If meldrick Taylor had have managed to avoid going down against chavez what would have happened next? Would he have rematched jcc straight away? Or would he have decided to make him wait and fight another contender? And how would his career have played out? Did the chavez ft do enough damage to Taylor to never fight him again?
Well obviously it would have given him another title and an ATG win on his resume which have been a boost but win or loose, Taylor still received a brutal career changing beating that fight so I think his future career would have been little if any different. As to your question if he had reached Chavez straight away, if he had I honestly think Taylor would either be a vegetable or dead today because Chavez would have picked right up where he left off and there was also rumours that Taylor was struggling with the weight.
I don't believe he would have matched him in a rematch, he would have taken a soft first defence then like he did moved up but chavez would have been screaming for a rematch so maybe money talks the rematch would have probably gone much the same way like u say. Taylor must have relived that fight a million times.
Another good post. MT was like Terry Norris and Thomas Hearns both had superb boxing skills but loved to slug it out and both went in for ko with no patience and this lead to to some thrilling battles. MT could not help himself . And if he fought rematch in his next fight the result would have been a early ko for a sadly damaged Taylor. Forgotten classic Norris vs Troy Waters This content is protected
Thanks juppity. Yes Taylor was a extremely talented guy but he had the philly style of getting stuck in and taking way to many punches for his own good. The fight with chavez I think, could have been so different if he used that blinding hand speed to get in and out against him. But of course he tried taking chavez at his own game and suffered the injury s he did. With out chav in his way Taylor would have been top dog.
Thanks Fergy always good to hear from somebody who just wants to talk about boxing. In fact if i had time i would talk about boxing all day !!
Ah ah I know mate I'm the same. My wife doesn't mind hearing a bit about it but think I drive her mad with it sometimes! But what can u do mate if you're really in to something?!
Not much about the rest of his career would have changed. Taylor moved up to 147 right after this, saying he had trouble making 140. It's believable since he had that stocky frame. A year after Chavez, he beats Aaron Davis for the WBA 147 lb. title and looks pretty impressive. 2nd best win of his career. The punishment from Chavez and other fights (and probably a lot of Philly gym wars) is adding up, and his performance is starting to decline. He shows again signs of slippage against Glenwood Brown, but fights hard and his speed, activity and body attack win it for him. Duva and Taylor's team probably see what's coming, so they cash out on him and have him move up to fight Terry Norris. Predictably, Norris stops Taylor. Taylor fights his mandatory, Cristano Espana, a tall and rangy skilled boxer, and he stops Taylor. If Taylor got the win over Chavez, or even if he didn't fight Chavez, he was in for a tough time at WW. Espana would have been a nightmare style matchup for Taylor regardless. Pernell Whitaker moved up to WW in 1993 to fight Buddy McGirt for the WBC title. Felix Trinidad rised on the scene and destroyed Maurice Blocker in 1993 for the IBF title. Ike Quartey beat Espana in 1994 for the WBA title. With this talent level surrounding him, Taylor's lack of size, his modest power, and tendency to trade, Taylor was going to have a short stay at the top. Whitaker, Trinidad, Quartey, Simon Brown, Espana, Blocker...that's a very impressive list of WWs. The only way to avoid a short stay as champion would be to handpick modest opposition for Taylor.
