taylor v's seran

It wasn't his greatest win but it was the most courageous. In what may be a career defining moment Shannan Taylor dug deep in to the well to stop Indonesian Andreas “Mayorga” Searan at the Gold Coast Convention Center in Queensland on Friday night.


In front of a strong live crowd and a national audience on a Foxsport Jamie Myer fight night, Taylor looked on the verge of defeat before producing one last barrage to take the vacant PABA middleweight title in the eighth round.


Between rounds seven and eight, Taylor could be heard saying he “can't do it” and he had “nothing left” asking his corner team to stop the contest. A strong urging from trainer Brad Gallagher, dad Steve and cousin Grant, saw the 36 year old Bulli Blaster get off his stool and produce a victory that Australian fight fans should be proud off. Whether or not they will, is doubtful, but to those who know Shannan closely, it's one they will remember.


After losing an estimated 2 million plus dollars and court proceedings just getting under way and the chances there's been a heavy weight on his shoulders, with the former world title challenger and multiple title holder going back to work on construction. He secured sponsors enabling him to train for this fight – and for a brief moment it looked like being a devastating conclusion to a very fine career.


The end came at the 2.59 mark of the eighth after Taylor thumped Seran to the canvas. An uppercut hurt the Indonesian who was then weakened by two left rips down stairs and finished off by short shots to the head. Seran was ahead on two judges score cards.


At the end, Taylor raised his arms before being swamped by his team, then simply kneeling in center ring.


This writer was in the corner for Taylor, and being a friend for many years, have been privy to what he has been going through. A fighter with many detractors, being the former wild child of the Australian ring, with disappointing losses and a well publicized drug habit and other legal woes, he's not a Golden Boy type but there is little doubt he has been one of our best home grown talents in the past twenty years.


The Aussie fighter was 89 kilo's on January 1st, stripping down to 72.45 and this was an added problem weakening him. He was knocked backwards by a Seran left hand in the opening stanza and Andreas landed several body shots through out, having a very good seventh. Taylor at times showed brief glimpses of old class, landing a stiff left jab and body work, even though for four rounds the imports large protector was quite high. Ref Alan More was made aware after round three but it wasn't until the start of the fifth that he took action. He showed defense when he was tiring and hitting the wall, with most of Seran's punches catching gloves or shoulders. In the end it was guts that won the day. An uppercut momentarily stopped Seran in his tracks and Taylor got on top.


Taylor has been offered a big money fight with Anthony Mundine in the Sydney boxer's debut at 160 pounds.


In under card action, Aussie # 2, WBO #12 junior welter Lance Gostelow stopped Thai number 6 Payakchai Sithparadorn in round three. Sithparadorn was down late in round one and again by a right hand bomb in round three. He beat the count but was in no condition to continue. RSC.


Australian & PABA number one featherweight Matt Powell moved up to junior welter to out point four fight novice Lowen Hardy , Queensland number 4 in a scrappy contest. Powell used his usual untidy, head first style receiving several warnings but over the final two rounds his experience showed as he puled away a clear winner.


In a willing scrap between Gold Coasters Les Piper scored a six round decision over Will Hadlow at super middleweight. Going in, Piper number 9 at 168, Hadlow 7 at 160 in the ANBF listings.


Novice pro's Chris Stewart and James Gilthrow put on a hard fought battle for the vacant Queensland junior middleweight title. After a cut eye to Gilthrow ended proceedings in round six the cards were brought in and Stewart took home the belt with a Technical Decision. The winner benefited from sparring Anthony Mundine, Shannan Taylor and Israel Kani this year and he looks to have improved greatly from it.


In the show opener, Rob Toomey, ANBF number 9 at 154, had no trouble with Queensland middleweight champion and ANBF number 6 George Livaditas, punching his way to convincing four round stoppage. (On Towel). Livaditas came in a pound and a bit over the agreed middleweight limit, thus he keeps his state title. Toomey holds a win over current Aussie 168 pound champ Israel Kani.


Foxsport commentators: Andy Raymond and Paul Briggs.

 

Got to agree it took guts to come back from 4 or 5 rounds down and get the KO.....the other guy looked in great shape and came to fight and looked better than his record.

Still I dont think Taylor can get up for the Mundine fight...he will need to see a lot of rocky movies.

 

Victory, but Taylor tired of prank

David Lewis

09Jun08

THE bell is tolling for veteran middleweight Shannan Taylor -- in more ways than one.

Bells, horns and buzzers were ringing in the ears of the 35-year-old Bulli Blaster long before the start of his laboured eighth-round knockout victory over gutsy Indonesian Andreas Seran at the Convention Centre on Friday night.

Seran's trainer Craig Christian and a couple of cohorts made sure Taylor got a sleepless night leading into the bout by buzzing his apartment bell at hourly intervals into the wee hours. At one point they even blew a horn outside his bedroom door.

After the fight, his rivals admitted to the prank.

The barrage left Taylor in a zombie-like state as he sleep walked to a win which will convince few he can offer Anthony Mundine more than just another quick day if, as expected, they meet on the Gold Coast in late July or early August.

Taylor, a parody of the man who fought for six world titles, was so out of sorts he threatened to quit after seven rounds of absorbing body shots -- and offering little in return fire -- in front of a bemused audience.

"I felt sluggish and I know I didn't fight well, the sleepless night didn't help," said Taylor afterwards.

"It was Craig's idea of a joke, but I wasn't laughing.

"It got so bad, I was nearly going to sleep in the car.

"I'd trained well but I just didn't feel like myself."

Trailing on the judge's cards going into the seventh, Taylor enraged his corner by telling them he'd had enough mid-way through the round.

Trainer, Brad Gallaghers, snapped back: 'Do it for your kids', in reference to a family pushed toward penury after Taylor allegedly lost his home as a result of the dealings of his former manager Tony Caradonna.

After his first workout in nine months, Taylor added: "I needed a kick up the butt from my corner. I needed a rev-up and when I got it I came out in the next round and knocked him out on the buzzer.

"I was never hurt. He punched himself out and then I took him out. But I was heavy in the legs and I know I've got to do better."

Taylor hopes to fight Germany's Felix Sturm for the WBA middleweight crown later this year -- but he would be lucky to make $30,000 from that fight, instead of the $100,000, plus $80,000 in tickets, the Mundine camp is offering.

Taylor, who has nominated the Convention Centre as his new boxing home, admits Mundine might be a mountain too high to scale.

"He's an exceptional fighter and it would be a battle and a hard ask," he admitted. "But I'd make him earn anything he got."

Taylor then flagged the possibility of switching to the mortal combat of cage fighting, adding: "Maybe I should retire and make the switch. That would be interesting."

 

That's just low by Craigs Team

 

It's pretty ordinary isn't it? Serves them right to be honest. If it was just a joke, maybe he should've played it on Seran

 

Yeah, if the Indo had won , i dont think he could be proud of it, because when you think about it, its a low act imo.