Brad O
05-18-2007, 06:43 AM
By NOAH TRISTER, AP Sports Writer
May 17, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- If you're going to challenge Jermain Taylor's status as middleweight champion, at least dress up before you do it.
That was Taylor's message during a lengthy rant at a news conference Thursday, two days before his title defense against IBF junior middleweight champion Cory Spinks (36-3). Taylor -- wearing a gray lightweight suit -- scolded the more casually dressed fighters seated around him.
"Dress up," Taylor yelled into the microphone. "Come to the press conference looking like a champion -- which I am. Nobody else dressed up to impress the crowd, look good for the sport of boxing. That's why I'm No. 1. I look like a champ, I want to be a champ."
Taylor (26-0-1) has tried to maintain his reputation as a gentleman. But he made it clear he has no patience for listening to other fighters talk.
"I'm not to be played with, man," Taylor said later, after calming down a bit. "I'm in boxing trying to make boxing better. With all the hoopla and the meanness ... you don't have to do all that to go in there and win. But you know, enough is enough."
The last straw, apparently, was when a member of Saturday's undercard started talking trash to Taylor through a translator. Edison Miranda of Colombia will fight Kelly Pavlik in a middleweight bout, but made it clear he wants a shot at Taylor.
"How about Cory Spinks fighting Kelly Pavlik and Edison Miranda fighting Taylor for the same amount of money?" Miranda asked Taylor. "Can you accept that?"
Taylor brushed off Miranda's comments at first. He playfully banged the table at one point in mock response.
When it was his turn to speak, Taylor started calmly.
"It's hard being No. 1. Everybody wants a piece of you," Taylor said. "You've got people talking about you that don't even speak English."
Taylor was just getting started. His voice quickly grew louder -- and he saved his more pointed comments for Miranda, not Spinks.
"I don't play no games. You talk about me in the paper?" Taylor said. "Look me in my face! You hear that? You want to fight? OK."
Spinks -- Taylor's actual opponent this weekend -- was a mere spectator during Taylor's diatribe.
"It wasn't directed at me, so I wasn't worrying about it," Spinks said.
Spinks' father, former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, will be in his son's corner this weekend.
Cory Spinks is Taylor's second straight opponent from the junior middleweight ranks. Taylor beat Kassim Ouma in a December decision.
There's been speculation Taylor could move up to fight super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe at some point, but for now Taylor is looking for a convincing victory to silence his critics. Before fighting Ouma, Taylor beat Bernard Hopkins in two close decisions, then escaped with a draw against Winky Wright in Memphis.
"I'm standing up here undefeated," Taylor said. "No matter what the writers say, no matter what these guys say, I'm No. 1."
Taylor's outburst overshadowed even Don King, who arrived carrying small American flags and wearing a jacket with his face on it. King, Spinks' promoter, greeted Taylor warmly.
"I can't say no bad things about you," King said to Taylor.
Miranda felt differently, and that brought out a side of Taylor seldom seen.
"Never had a guy talk smack to me in Spanish," Taylor said. "I think it's worse, because you really don't know what he's saying."
May 17, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- If you're going to challenge Jermain Taylor's status as middleweight champion, at least dress up before you do it.
That was Taylor's message during a lengthy rant at a news conference Thursday, two days before his title defense against IBF junior middleweight champion Cory Spinks (36-3). Taylor -- wearing a gray lightweight suit -- scolded the more casually dressed fighters seated around him.
"Dress up," Taylor yelled into the microphone. "Come to the press conference looking like a champion -- which I am. Nobody else dressed up to impress the crowd, look good for the sport of boxing. That's why I'm No. 1. I look like a champ, I want to be a champ."
Taylor (26-0-1) has tried to maintain his reputation as a gentleman. But he made it clear he has no patience for listening to other fighters talk.
"I'm not to be played with, man," Taylor said later, after calming down a bit. "I'm in boxing trying to make boxing better. With all the hoopla and the meanness ... you don't have to do all that to go in there and win. But you know, enough is enough."
The last straw, apparently, was when a member of Saturday's undercard started talking trash to Taylor through a translator. Edison Miranda of Colombia will fight Kelly Pavlik in a middleweight bout, but made it clear he wants a shot at Taylor.
"How about Cory Spinks fighting Kelly Pavlik and Edison Miranda fighting Taylor for the same amount of money?" Miranda asked Taylor. "Can you accept that?"
Taylor brushed off Miranda's comments at first. He playfully banged the table at one point in mock response.
When it was his turn to speak, Taylor started calmly.
"It's hard being No. 1. Everybody wants a piece of you," Taylor said. "You've got people talking about you that don't even speak English."
Taylor was just getting started. His voice quickly grew louder -- and he saved his more pointed comments for Miranda, not Spinks.
"I don't play no games. You talk about me in the paper?" Taylor said. "Look me in my face! You hear that? You want to fight? OK."
Spinks -- Taylor's actual opponent this weekend -- was a mere spectator during Taylor's diatribe.
"It wasn't directed at me, so I wasn't worrying about it," Spinks said.
Spinks' father, former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, will be in his son's corner this weekend.
Cory Spinks is Taylor's second straight opponent from the junior middleweight ranks. Taylor beat Kassim Ouma in a December decision.
There's been speculation Taylor could move up to fight super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe at some point, but for now Taylor is looking for a convincing victory to silence his critics. Before fighting Ouma, Taylor beat Bernard Hopkins in two close decisions, then escaped with a draw against Winky Wright in Memphis.
"I'm standing up here undefeated," Taylor said. "No matter what the writers say, no matter what these guys say, I'm No. 1."
Taylor's outburst overshadowed even Don King, who arrived carrying small American flags and wearing a jacket with his face on it. King, Spinks' promoter, greeted Taylor warmly.
"I can't say no bad things about you," King said to Taylor.
Miranda felt differently, and that brought out a side of Taylor seldom seen.
"Never had a guy talk smack to me in Spanish," Taylor said. "I think it's worse, because you really don't know what he's saying."