.. and even to those of you who don't oppose him.. if you feel that he isn't a great fighter, do you feel that he is capable of making the proper adjusments to become a great fighter? He's already shown that he's got a decent chin, and also that he can pack quite the punch when he wants to. So, if you feel that he's not the great fighter that his championship status should have one believe, do you feel that he can make the changes necessary to bring himself up to that higher level? Explain..
Physically he has all the tools. He is quick enough, tough enough, and even punches hard enough to be great. Mentally he is down to earth and humble enough to accept defeat, which is the first step on the road to redemption. His problem has always been putting it all together, and controlling the fight. He says he tired in the Pavlik fight, it didn't surprise me as he wasted a whole lot of energy early on for no good reason. He needs to learn how to settle down and be content with outboxing his man. Two things he should stay away from are 1) Manny in his corner and 2) an immediate rematch with Pavlik.
He's a good fighter, but if I had to say he has a problem it would mostly be a mental one. I don't think he will ever fight the perfect fight.
physically he has all the tools, tho i still suspect his punching power isn't what you'd call great. those punches he landed on pavlik, he threw with all his might. in fact he jumped INTO those punches and still pavlik managed to shake off the effects pretty quick. what he really needs to do is learn how to block punches, protect his chin, and pace himself. perhaps he is just a nervous fighter. i mean he was gassed against hopkins who is 40. no real excuse there no matter how great the man was. i think he could have continued to improve as a amatuer fighter. but in the pros i feel he just doesn't have that extra something. maybe it's intelligence. he simply DOES NOT listen to the great advice given to him by his old coach or manny steward. when you have a HOF trainer and you STILL don't listen, then you probably are not going to make any adjustments. having said that, even if taylor did make a lot of adjustments i cannot see him beating pavlik, the new king, even at a higher weight. in fact i feel the extra weight will only make pavlik more stronger and energetic! taylor should fight some names for money then retire and be very happy with his achievements. i may have backed pavlik, but i respect all that taylor has managed in his career. and the fact he ducked no one. but now it's time to enjoy his career from ringside :thumbsup
Despite that Knocked Down, Taylor still surprised me with the way he fought that night. Maybe he came up short on that 7th round, but he still put up a great fight--actually, BOTH fighter putup agreat fight.. :thumbsup Let's wait for the rematch!
I think hes a good fighter but the only problem i can see is his stamina, you cant be an all time great if you cant find something extra when it gets in to the later rounds.
I do as Manny hasn't fixed JT's biggest flaw which is backing straight up and going to the ropes which he got away with against Ouma but it hurt him against Winky and Pavlik.
I think Manny will help Taylor in the long run. Historically, he has trained tall fighters which means good jabbers. Taylor has a great jab, Manny needs to help him utilize it ala Lewis, Wlad and help him to sit back and control a fight with it.
Well, at 168, most guys hit as hard as Pavlik does in the top 10, only they are more refined or quicker. Taylor is terribly flawed, his reign as a 'p4p ranked' fighter is over for good. It's the end of the line, get over it.
