Is Jermain Taylor out of options?

No way either Bute or Froch would be an easy fight for Taylor.Any good SMW would give him a fight.

 

Paul wouldn't do damage at 168 at all.He's not that big.

 

I got a feeling Froch will be next.

 

I personally think that Taylor should have a belt, so he should go against Froch. After that, like someone else said, a unification will be an easier fight to sell on tv.

 

I don't think a 118-110 ass whoopin' does much for a fighter's resume'.

 

depends who's on the receiving end of the decision

 

Your boy needs to beat somebody with a heart beat at 160 before we even take 168 seriously.

 

im not saying he would win

i want him to take on the best to cement his name in boxing lure....
if he's willing to do it why not make it happen

he has the physical abilities for it
taller than jermain taylor
reach is more than jermain taylor
speed is probably more or less equal
jt has the strength advantage...


if this cant happen at 160 lets see how paul does at 160 before seeing him go to 168...

or make it a catch weight thing

i just want paul to become legendary

 

147 -- world titlist
154 -- world titlist
160 -- probably grabs a title if he waits for KP and AA to move up
168 -- ??????

Patience grass hopper -- patience.

 

If I understand that you just want him to fight in some big fights then ok - I agree.

We need to see what he can do against a bit better opposition before we think about SMW though. However, Willimas against Kessler, Taylor, Ward, Direll, Andrade (ouch!), Froch, bute, Inkin etc. would be good.

Actually I would like Paul to cement his name at 160 against Mundine. That would be a great fight. American fans (non-American fan) are starting to wonder if American-based fighters meet eachother because they can't cut it on the world stage. Look at Lacy, Hopkins, Peter, Miranda etc. etc. So if Paul has low confidence he may stick to the US-tour, but I would like to see him on the World tour to see how he would do.

 

Even when he wasn't the man and he did need to travel, Taylor flat out refused. He backed out of a final eliminator with Howard Eastman after Eastman's camp won the purse bid and announced that the fight would be in Shefield. Taylor preferred to face a shot to **** Joppy in the States and let Eastman have the mandatory shot.

I think the "European" accusation of US fighters for not travelling is mainly out of annoyance at the routine criticisms of certain European (and some Aussie/Canadian/Asian etc...) fighters from the US market for being "stay at home" and "hiding" in their home countries. It's not so much about being prepared to travel a distance as being prepared to step outside your comfort zone into a possibly hostile environment where you are not the superstar and are far from your own people and face the local favourite in a potential lion's den.

Whether Taylor fights in Connecticut, Las Vegas, New York, wherever, he's still going to be the HBO poster boy with his face plastered all over the adverts with A1 accomodation and training facilities and a load of hangers on to attend to his every want. He is likely to have at least as many fans as his opponent and will have "house" fighter status. That wouldn't necessarily be the case if he was to travel to Denmark for Kessler, or Canada for Bute, or the UK for Froch.

It seems as though most of the top European fighters have stepped outside their comfort zone and travelled to face a favourite in a hostile environment at some point during their careers. And yet, it is always European fighters who are subject to the snidey criticisms I mentioned above for preferring to fight in their home countries. Any fighter is going to prefer to fight at home unless there is a persuasive argument (read a title shot or a shitload of money) to go and travel abroad. This is why is gets pointed out so often that the likes of Jones, Hopkins, Mayweather, DLH, Mosley etc... haven't traditionally been at the front of the queue for the passport office.

This isnt a dig at the US or its fighters in general, as stated any fighter is going to prefer not to have to go to his opponent's turf if possible. However, I do feel Taylor is one who has a problem with stepping outside his HBO golden boy comfort zone. The episode with Eastman was well-documented and his people have been on record recently as saying they will exercise the shot at Froch "if Froch is happy to come to North America". In neither of these situations is he in the position (as challenger and co-challenger) where he should be trying to dictate where the fight takes place and I think this is going to harm his legacy in the long-run.

 

Does he though? I'm not sure his career resume is better than Kessler's for one. Yes he has the two big wins over B-Hop, but who else? Spinks? Ouma? Joppy? Those guys were all either much smaller men moving up (and swiftly back down) or over the hill. In any case it doesn't matter. In any case, it doesn't matter what resume he had at 160. Thus far he is not proven at 168, having lost a fight to a one-dimensional plodder and won a decision over a shot one-dimensional plodder. If you're going up to someone else's manner, it is up to you IMHO to take over top status. And that means being prepared to take a title shot where not everything is on your terms. Otherwise, Taylor is in danger of fading into irrelevance on the domestic scene taking on the likes of Lacy, Miranda, Allan Green and other has beens or never wases whilst the real fighs take place elsewhere. The stupid thing is I'd favour him over Froch, Inkin and probably Bute as well, whilst he would be a live dog against Kessler.

