BRISTLING BATTLE ENDS IN DRAW

June 17, 2006

The perfectly contrasting styles of Winky Wright and Jermain Taylor created a wildly entertaining fight on Saturday night, as the potent puncher and defensive specialist traded nearly every round, right up until the twelfth and final exchange at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.

Wright, considered by some to be the greatest defensive fighter in boxing history, surprised many by taking the fight to Taylor from the starting bell. In nearly every round, he landed a higher percentage of punches, and early in the bout, found a perfect showcase in the corners, roping Taylor in and landing combinations.

The bigger and stronger Taylor, who threw more punches and, specifically, more power punches, owned the center of the ring. His trainer, the legendary Manny Steward, urged the middleweight champ to stay off the ropes. At several points, the middleweight champ seemed close to overwhelming Wright with power punches, but Wright always responded with a flurry of his own to keep the match close.

Throughout the fight Taylor seemed relaxed; he kept his hands low, weaving in like a cobra trying to tempt the mongoose Wright to let his guard down. But midway through the bout, Taylor's left eye started to swell dangerously, perhaps the result of a head butt, of which there were several.

By the end of the eleventh, the fight was impossibly close, with Wright holding a slight edge coming off a strong round. In the twelfth, he seemed to have Taylor off guard with quick footwork and a more boxerly style, but Taylor, realizing that the bout was on the line, was marginally more aggressive. Ultimately, the match was scored 115-113 Taylor, 115-113 Wright and 114-114, and Taylor retained his middleweight title.

After the fight, an incensed Wright left the ring quickly. When Larry Merchant managed to interview him later, the canny veteran made it clear that he felt he had done enough to win. "He didn't do nothing in the twelfth," he said. "The fans saw I won that fight."

Taylor was complimentary of his opponent, saying that he didn't think he had hurt Wright, whose jab was faster than the champ expected. But, he added, "If he wanted the title so bad, he should have fought all twelve rounds."