meldrick taylor vs chavez I

If hindsite is 50/50, then Duva should have stood by his decision, rather than changing his story years later. On an HBO documentary that covered Taylor vs Chavez, years after the fact, Duva was interviewed and he said " I told the kid not to take any chances and to dance, dance dance!!!"

In the very next scene of the film, we saw what really happened in Taylor's corner which revealed Duva urging him to go out and take the round... Not only did Duva's position change, he flat out lied.

 

100% true. As if Steele would have stopped it had it been the other way around.

 

The problem is Steele made several of them. He interefered too much and too often, and it caused him to make bad decisions on many occassions. One should watch Steve Smoger to see the best referee ever to be in boxing.

 

Good stoppage.

Still damn tragic. Had Meldrick completely melted 5 seconds later, he'd have won.

 

How do you rate Bayless, hook?

 

I really don't think Taylor's career turns out much different with a win here.

What happens differently? He wins the fight, but has still taken a lot of punishment, has weight problems at 140, so he moves up to 147. He wins a title over Aaron Davis, but is undersized and underpowered in a talent filled WW division. Strong, powerful guys fighting at WW at the time, or about to establish themselves in the near future, fighters such as Ike Quartey, Felix Trinidad, and Simon Brown. Or Taylor's super-skilled stablemate in Pernell Whitaker. Cristano Espana always would've been a very difficult style matchup for Taylor.

Even if he had never fought Chavez, Taylor would've had serious problems with his size/style and these fighters at WW and his reign as a top fighter in the sport would've been short. It's not like his management carefully selected fights for him, they put him in with Chavez after about 20 pro fights, and then in with Terry Norris after Taylor had looked vulnerable against Glenwood Brown.

 

Taylor never even let go of the ropes. He held the ropes after everyone stormed in the ring. The guy was done. Chavez should not be punished because of the two second left in the fight. It is a three minute round for a reason.