Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Why
Jermain Taylor has been licensed to fight.
Taylor and his adviser Al Haymon met with the Nevada State Athletic Commission last week to plead their case. After hearing them out, the commission voted 5-0 vote to grant the former middleweight champion a license to box.
A week earlier the commission’s medical advisory panel also voted 5-0 to approve Taylor’s return.
So, two years after suffering a brain bleed in a KO loss to Arthur Abraham in Showtime’s Super Six Boxing Classic, Taylor has been green-lighted to resume fighting.
Keith Kizer of the NSAC told ESPN.com, “Jermain spoke for quite a while. He answered questions and explained the different aspects of his training and career. He talked about his plans for the future and the lessons he’s learned. He came across really well.”
That’s good to hear. Did he by any chance mention his brain bleed? Did he talk about the dangers to his health? Did that even come up during the meeting?
“Jermain’s basic point to the commission was that he was fighting too heavy, that 168 pounds was too heavy,” said Kizer. “He said he was starting training camps at 200 pounds and that his training camps were basically weight loss camps, which is why he faded late in fights. He said, ‘I’ve learned my lesson. Now I know the consequences.’
“He was very straightforward on that stuff. He said he will fight at 160 and not let his weight get too high between fights.”
The commission also had a letter from a consulting physician, Dr. Timothy J. Trainor. He had a lot to say, and none of it concerned weight, but his summation says quite enough:
“I am confident that it is medically safe to grant Mr. Taylor a license to compete in boxing and agree that this combatant is medically cleared for unarmed combat.”
It looks like armed combat is out of the question for Jermain Taylor.