 

[quote="TKO";3152602]Even when he wasn't the man and he did need to travel, Taylor flat out refused. He backed out of a final eliminator with Howard Eastman after Eastman's camp won the purse bid and announced that the fight would be in Shefield. Taylor preferred to face a shot to **** Joppy in the States and let Eastman have the mandatory shot.[/QUOTE]
That "shot to **** Joppy" had a close win over Eastman and was just coming off a loss to Bernard Hopkins. Joppy wasn't thought to be completely shot until after his lopsided loss to Taylor, and his most significant losses at that point at come at the hands of HOFers like Hopkins and Trinidad.

Yes Taylor backed out of that fight, but it is difficult for me to believe that he would've been better off traveling to England to fight Eastman when he had the opportunity to fight Joppy in his backyard on HBO, giving fans a means of direct comparison between himself and Hopkins.

[quote="TKO";3152602]
I think the "European" accusation of US fighters for not travelling is mainly out of annoyance at the routine criticisms of certain European (and some Aussie/Canadian/Asian etc...) fighters from the US market for being "stay at home" and "hiding" in their home countries. It's not so much about being prepared to travel a distance as being prepared to step outside your comfort zone into a possibly hostile environment where you are not the superstar and are far from your own people and face the local favourite in a potential lion's den.

Whether Taylor fights in Connecticut, Las Vegas, New York, wherever, he's still going to be the HBO poster boy with his face plastered all over the adverts with A1 accomodation and training facilities and a load of hangers on to attend to his every want. He is likely to have at least as many fans as his opponent and will have "house" fighter status. That wouldn't necessarily be the case if he was to travel to Denmark for Kessler, or Canada for Bute, or the UK for Froch.

It seems as though most of the top European fighters have stepped outside their comfort zone and travelled to face a favourite in a hostile environment at some point during their careers. And yet, it is always European fighters who are subject to the snidey criticisms I mentioned above for preferring to fight in their home countries. Any fighter is going to prefer to fight at home unless there is a persuasive argument (read a title shot or a shitload of money) to go and travel abroad. This is why is gets pointed out so often that the likes of Jones, Hopkins, Mayweather, DLH, Mosley etc... haven't traditionally been at the front of the queue for the passport office.

This isnt a dig at the US or its fighters in general, as stated any fighter is going to prefer not to have to go to his opponent's turf if possible. However, I do feel Taylor is one who has a problem with stepping outside his HBO golden boy comfort zone. The episode with Eastman was well-documented and his people have been on record recently as saying they will exercise the shot at Froch "if Froch is happy to come to North America". In neither of these situations is he in the position (as challenger and co-challenger) where he should be trying to dictate where the fight takes place and I think this is going to harm his legacy in the long-run.[/quote]

You raise some good points about the overall climate concerning fighters and travel, and I do agree that Taylor is for whatever reason especially reluctant to go abroad. However in the case of Taylor/Froch, where Taylor is the bigger draw, I can't fault his camp for trying to dictate the fight be in the U.S., especially not when in the same interview, Dibella said they were talking with Bute's people about a fight in Montreal, which would most definitely be a hostile environment.

Also remember that Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City was packed with Pavlik fans their first fight, since it's only a short drive away from Youngstown.

 

When you say that 'Taylor is the bigger draw' in a Taylor v Froch match, do you mean that more people would attend the match live if it were in the US rather than the UK, or that more people would watch on TV? Or is there another definition of 'draw' that I've missed?

 

i feel that if paul is willing to take it... he must be confident about it.... were talking about a sport where men put there lives & health on the line... we may view them as gods because were on the outside looking in but they know their capabilities and limitations.... i dont think they would put themselves in danger unless they were confident about the situation

im sorry to tell you but nobody respects these outside of the us/latin american fighters...

the typical mentality is they build their resume against euro trash fighters until their 50 - 0 and then start making noise about being scared of....

i mean i know thats now what it is but thats how everyone thinks and thats why nobody cares to fight these euro guys..

in the minds of the fighters, promoters, and networks its a waste of time