky to trade shots with him. It can be done though, despite Winky's win over King Soliman, Soliman exploited some weaknesses in Winky's defense. If there is one thing Taylor has over Winky, it's his power punch.

If Winky does win, he too, will still be criticized. Like I said before, for beating a Taylor that didn't feel ready to step in the ring with him anyway. I admire Taylor for not wanting to be known as someone who ducks big name fights for tune ups. He's taking a big risk. Should Winky Wright win, what type of champion would he be? Does he deserve this title or better yet, does he deserve his #2 p4p ranking?

I guess we'll just have to see what unfolds in June.