LARRY MERCHANT POST FIGHT INTERVIEW: JERMAIN TAYLOR
HBO's Larry Merchant caught up with Jermain Taylor ring-side, immediately after the split decision
Larry Merchant
MERCHANT:
I'm not sure -- I usually say congratulations, champ, you are still the champ.
TAYLOR:
Yes, sir.
MERCHANT:
Should you be congratulated on this fight?
TAYLOR:
It's always something with me, Larry. Always something. Larry, I give it up to winky Wright. He's a great fighter. He threw his punches and I have to give it to him.
MERCHANT:
What gave you the most trouble from Winky tonight? It looked like his right jab over your low left was the difference for him? many fighters such difficulty?
TAYLOR:
Exactly, it was a jab. He had a great job. I mean, I didn't think that his hands was that fast and he has a great jab.
MERCHANT:
How bad was the eye?
TAYLOR:
I couldn't see much of anything in that last round, but he was running like he had the fight won. I stayed and tried to get him.
MERCHANT:
I'll get back to that in a minute.
TAYLOR:
Yes, sir.
MERCHANT:
Did you think that you had hurt him at any time in the fight?
TAYLOR:
I thought I landed a couple of good punches but if I did hurt him, he played it off well, he played off real good.
MERCHANT:
Why did you spend so much time on the ropes when in the middle of the ring you were clearly winning the fight?
TAYLOR:
He didn't have so much power and I tried to time him and come back, and I tried to come back with something, and he's so fast they couldn't get it off. But I know that I just needed a little more time. And he kept telling me, stay off the ropes, and –
MERCHANT:
Tell me, at the end of the night, what Emanuel Steward did for you to help you retain your title?
TAYLOR:
Oh, the training, just all the hard work and just pressure. And just by being at the club, the gym. I thank all the guys at the gym for the motivation. I felt it when I was in there.
MERCHANT:
When you saw him start to box and move in the 12th round, what went through your mind?
TAYLOR:
I was like, what is he doing? I mean, he is winning, go ahead and fight me. I mean, he clearly threw the straight punches and was catching me and if I was him I would have kept fighting. That's the difference between us.
MERCHANT:
Do you think that since this fight was a draw, that he blew the fight in the 12th round, apparently thinking that he had it won already?
TAYLOR:
I felt like if he wanted the title so bad, he should have fought all 12 rounds. That's what I did. I didn't get in the last round and feel that I had to only fight one. You have to fight all 12 rounds.
MERCHANT:
There was a rematch clause in the contract. If you would have lost there would have been a rematch. This was a good bristling action fight, you retained your title with the draw, and now do you think that there should be a rematch?
TAYLOR:
I will fight Winky Wright again, yes, sir, I would to just let everyone know, you know, I'm a fighter. I don't control what nobody does or say, this is what I do. I may not do it like you want me to do it, but I'll fight, I'll fight all 12 rounds, I promise you that.
MERCHANT:
Congratulations.
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