New champion Taylor looking forward to rematch

By Michael Katz

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Jermain Taylor is looking forward to
a rematch with Bernard Hopkins after winning their middleweight
title fight with a split decision on Saturday.

“I learned so much I can’t wait for the rematch,” said the
undefeated 2000 Olympic bronze medallist from Little Rock,
Arkansas, who raised his pro record to 24-0 with 17 knockouts.

“He’s an awesome fighter. I believe I did enough to win,
but I was real nervous. Believe me, I can’t wait for the
rematch.”

Hopkins, having lost for the first time in over 12 years,
says he wants a rematch so maybe the judges will get it right.

“Judges are human and they can be wrong,” said Hopkins.
“I’m a big boy. I know I won. I can go home with that.”

The 12-round bout, which ended Hopkins’s division record
for successful defenses at 20, was controversial and tense.

It was not very exciting, though. There were no knockdowns
and an unusually low number of punches thrown as both boxers
spent long spells exchanging feints.

The date for a rematch had been pencilled in for October 1
at the same MGM Grand Garden arena.

However, that is unlikely since Lou DiBella, Taylor’s
promoter, said the new 26-year-old champion had to have 15
stitches on the left side of his head and suffered concussion
from an accidental clash of heads in the fifth round.

DiBella said Taylor, who will not be allowed to have
contact for at least 45 days, still wants the rematch, although
it would probably be put off until November or December.

NEXT TIME

Hopkins said he would exercise the clause for the rematch.
The 40-year-old future hall of famer, who has spent much of his
career battling promoters, said: “I’ll do everything the same
except next time I’ll knock him out.”

Hopkins, 46-3-1 with 32 knockouts and now 25-1-1 since
losing to Roy Jones Jr in 1993, started slowly, as usual,
throwing few punches and allowing Taylor to dominate the early
rounds with his jab.

According to CompuBox, Hopkins outpunched Taylor during the
fight, landing 96 of 326 punches to the challenger’s 86 of 453.

But the figures show that Hopkins outlanded Taylor 56-23
over the last four rounds, meaning he landed only 40 punches
over the first eight rounds, an average of five a round.

Hopkins said he dominated the fight after the fifth or
sixth round, possibly because Taylor suffered concussion from
the accidental butt in the fifth.

Two of the three experienced Las Vegas judges gave Hopkins
five of the final six rounds. But the other judge, the highly
respected Duane Ford, gave Hopkins only four of the six.

He disagreed with Jerry Roth and Paul Smith by giving
Taylor the final round, which most ringsiders thought Hopkins
won big.

Ford, who like Smith wound up with a 115-113 score favoring
Taylor, would have had the fight drawn on his card if he had
scored the 12th round for the champion.

That would have made the result a split draw and Hopkins
would have retained the title with a 21st successful defense.
Roth had Hopkins ahead, 116-112, or eight rounds to five.