Jermain Taylor - Can he become an ATG?

and do not think pavlik would go up to 168..he would stay at 160 and wait for big fights there with cotto, williams and possibly berto

 

The reason I'm no fan BB is that I think he's had it easy being HBOs poster boy at 160 and also, style wise, it always seems to me that he could be trying a little harder in fights.

Both reasons are very subjective and the first one isn't Taylors fault at all. But there you go...;O)

 

You're a bigger idiot than I thought. Taylor has shown as much courage in the fights he has chosen as anyone in history. He has fought quality fighter after quality fighter in his young career.

 

Kessler vs. Taylor is the "Tale of the Jabs". If Taylor has his pumping, I can very well see him winning this fight. I don't believe Kessler would be the stronger fighter, though I enjoy his technical ability. It is a fight I can see Taylor winning, though he'll be an underdog.

Taylor can certainly beat Froch. I would bet on Taylor beating Andrade. Lucian Bute would be difficult, but is winnable also.

If Taylor continues to improve the way he has post-Pavlik, he can be hell for the Super Middleweights, and become "The Man" there. Taylor already has an impressive resume and certainly could, in time, become an All-Time Great. He hasn't done it yet, and it's not like he is a Sugar Ray Leonard-type talent where it is so obvious early on, but the guy has considerable ability, courage to fight the best, and a strong mind once he's in the ring. Yes, Taylor can do it. It is a matter of long he wants to go on fighting.

 

Taylor certainly did not "have it easy". Look at his resume, that is not the resume of a protected fighter, whether you agree with the decisions or not.

 

Exactly. He was up against two of the trickiest Middleweights to ever live, defensive guys who know how to operate in there... and many rounds were difficult to score in each. So, while he did get the wins against Hopknis and a draw with Wright, even if you disagree with the verdicts, they were by no means "robberies", as it is clear they were very, very close.

 

he could be 4 division world champion...but he needs to fight kessler at once or else bute or kessler would beat him in the dawson chase

 

At 160 he had it pretty easy from HBO, he was being given the big build up as boxing "next big thing" on the back of wins against lights middleweights Marquez and Bumema. He gets a good win against Joppy, then 3 very "close" decisions to Hops and Winky then winds up his reign of terror with points wins against 2 more light middleweights before getting KO'd by Pavlik.

Yep, I think he had it easy at 160.

 

he could pick lesser crusier champ...he is still young and growing...

 

You keep saying "at 160", and I don't see why. Taylor's most significant fights have been at 160lbs, where he has taken on a roster of the most difficult fighters around. The "very close" nature of the decisions against Hopkins and Winky does not make him protected. Taylor has taken huge-risk fights, and has not been protected.

Question: Are Hopkins, Wright, and Pavlik, names that a protected fighter would have on their resume before they've even had 30 fights?

 

ATG? A little premature for that kind of talk. I think he was done at 160 WELL before the Pavlik fights. That is why he had the rematch at 166. He tried to get the Pavlik fight at that weight as well. Personally, I think he will do well at 168. Kessler will be the biggest challange at SMW but I think with a few fights under his belt at SMW he can be up to that. Consdering it was a comeback fight after two losses and a long layoff he didn't look bad at all.