Jermain/DiBella: Together Again
In anticipation of his return to action after 26 months of inactivity, Jermain Taylor and his promoter Lou DiBella met with the press via teleconference call earlier today to discuss Friday’s fight on ShoBox: The New Generation.
Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KOs), who hails from Little Rock, Arkansas, will face Baltimore’s Jessie Nicklow (22-2-3, 8 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California.
Many are approaching this fight with trepidation in light of Taylor’s medical history.
But Taylor isn’t among them
“It’s great to be back in boxing,” he said. “I took a few years off but now I’ve got my focus back. I’ve been boxing for 22 years and I’ve never taken a break from boxing. This just woke me up. I’m just really looking forward to getting back in the ring.
“All my life I’ve been boxing. I just missed boxing so much. I’m working hard and I want to be world champion. It’s not about the money now or any of that. It’s about being on top. I want to be number one again. That’s the only goal now.”
It’s a good thing that Taylor is motivated, and that he’s not fighting for money but out of pride and love of the game. But no matter how infectious his enthusiasm, there are lingering doubts if this is the right move to make.
“I had every intention of getting back in the ring,” clarified Taylor. “I just missed boxing. I was never worried about what was wrong with me. I know my family was concerned, but this is what I love. This is what I’ve done my whole life. It’s who I am. Everybody loves a comeback and everybody loves a comeback story. Everybody makes mistakes. That’s why I love boxing so much. You can be down and then come back and win a championship and everything is great.”
I wish I could look at life with the single-minded focus of Jermain Taylor. Comebacks are great. Winning titles is even greater. But he needs crawl before he walks, and walk before he runs. He would be wise to not let his enthusiasm get the best of him.
Taylor’s promoter, Lou DiBella, is considerably more complicated than Jermain. He is sensitive to public perception, and wanted to reassure the press that every precaution has been taken and Taylor is at no more risk than any other fighter.
“Jermain has really rededicated himself to this sport and gotten himself in great physical shape,” said DiBella. He’s changed his entire lifestyle. He has seen a lot of doctors and neurologists and they have determined that he is at no greater risk than anyone else entering the ring. I’m particularly comfortable with the fact and the way he has dedicated himself to the sport of boxing and that his weight has never been an issue.”
Weight was one of the issues Tyalor had to contend with. The other was a good deal more serious.
“It was a process and a lot of conversations I had with Al Haymon and knowing that Jermain had been going to some top neurologists in Arkansas and had been checking his health and well-being. Then it became clear that that was going to extend to places like the Mayo Clinic and I received a copy of the medical report from a doctor in Germany that was CC’ed to the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
“I had a conversation with one of the top neurologists in the world where he was asked if Jermain were his own kid, would he let him get in the ring. His response was, no, he would not let his own kid fight under any circumstance, but if you’re asking if Jermain Taylor is any different than any other fighter or if there is any risk then I can’t tell you that. Based on that, I believe that Jermain is a fighter and that’s what fighters do, they fight. I am comfortable that he is OK and that we are doing this for the right reasons. We’re not getting rich by fighting Friday night.”
I’m not going to pick apart DiBella’s statement, but the confidence of his words and the confidence of his demeanor were somewhat at odds. But DiBella is smart, and he was smart to match Taylor with Jessie Nicklow. Nicklow is a good fighter without a lot of power, so it will give Jermain a chance to get his feet wet without risking his health.
“He’s fighting a tough fighter in Jessie Nicklow,” DiBella said, “who, to be quite honest, would not have been given much of a chance to beat Jermain Taylor in his prime. But right now Jermain is coming off his last couple fights that he wasn’t at his best. And if he’s not at his best on Friday night, then Jessie Nicklow is exactly the kind of guy that’s going to show it.”
