Jermain Taylor

At 45 years old, Jermain Taylor has this physical status:

Jermain Taylor (born August 11, 1978) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2014.

He is the most recent undisputed middleweight champion, winning the WBA (Undisputed), WBC, IBF, WBO, WBO, Ring magazine, and lineal titles in 2005, effectively ending Hopkins' 12-year reign as middleweight champion, while still losing Bernard Hopkins' 12-year reign as middleweight champion.

Taylor was the first and, to date, only boxer to win all four major boxing sanctioning groups in a single fight.

He would also hold the IBF middleweight championship for the second time later this year. Taylor made his professional debut in 2001 and triumphed over former champions Ral Márquez and William Joppy in their first 25 bouts.

Taylor, who began boxing officially at the age of 13, has received numerous accolades throughout his amateur career, beginning with his 1996 Under-19 Championship victory.

He went on to win two more coveted Police Athletic League (PAL) Championships and National Golden Gloves titles, finishing second and third at the 1997 and 1998 United States Championships, respectively.

Taylor earned a bronze medal at the Goodwill Games in 1998.

He earned a spot on the US Olympic boxing team in 2000, becoming the first American boxer to play in the Olympic Games.

Taylor earned a bronze medal in the light middleweight division at the 2000 Olympics. Taylor defeated Hopkins and Cory Spinks in a quick rematch, as well as losing to a draw during his time as a unified middleweight champion.

He lost the remainder of the unified and lineal middleweight championship to Kelly Pavlik in 2007, his first professional defeat.

The following year, a move to super middleweight for a rematch against Pavlik was also unsuccessful.

Taylor defied Carl Froch in 2009 for the WBC super middleweight championship, but the final round was cut with seconds remaining.

He competed in the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament earlier this year, but Arthur Abraham was disqualified in the final seconds. Taylor will be out of the ring for the next two years due to ongoing health problems.

He returned in 2011 after winning five straight fights and defeating Sam Soliman in 2014 for his second IBF middleweight championship.

Taylor was arrested and jailed on weapons charges in the early 2000s, but he would not face a prison term in 2016.

Personal life

Taylor married former Louisiana Tech University basketball player Erica Taylor, who was chosen in the second round of the 2005 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics. Jermain and Erica Taylor have three children. Jermain Taylor JR. Taylor, another boy, gained clout in the state for consistently remarking on how proud he was to be from Arkansas. He is known to be a devoted follower of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks and has flown to the Arkansas campus to speak with the football team. Taylor's back of his boxing robe and trunks for his combats shows a lot of Razorback. The Arkansas Times named him "Arkansan of the Year" for 2005. Taylor, former NFL players Rod Smith and Willie Roaf were inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. Taylor has modeled for Everlast, GQ, and Vogue.

Following Taylor's injury after he was knocked out of Arthur Abraham in the Super Six tournament, Lou Dibella resigned as Taylor's promoter because he was concerned about Taylor's wellbeing. Taylor had been knocked out twice before the Abraham bout.

Officers say Taylor shot his cousin during an altercation in his Little Rock, Arkansas home on August 26, 2014. Taylor was out on bond for his bout with Sam Soliman on October 4, 2014. Taylor was arrested without incident on January 19, 2015, and a pistol was found. Since being found to have only a small bag of marijuana, he was jailed on five criminal charges of aggrangering the wellbeing of a child and a misdemeanor count of drug possession. In lieu of a $27,000 bond, Taylor was remanded to the custody of the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility in Little Rock.

Taylor received a suspended sentence of 19 years to be served concurrently on May 20, 2016, bringing a six-year suspended sentence for three cases. He was also sentenced to probation, and he would have to complete 120 hours of community service, pay a $2,000 fine more, and must submit regular drug screenings.

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Professional career

Taylor began working with boxing promoter Lou DiBella in December 2000. Pat Burns became Taylor's tutor as a professional, and Ozell Nelson became an assistant. He made his professional boxing debut against Chris Walsh at Madison Square Garden in New York City on January 27, 2001. After causing a stoppage with 16 seconds remaining in the fourth and final round, Taylor managed to knock Walsh down twice with his right hand and won his debut. In 2001, he competed six more times, resulting in six more victories. Taylor maintained his winning streak through 2002 and 2003 before defeating Alex Bunema on March 27, 2004. Taylor's next match came on June 19, 2004 against former IBF Light Middleweight Champion Ral Márquez. Taylor fought the game by using his jab and right hand during the one-sided match. Taylor landed a right uppercut that stunned Márquez near the end of the ninth round. Márquez was knocked down right hand by a right hand just before the bell rung to end the round. Márquez's handler told the referee to call the fight shortly after he arrived at his corner, resulting in a technical knockout victory for Taylor. Taylor defeated former WBA Middleweight Champion William Joppy in his hometown of Little Rock on December 4, 2004. For the majority of the fight, Joppy was the more ferocious Taylor chaser, with few punches and Taylor looking more compelled to annoy Taylor. Taylor landed several punches early in the game and knocked Joppy down in the fifth round, leading to a unanimous decision victory of 120–107 from all three judges. Taylor defeated Daniel Edouard in his next bout on February 19, 2005. Taylor landed a 10-punch combo in the third round, causing Edouard to be disengaged until the referee called off the match.

