Taylor unleashes the dog on Miranda at the Press Conf!

Middleweight King Jermain Taylor quietly sat through the various introductions, special thanks and even birthday wishes at the final presser for his WBC, WBO Middleweight title fight with Cory Spinks Saturday night.

He sat quietly through speeches from promoters Lou DiBella, Leon Margules, Bob Arum (who spoke about the future of boxing and how it will change for the better after the sport it is marketed to the public in untold new ways.)

Taylor sat through talks from Andre Berto, Kelly Pavlik and Edison MIranda who not only vowed to turn his opponent, Kelly Pavlik, into BBQ on Saturday night (a play on the Memphis in May BBQ Festival going on today through Sunday at Tom Lee Park) but also goaded Jermain, completely ignoring that task that stands before him in Pavlik.

Taylor sat through an impressive conglomeration of splendiferous eloquence from Don King, who begin with patriotic talk on war funding for our troops and capped a long dialog by pointing out a Jermain Taylor short fall when it comes to getting the respect he deserves.

Taylor also sat and smiled as Spinks and his trainer, Kevin Cunningham stepped up to the mic. To sum up Cory Spinks' comments, he said that he "is ready for this fight," and thanked DiBella for the opportunity.

After all this, Emmanuel Stewart and Ozell Nelson forfeited their turn at the podium, apparently for sake time, to allow JT to be introduced and have his time in front of the media and the world. (Emmanuel would later take to the podium.)

Finally, the patient Taylor was announced. He slid up to the podium like a true gentleman, and acknowledge cheers from within the crowd. Dressed in a suit with collared white shirt, he presented himself as champion. He was jovial, calm, excited, funny and kind...at first.

What happened next was unexpected from the Jermain Taylor most have seen. To describe it is a challenge. Even a first hand account is a challenging to tell for sake of losing the energy that filled the room when the champion spoke. For the sake of putting it in words, it was something similar to small spark igniting a dry forest.

The press conference seemed long but, In many ways, entertaining up to this point. Don King and Bob Arum shared a laugh when Arum referred to them as "Dinosaurs of the sport." King and DiBella exchanged jabs after King exclaimed that he had ordered Spinks a Mercedes in preparation for a Spinks victory over Taylor. DiBella responded that he could then buy that Mercedes at a cheaper rate after Taylor won the fight.

One might even have felt that things couldn't get better, but they did.

"Its hard being number one," Taylor said. "You have Kelly Pavlik, great fighter. You have Edison Miranda...I give him all the credit in the world. He wants to be number one, ain't nothing wrong with that. Just comb your hair or something!"

"I stand up here, undefeated! No matter what the writers say...I'm undefeated."

"I don't do all this talking, I'm gonna do this I'm gonna do that. I will walk up to you and punch you in the mouth! Don't stand up here and do all this <pounding on the podium looking at Miranda>. That don't mean nothing to me," said a heated Taylor.

"The way I was raised, 'Jermain, don't talk all this trash. If you want to fight someone go over to them and punch them in the mouth.' That's how I was raised."

"I don't play. When I get in the ring, I don't play. I don't do all that takin' because I take it serious. You talk about me, I'm ready to fight over that. I stuttered as a kid a lot, somebody walks up (talking trash), thump <Taylor puts his fist to his had> and he's bleeding before he knows it. I don't have time for all that. I'm a fighter! Thats what I do. These guys, these guys are good. But they don't have that dog in them! That dog in them. I talk with my hands!"

"In the forth round of the Hopkins fight I was tired. My hands were hurting and my legs were tired. I felt like quitting. But that dog in me won't let me quit!"

"Who do these guys think they have fought? This man (Hopkins) had, I don't know how many championships, held those belts together for so long and I beat him! Twice! Winky Wright, supposed to have the best defense in the world, and I broke through that," stated a passionate Taylor.

Taylor was highly animated at this point and warned Miranda to look him in the face when he (Miranda) pounded on the podium saying, "If you want to fight, look at me in my face! I don't play!"

At this point Emanuel Steward arose and walked over to Taylor to calm him down.

Taylor regained his composure and said, "I'm trying to hold my image up. I'm trying to make it good for my sport."

"You see how I'm dressed? Ain't nobody else dressed up to impress the crowd and look good. That's why I'm number one! I look like a champion!"

An emotional Emanuel Steward took the podium and told the crowd, "You have just seen the real Jermain Taylor."

A small spark may not seem like much but it will cause a devastating inferno.

There is something burning in boxing and today it was Jermain Taylor.

This sounds like bad news for Calzaghe. I think Taylor - Miranda is on.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bzkfn

This sounds like bad news for Calzaghe. I think Taylor - Miranda is on.

---

which is a good thing

Quite alarming how he felt like qutting after only 4 rounds against B-Hop. Shit, i gave him them 4 rounds too. If he can only just hack that sort of pace against B-Hop for 4 rounds, how the hell will he feel when Calzaghe is stood in front of him.

sweet. Taylor vs Miranda in November would be just GREAAAAAAAT.