If Meldric Taylor used the Oscar De La hoya tactic

[greynotsoold]

Not much. Chavez had already beat him up real bad. Taylor couldn't run, even if that was his nature. Chavez had busted him up to the body, his face was broken, his ass had been kicked.
That is where people get messed up about this fight, about what was going on in that ring. Taylor was fighting his heart out but he was getting killed. People act like Chavez landed one right hand and Richard Steele stopped the fight because Don King bribed him. He stopped the fight because Chavez was about to kill Meldrick taylor. Who do you think busted up Taylor's face, did the internal damage that hospitalized him after the fight? Richard Steele? Georgie Benton in the corner?

[Jerry Rice]

Not much. Chavez had already beat him up real bad. Taylor couldn't run, even if that was his nature. Chavez had busted him up to the body, his face was broken, his ass had been kicked.
That is where people get messed up about this fight, about what was going on in that ring. Taylor was fighting his heart out but he was getting killed. People act like Chavez landed one right hand and Richard Steele stopped the fight because Don King bribed him. He stopped the fight because Chavez was about to kill Meldrick taylor. Who do you think busted up Taylor's face, did the internal damage that hospitalized him after the fight? Richard Steele? Georgie Benton in the corner?

He didn't have the ability to run ? Lol, horrible statement.

[greynotsoold]

He was on real bad legs in the 8th, 9th rounds, how was he going to run? I was suprised he made it through the 10th round. All of a sudden he was going to find spring in his legs and start dancing?. His legs were shaky that whole fight; count up the times he missed and fell. Watch the rest of his career and see his legs.
And he didn't know how to fight that way, it just wasn't in his nature.

[Spicoli]

Grey pretty much nailed it. Its just who Taylor was. Clear from early on exchanging with Ramos and getting rocked for it. I think Oscar was closing like that with Tito out of preserving something that really wasn't certain at all, while Taylor was trying to cement and seal a win. If Taylors legs and feet ever had the speed of his hands, he would have been even more phenominal.

[Master]

If Taylor gave away the last 3 rounds would be have lost the fight to chavez?

[Beanflicker]

it wasn't in his nature to run, and like mentioned he took too much punishment to the body to run even if he wanted to IMO.

[Master]

OK I have a confession.

I had the fight even coming into the 12th round.

There I have said it.

[El Kabong]

Here's the deal Meldrick Taylor WAS a slick boxer, but since he was a Philly guy he wanted to fight the Philly way and it kept him from being great. Taylor NO DOUBT could have outboxed JCC from the get go, but he chose to brawl and he chose poorly.

Had Taylor ran the last round he MAY have gotten a decision he may not have because JCC was THE MAN at that time and judges may have given him a draw or decision even if Taylor lasted the distance. Also his career would have been over anyway because he never learned his lesson after that fight and he never fully recovered and he was just so damaged from that fight.

Taylor was beaten so badly his flat top fade shrunk because his face was so swollen

[greynotsoold]

OK I have a confession.

I had the fight even coming into the 12th round.

There I have said it.

Many of the boxing writers at the time had it the same. The consensus, then, was that the judge that had Taylor way ahead wasn't watching the fight close enough. Over the years, the reality has changed to the point where Taylor was dominating the fight until Chavez landed a lucky punch and a Don King employee stole the fight from poor Meldrick.
I had Chavez up by two going into the 12th, but knew there were very close rounds that could go the other way. I thought the KD would have sealed it for him.