It probably goes without saying that diehard boxing fans are some of the most fickle sports fans in the world. Nothing will turn a fighter's fan-base against them faster than a loss on their ledger. Sure, we can cheer wildly as we watch a fighter ascend the rankings, judging them against the greats that may have campaigned in their division. But let that same fighter lose and the bandwagon empties almost instantly. We rush a fighter to the mountain top just to have the pleasure of watching them fall.
Former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor is all too familiar with the fickle nature of fight fans. It was just over three years ago when Taylor was on top of the middleweight division. He was beloved in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas. He was tabbed "the next great champion" by HBO, who routinely televised his fights. Fans and media were enamored with Taylor's "aw shucks" southern charm and freakish athleticism.
Inside the ring, he was equally impressive. A 2000 Olympic Bronze medalist, Taylor quickly ascended the ranks of the middleweight division, dominating the routine confidence-building opponents the way a highly-touted prospect should. When you had a fighter, immensely popular in his hometown with an engaging personality and the backing of the preeminent boxing broadcast network, well, one does not have to be a genius to understand that Taylor was destined to be a star.
The coronation of Taylor came on the evening of July 16, 2005. On that night, he shocked the world by snatching the middleweight title from its long reigning ruler Bernard Hopkins. It was a closely contested battle with a split decision result that could have gone to either fighter. As a result, a rematch was ordered. This time around, Taylor would pull out another victory and the margin on the scorecards was wide enough to solidify Taylor's place as the undisputed middleweight champion of the world.
But with the ascension to the throne that solidified his stature as a superstar, came the expectations and unrelenting scrutiny of the boxing world. Theoretically, there are only two directions a fighter's stock can go: up or down. After Taylor's respected title winning efforts against a Hall of Fame level fighter in Hopkins, the Arkansas fighter's stock began to plummet faster than Enron's. A disputed draw against Winky Wright in a fight many thought Taylor had lost, followed by two lackluster outings against noticeably smaller opponents in Kassim Ouma and Cory Spinks, had Taylor's fans jumping off the bandwagon as if it were on fire. Even in his hometown of Little Rock, Taylor found his approval rating mirroring that of President Bush.
Entering his title defense against the surging Kelly Pavlik, Taylor seemed agitated by the barbs being thrown his way, but he was confident that his fight with Pavlik would bring back the adulation and respect of his fans and the media. After all, unlike the smaller, slick boxers he had looked horrible against, Pavlik was a relentless power puncher with a come-forward style that would gel well with Taylor's own pugilistic skill. It's funny how things turn out sometimes. After flooring Pavlik early in the fight, Taylor soon found himself on the receiving end of some hellacious shots thrown by the Youngstown, Ohio native. In the end, Taylor was knocked out in the seventh round. Gone were his titles and after dropping a unanimous decision to Pavlik in the rematch, so too was most of the hype for Taylor.
It's been nine months since Taylor last stepped into the confines of the squared circle. This Saturday will represent his first fight since dropping that decision to Pavlik in a rematch of his first professional loss. Standing across the ring will be former champion Jeff Lacy. Consider this fight a rebirth or sorts for Taylor. No longer campaigning at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds, a decision that was made as he found it increasingly difficult to boil down to that weight, Taylor will now try to get this glory back eight pounds north in the super middleweight division. Not that Taylor is a complete stranger to the new weight as his last fight, the rematch with Pavlik, was at 168.
In many ways, Lacy and Taylor share similar career paths. Both were members of the 2000 US Olympic team and both were highly-touted prospects who matured into respected champions. And similarly, both fighters are looking to get back to the level of respect and notoriety that they both enjoyed prior to devastating losses. It is with little doubt as to why the promoters of Saturday night's event dubbed the promotion "All or Nothing". In a sport where names of considerable hyperbole are attached to fights in order to elicit excitement, "All or Nothing" may very well be an understatement to the importance of a victory for Taylor and Lacy. "It pushes me like nothing else," Taylor stated in a recent press release. "This is a fight both of us need to win, especially me, coming off of two losses."
The stakes are considerably high for Taylor. Lose and he very well could be regulated to second tier status. Goodbye high dollar fights, hello ESPN headliners. Taylor and his team are keenly aware that a victory is imperative. "Jermain knows how big this is," explains Taylor's promoter Lou DiBella. "He's very aware. This is the kind of fight that will escalate him back to the top. He has to win the fight. I do think he's hungry again. He wants this fight."
The long road back to prominence begins Saturday night. No one knows this better than Taylor, as he concurs with his promoter's sentiments. "I'm ready. I feel great, and we have a good gameplan for Jeff. I have the skills to go in there and win and look good doing it. I'm hungry and I'm ready to fight."