24.09.07 – By Geoffrey Ciani: When I first watched HBO’s “Countdown to Taylor-Pavlik” it was just a few hours after having seen an old routine from stand-up comedian, Rodney Dangerfield. For those familiar with Dangerfield, you probably already know his keynote act and signature phrase, upon which much of his routine was based on.
“I get no respect!”
As I watched HBO’s latest Countdown boxing special, I couldn’t help but notice hearing those words ring through my head….“I get no respect! No respect!”.
It occurred to me that these were fitting words which accurately describe the current state of affairs for middleweight champion Jermain Taylor. Indeed, if there is one man in professional boxing who gets no respect despite having a resume which ought demand it, that man is Jermain Taylor.
In his last five bouts, Taylor has squared off against some of the most awkward fighters in the sport. This is an overlooked fact which has led many to inexplicably question the heart and desire of the reigning middleweight champion. Recent criticisms directed at Taylor undermine what this man has accomplished. Let us consider:
Taylor first captured the undisputed middleweight crown when he upset a living legend, in one Bernard Hopkins. Going into their bout, Hopkins had held a portion of the middleweight boxing crown for over a decade, during which time he defended his title on a record twenty occasions. Few gave the young pugilist much of a chance going in against the crafty vet, and yet, the unthinkable happened—Taylor scored an upset victory bringing Hopkins’ reign to an unlikely end.
After scoring the shocking upset, the young fighter wanted to prove his victory wasn’t a fluke, so he promptly welcomed the immediate rematch with one of the sport’s pound-for-pound stars. In the rematch, Taylor once again showed his desire to be great by putting forth another tremendous effort. Incidentally, I thought Hopkins did enough to win the rematch, but regardless, Taylor still displayed great skills and tremendous heart, especially in the 11th round when he rallied to stop Hopkins’ momentum.
Back-to-back victories against Hopkins might seem less impressive if Hopkins simply called it a career. That he instead went on to beat two fellow pound-for-pound talents in Antonio Tarver (then considered the best fighter at 175) and Winky Wright (a perennial elite) speaks volumes about Taylor’s performances against Hopkins. Note, that after having spent essentially his entire career in the 160 pound weight class, Hopkins jumped two classes at age 40 and thoroughly outclassed the top dog at 175—this, in his bout immediately following his second “loss” to Taylor.
After taking on two difficult back-to-back fights, one couldn’t have blamed Taylor if he decided to take on an easier voluntary defense. Instead, he decided to take on the aforementioned Winky Wright, who was coming off of a series of brilliant victories against Shane Mosley, Felix Trinidad, and Sam Soliman. In a close bout that could have gone either way the proceedings where ultimately ruled a draw. I thought Taylor did enough to earn the victory, and I suspect Winky shared my sentiment on this matter, for Wright wanted no part of a rematch to set the record straight.
Following these three bouts, Taylor would go on to square off against Kassim Ouma and Cory Spinks. Ouma and Spinks are two of the most awkward fighters in the sport today. Simply put, neither is easy to look “good” against, especially when each decided to enter his shell better known as “survival mode”. In the end, Taylor won a decisive decision against Ouma and a controversial split decision against Spinks (in a bout that Taylor clearly won).
As Taylor prepares to defend his middleweight crown against number one contender Kelly Pavlik this Saturday night, I think many observers critical of Taylor’s recent performances ought to reconsider their criticisms. In his last five bouts, Taylor has faced five opponents, each of whom is extremely difficult to look good against. Three of these bouts were against elite talents in the sport and the other two were against talented, quirky, and deserving foes.
Taylor is once again proving his worth this weekend by taking on a power-punching menace in the form of Pavlik. That Taylor is taking on the absolute best challenge the division has to offer is a testament to his desire for greatness. Make no mistake, Pavlik is the best challenge available for the young champion, and he has a very real chance at scoring the upset against Taylor.
Whoever wins come Saturday, things should be put in the proper perspective: The winner of this bout is undoubtedly the best middleweight on the planet and deserving of respect.
To contact Ciani:
geoff@eatthemushroom.com
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