On July 16, 2005 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Taylor defeated Bernard Hopkins for the Undisputed Middleweight Championship. Hopkins was in his 20th title defenses in a row and had not lost a fight in 12 years as a result of age 40. Hopkins was a 3–2 favorite to win in the boxing competition. Taylor was able to successfully control the first two rounds of the match, but no one was taking any risks. He tended to move forward, while Hopkins was patient and waited for openings in Taylor's defense. A clash of heads opened a cut on Taylor's head in round five. Hopkins stung Taylor with two right hands that made his legs wobble and compelled him to clinch in the tenth round. Taylor won the game by split decision, with two judges scoring it 115–113 for Taylor and one judge 116–112 for Hopkins. Taylor became the first Undisputed Middleweight Champion with the WBC, WBO, IBF, WBA, WBA, WBA, WBA, WBA, WBA (Super), The Ring and Lineal Middleweight Championships. Hopkins appealed the decision, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission denied it.

Taylor defeated Hopkins by a unanimous vote in a rematch at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on December 3, 2005. Taylor vacated his IBF Middleweight title on October 11, 2005, in order to have the match rematch take place. Tensions soared after Hopkins mocked Taylor's speech immunition and branded him a "phony champion" days before the fight. Taylor replied by carrying a doll with Hopkins' name on it to the final pre-fight press conference to claim that he was a "crybaby." In a similar situation to the first round, Hopkins slowed down and began pressuring Taylor in the later rounds. Hopkins won with a 101–60 advantage in power punches, while Taylor had a blast with his jab, defeating Hopkins 64-29. Taylor's score was 115–113. Taylor said after the fight, he would welcome a challenge to Undisputed Light Middleweight Champion Winky Wright and Sam Soliman. Wright defeated Soliman by a unanimous vote on December 10, 2005, taking over the top spot in the IBF Middleweight rankings.

Taylor defeated Winky Wright at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, on June 17, 2006. Taylor and Wright were ordered by the WBC to start negotiations on December 12, 2005, and if the two sides did not agree, a purse bid would be ordered. An agreement was reached ten minutes before a purse exchange was scheduled. Ozell Nelson, who was dissatisfied with Taylor's development during the first and second Hopkins battles, was able to convince Taylor to swap Pat Burns with hall of fame trainer Emanuel Steward. Taylor received $3.75 million for the war, and Wright earned $3.5 million. Wright only paid for the WBC belt, while Taylor paid the WBC and WBO. After concerns that Taylor followed all WBA protocol before his rematch with Hopkins, Taylor did not pay the WBA fees to the WBA, amid rumors that the company had dropped him from their rankings. He was resurrecting himself in the top of the organizations' middleweight rankings, but his position remained unchanged. Through the first ten rounds, the contest was evenly fought, with Wright winning the majority of the early rounds until Taylor became more active in the second half of the tournament. Both his eyes were swelling by the ninth round. Wright was winning the tournament on two of the judges' scorecards, but he was mostly quiet in the round. Taylor was the first judge to advance to the round, resulting in a draw. Taylor defeated Taylor 115-113, 115–113 for Wright, and 114–114.

Taylor defeated Kassim Ouma at the Alltel Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas, on December 9, 2006. Taylor injured Ouma early in the first round and continued to dominate the match through the middle of the tournament with jabs and hooks. Taylor gradually wore off his legs during the second half of the fight, suffering a cut over the left eye. As the war came to an end, he allowed Ouma to back him up as the war came to an end. However, Ouma was unable to be efficient with his punches. Taylor defeated the competition by a unanimous vote of 117–111, 113–113, and 118–110. Taylor was no longer the current holder of the WBA's Middleweight Super Championship, according to the WBA. Taylor took on former Undisputed Welterweight Champion Cory Spinks at the FedEx Forum in Memphis on May 19, 2007. Taylor fought back from Spinks and landing one punch at a time. In the seventh round, he hurt Spinks with a right hand. Spinks had a difficult time getting within a closer range of their opponents. Taylor hit 101 of 319 punches, while Spinks landed just 85 of 542. Taylor was chosen by a split decision, with two judges scoring 117–111 and 114–113 in favour of him, and the other scoring 117–111 for Spinks.

