It seems that Jermain Taylor has been written off by most before this tournament has even kicked off. I think anyone of that mindset should first consider his total performance against Froch, and not just the end result. 14 seconds, that’s all that stood between him and the WBC title. 14 SECONDS. It was the same old story; the best 8 round fighter in the division, but his stamina let him down. For those early rounds it was the Jermain Taylor of old, so can he just make the adjustments necessary to maintain that level of intensity for 12 rounds?

The most noteworthy part of the brilliant Fight Camp 360 preview show was the negotiation between rival promoters. The one thing that specifically stood out though was Lou Dibella’s choice of language when discussing Taylor’s fight schedule. He made it quite evident that it was not in his fighters best interests to face Abraham and Kessler back to back, but also made it clear that Jermain doesn’t want to be still fighting at an advanced age and for the right money it could be done. It throws up questions regarding Taylor’s motivation for being in this tournament. Is it to re-establish himself in the division? Or is it to make a couple of good paydays as part of an exit strategy from boxing?

Taylor has the edge in big fight experience. He’s been in with the better competition: Froch, Hopkins, Pavlik, Wright, the list goes on. This is not just a step up in class for Abraham, but also a step up in weight. We don’t know how he will handle fighting elite opposition at Super Middleweight. Abraham at his best is an outstanding defensive fighter. To combat that Taylor will have to maintain a very steady work rate, but I think he can use his reach advantage to outscore him from the outside. Abraham is a more methodical fighter, and I don’t think his style will cause Taylor to unravel like he did against Froch. Even if Taylor is struggling stamina wise I feel he will have enough to survive and defend his lead.

I do believe Taylor has at least one big upset in him, and I think this might be it. Taylor will prove he has more left than people think, and Abraham may have a tough time adapting to the new weight. I’m making a somewhat risky call considering how notoriously difficult it is to get a decision in Germany, but I will pick Taylor by close decision.

Preview: Jermain Taylor by close decision

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