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Jermain "Bad Intentions" Taylor: I have nothing but respect for Winky Wright!
Jermain Taylor vs. Winky Wright WHEN June 17 WHERE FedEx Forum, Memphis TV HBO, no pay-per-view STAKES WBC, WBA and WBO middleweight title RECORDS Taylor (25-0, 17 KOs ); Wright (50-3, 25 KOs ) TICKETS $ 75, $ 100, $ 150, $ 300, $ 500, $ 750, $ 1, 000, $ 1, 250. On sale Friday at FedEx Forum Box office (901-205-2640 ) and all Ticketmaster locations or online at www. ticketmaster. com.
MEMPHIS — Jermain Taylor was busy explaining the admiration and respect he has for Ronald “Winky” Wright when Lou DiBella, Taylor’s promoter, pulled aside a reporter.
“Don’t worry,” DiBella said. “It’s not going to be this friendly on June 17. At least not until after the fight.”
It’s difficult to imagine a boxing news conference as friendly and cheerful as the one Wednesday in the lobby of the FedEx Forum. More than 100 members of media and fans attended the news conference officially introducing the Taylor-Wright middleweight championship fight on June 17 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.
In sharp contrast to the multiple news conferences Taylor had with Bernard Hopkins, whom Taylor beat twice to win and retain the middleweight title, there were no insults, trash-talking or crying baby dolls dressed like Wright at this event.
Instead, both fighters expressed appreciation to the other for taking the fight, which is being billed as the most important middleweight fight in more than a decade, and conveyed a mutual respect for the other’s skills.
The fact that the news conference was so cordial was not unexpected, as Taylor and Wright are widely considered two of the classiest guys in boxing.
“It’s an honor to be fighting Winky Wright,” Taylor said. “I have all the respect for him. And this is kind of weird for me. I’m used to being up here talking with Bernard Hopkins, and after we fought you never know what to expect [from him ]. The first time I met Winky [Wednesday ], he came up to me and shook my hand. I didn’t know what to do [when he reached out his hand ]; ‘Is he going to hit me ?’”
About the only similarity to the news conferences with Hopkins was the two fighters’ dress. Taylor, as usual, was wearing a sharp dark suit and tie, while Wright, much like Hopkins, was very casual in sunglasses and a beige warm-up suit and extravagant jewelry.
But as soon as Wright stepped to the podium, it was clear he was different than Hopkins.
“It’s a pleasure to be fighting someone like [Taylor ],” Wright said. “You get some fighters where they want to argue, talk about each other’s mommas. That’s not necessary. This is a sport. I’m here for one reason, to beat Jermain Taylor on June 17. I have nothing against him. He’s a great fighter.”
Taylor certainly had nothing against Wright, but said he is tired of the people who say he still needs to prove himself. Taylor also said he knows beating Wright, a former three-time 154-pound world champion, would erase much of the doubt left about him.
“I’m middleweight champion of the world, and I’m still trying to prove myself,” Taylor said. “I’m sick of hearing it. So, now there’s Winky Wright. What’s one more fight ? If I have to prove myself again, I’ll do it. I’ve proven myself all my life, since I was this big. I can’t wait to do it again.”
Ticket information was also announced Wednesday. Tickets will go on sale to the public Friday, with tickets ranging from $ 75-$ 1, 250. Promoters said there are 6, 000 tickets priced $ 100 or less.
Taylor’s camp expects plenty of Arkansans to be buying those tickets, and much was made of the proximity of Memphis to Little Rock, Taylor’s hometown.
“I’m so happy to have a fight in Memphis,” Taylor said. “There’s no way someone’s coming over to my house and beat me up. You ain’t going to do it. I live right down the street from here ! It’s a huge advantage. I’ve got Arkansas behind me and Memphis behind me. I have all of my people, everyone hollering my name.”
Wright (50-3, 25 KOs ) has fought a majority of his bouts overseas, never in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Fla., and downplayed the hometown angle.
Gary Shaw, Wright’s promoter, also dismissed it.
“I think they’re making a mistake with all this hometown stuff,” Shaw said. “Could be a fatal error in what they’re doing. It’s putting a lot of pressure on yourself that no one else is putting on you. That pressure adds up. It would be smarter of them and less disrespectful of Winky to just talk about the fight and not hometown.”
That was the only time the word “disrespect” was used, however, and the pleasantries went beyond the fighters.
After everyone left the podium Taylor’s mother, Carlois Reynolds, approached Wright and told him how much she respected him, and the two embraced.
“Good luck,” Wright said.
“I have so much respect for you,” Reynolds replied. “The best man has got to win. And after the fight we’re taking you partying !”
Even DiBella and Shaw, who exchanged some very nasty verbal barbs through the media during what were very difficult negotiations, shared a barbecue lunch after the news conference.
One person who didn’t totally buy the feel-good news conference was Taylor’s no-nonsense trainer, Patrick Burns, who said Taylor will have the proper motivation for this fight.
“I’m not worried about that,” Burns said. “You can be the all lovey-dovey you want, but when it comes to fight time, [Taylor ] is going to be a pit bull.” www.nwanews.com
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Originally Posted by wacko3205
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