Taylor defeated Kelly Pavlik at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on September 29, 2007. Pavlik's popularity has soared after an upset win over Edison Miranda in a Middleweight Title Eliminator to determine the number one contender to face Taylor. Taylor had defeated Pavlik in the first round of the US Olympic trials on February 9, 2000, during their amateur careers. Taylor landed a right hand and followed-up with several more punches in the first knockdown of the match. Pavlik stepped up and made it to the end of the round. Taylor had a commanding lead on all three judges' scorecards when entering the seventh round. Pavlik landed a right cross, turning Taylor into a corner with less than a minute remaining in the round. Pavlik came up and threw a left uppercut, left and right hook, and right uppercut. Taylor was thrown to the ground by two more left hooks as the referee intervened to put an end to the match. It was the first time Taylor had lost in his career and the first time he had been knocked down. Taylor used a rematch clause in his deal with Pavlik one month later. The rematch took place at a weight of 166 pounds (75 kilograms), six pounds more than the middleweight average. Due to poor results, Emanuel Steward was fired as Taylor's coach and replaced with Ozell Nelson. Taylor lost the match to Pavlik by a unanimous vote in Las Vegas on February 16, 2008.

Taylor made the jump from two losses to Pavlik to a super middleweight division. Taylor defeated Jeff Lacy by a narrow unanimous vote on November 15, 2008, to advance to a mandatory fight against Carl Froch and Jean Pascal for the vacant WBC Super Middleweight title, which was lost by Froch. Taylor defeated Carl Froch, WBC Super Middleweight Championships, at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut, on April 25, 2009. Taylor was able to influence the first two rounds of the fight. Taylor held a right hand in the third round for the first time in his career. Taylor was up 102–102 on two of the judges' scorecards, while Froch was up 106–102 on the other. Froch landed two right hands that brought Taylor to the canvas during the round. He stood up, but Froch stormed him immediately, trapping him against the ropes and resulting in a barrage of hard and fast punches. Taylor could not recover or protect himself, despite the fact that he was essentially coerced to be defending himself. In the final round, around ten straight shots from Froch were landed before the referee stepped in to end the match with just seconds remaining, giving Froch the technical blowout win.

Taylor qualified in the preliminary round of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, a tournament hosted by Showtime, to determine who is the best boxer in the super middleweight division.

Arthur Abraham, the undefeated Armenian-German former champion of Berlin, Germany, was defeated by KO in the 12th round of the Super Six tournament with less than 10 seconds remaining. Taylor was hospitalized with a serious concussion, short-term memory loss, and was unable to recall specifics of this outbreak. Taylor said in a tweet that after being rescued from the hospital, he said he's doing just fine and wanted to congratulate Abraham on his victory and wish him well in the tournament. The judges' scorecards read: 104-102, 107-102, and 106-102, all in favour of Abraham.

Taylor, one of the original participants of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, was banned from the tournament in January 2010. In a tweet in early 2010, the former Undisputed Middleweight Champion said, "I'm going to take some time off the game of boxing and take myself out of the SHOWTIME Sports World Boxing Classic tournament." Since I have been boxing for almost 20 years, Taylor said it's important that I give my body and mind some much-needed rest. "I want to keep myself in shape and return to the sport sometime in the future." "I know this is not a straightforward decision for me," says my uncle, tutor, colleagues, and advisor Al Haymon because I'm a competitive person. Taylor was later replaced by Allan Green.

Taylor returned and met Jessie Nicklow on December 30, 2011, after 26 months away from the ring. Taylor won by technical knockout in the eighth round of a match set for ten rounds. In another bout slated for ten rounds, he defeated then-undefeated Caleb Truax (18-0-1) on April 25, 2012. Taylor dominated most of the game and avoided a knock-down in round nine in order to win a unanimous decision victory.

Taylor was defeated by boxing veteran Raul Munoz on October 12, 2012. He made short work of Muoz, winning in the second round of KO.

Taylor's next match was against Juan Carlos Candelo on December 14, 2013. Jermaine obtained a seventh-round TKO.

Taylor defeated Sam Soliman in Biloxi, Mississippi, on October 4, 2014, for Soliman's IBF Middleweight World Championship belt. Taylor prevailed after 12 grueling rounds (Soliman suffered his knee injury midway through the fight) and knocking Soliman down four times (Soliman was actually knocked down by the knee injury, not primarily from punches from Taylor). Taylor, who had lost to Pavlik in 2007 by regaining the belt, became the first middleweight world champion.

Taylor was set to defend his title against Sergio Mora on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights in Biloxi, Mississippi, on February 6, 2015. However, the match was called off after Taylor sustained an injury and was later arrested and charged with multiple felonies after an incident on January 19 (see Personal Life below). The IBF withdrew his title on February 6, owing to his inability to defend amid his ongoing legal and mental health problems, he was also stripped of his title on February 6.

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