DiBella: "I'm not letting Taylor make a dumb economic deal."

I don't see Taylor sticking to some comfort zone at all. Two fights ago he rematched a guy who knocked him out, a rematch Taylor pushed for. He fought Winky when he didn't have to and was up for a rematch. He moved up to 168 and faced a former champion. Now he could face Froch, Glen Johnnson, or a young gun like Ward or Dirrell. Actually, Taylor seems comfortable facing dangerous fighters.

You brought up Hopkins but Taylor had all of 20 pro fights or so when he faced Hopkins who was considered one of the best in the game then. You mention Kessler, and I like the guy, but clearly Kessler is the one getting comfortable facing second tier fighters lately. Its way too early to get on Taylor for who he is facing at 168 and going by his track record I have no doubt he'll be facing some of the best this year-like always.

 

when cobbler says comfort zone , i think he is referring to the point that taylor refuses to fight on the road in his opponents backyard.

 

Co-Sign:deal

 

There seems to be some truth to that but that has a lot to do with Taylor being a marquee name with HBO's power behind him. I think if Taylor had to he would go on the road. But, fortunately for him, he's in the position of not having to do that.

 

No matter if a person likes Taylor or not he has to be respected for always facing the best.

 

That's exactly the distinction though. No-one has said he won't fight dangerous fighters. He's shown a willingness to take on rated fighters, sure. Give him a fight in the US in his comfort zone and he'll take anyone on. He hasn't thus far in his career shown a willingness to go where the turf might be unknown and the crowd might be hostile. On a couple of occasions he has sidestepped doing so even when it was an obvious path to career progression. Even recently when he was mentioned as one of the potential opponents for Calzaghe he was quoted as saying something along the lines of 'I don't know about going to Wales'.

 

You are right about Taylor going on the road but I think facing top fighters is more important. If Taylor had to fight overseas with say Calzaghe I think he'd do it. He's just been in the position to fight here in comfortable places. But I do think facing Pavlik in Atantic City might qualify, to a degree, as being on the road.