what if meldrick taylor...

The damage was done. Chavez by ko 5

 

This.

 

I think Chavez would have won by TKO late on, probably somewhere in the rounds 8-10 bracket.

I think Meldrick Taylor was physically weakened by the first Chavez fight, most here are familiar with the condition Taylor was in post fight (smashed up face and cheekbones, urinating blood etc...) and I don't think he was ever the same. I believe that his punch resistance was a victim of the Chavez fight taking it's toll too, and that's why I think Chavez would stop him in a rematch. Glenwood Brown, a decent puncher, but a very average operator was able to drop Taylor twice, pretty hard too. I think that highlights how his punch resistance had deteriorated post Chavez, we never saw Taylor hurt like that in his 140 days, even against Chavez he took some hellacious bombs and was only down on really an accumulation of hard shots late on. In a rematch, I also think Chavez would try and establish himself better early on, he'd press the action more and cut off the ring better than he did in the first fight. Taylor of course would likely still build up an early lead, but not as substantial as in the first fight, and due to him being weaker (as a result of their hellacious first encounter) would fold a lot more quickly, eventually dropping late on.

It would be somewhere between the first and second encounters of the pair, he wouldn't dominate Chavez like their first fight, but he also wouldn't get battered around like in the second fight. It would be competitive with Meldrick having the edge until the punches caught up with him and stopped him late.

 

It took Chavez eight rounds to deal with the corpse of Meldrick Taylor in '94, I don't see him doing it any faster against a much better version in 90/91.

 

The damage was done but he wouldnt have kod him that early..... A shot Taylor went 8 rounds about 4 years later( ??) Chavez beat him somewhat easy then but Taylor had already been kod by NOrris and Espana.,,,,, But right after the first fight, althouigh..Taylor had slipped he still had some good wins at WW after this...NOt a PFP elite anymore but COULD STILL HANDLE ALL BUT THE ELITE.. .. Still good enough to beat guys like (then Champ) Aaron Davis and top contender Luis Garcia,Glenwood Brown...

My guess ist that he would have given Chavez trouble again and taken a lead but Chav vez doesnt let it go 12.... Chavez tkop 10 or wins a close decision with a late comeback.,,

 

Not that I think the result changes, but at what weight? They argued publicly for awhile about the weight division for the rematch. Taylor's team wanted 147 as Taylor had trouble making 140 and Chavez didn't. Taylor was always going to have problems at WW, but he actually was more suited for the division than Chavez.

Chavez wins IMO regardless, although Taylor is more competitive if the bout is at WW. Similar in a sense to their two bouts, Taylor starts off fast with his speed and workrate, then Chavez gradually comes back and takes over.

 

Chavez KO10 or so.

 

That was a once a career kind of performance from Taylor...he put everything into winning and ended up shortening his career because of it.

That's why I can understand people still being upset about the stoppage...If you were a Taylor fan and watched him go through all that just to be stopped on his feet right at the death, you would be spewing.

Chavez would have won the rematch..even if Taylor had made it to the final bell and got the decision..he put on a brutal but subtle beating on Meldrick in the end. Taking that into a return match, I think he would have got on top earlier and put Taylor away with a couple of rounds to spare and not a couple of secs.

 

As much as I feel sympathy for Meldrick Taylor I see many people creating a myth that he was just unlucky with the ref's decision in the Chavez fight and that he could have been truly great otherwise. He had the skills, the speed, the flash, yes. But greats who had those attribues also had iron physical toughness, like Ali being able to take Foreman's shots to the ribs, like SRL taking everything Hearns had and rally late. Taylor didn't have that toughness, he had the heart and determination but no the physical resources. Had he won the fight against Chavez it would shown the limitations of the scoring system. He landed many more punches, yet never slowed down Chavez while he was hospitalized by the fewer shots Chavez landed. So how to score clean, effective punching when the damage can't be seen until after the fight?

A fighter like Chavez would always brutalize Taylor.

 

I agree. Good post.

 

He'd have gotten knocked the **** out again.

 

This

 

Taylor dominated Chavez for 9 rounds.

 

Taylor was ruined after the fight anyway, this wouldn't have done nothing. I honestly believe Chavez had loaded gloves for the first fight and still lost yet got a cheap/fake victory.