Taylor wastes no time getting Pavlik rematch

When Jermain Taylor lost the world middleweight title to Kelly Pavlik in September, everyone expected Taylor to wait awhile before he got back in the ring with the new champion.

But Taylor had other ideas. Winning back the belts wasn't an issue. Settling the score was.

On Wednesday, at the final prefight news conference for Saturday's rematch at the MGM Grand Garden, Taylor reiterated his desire to get an immediate shot at Pavlik, who survived a second-round knockdown and rallied to score a dramatic seventh-round knockout Sept. 29 in Atlantic City.

"I could have taken a tuneup fight," Taylor said. "But I don't need no tuneup fight. I'm gonna fight the guy who beat me."

The rematch will be fought at the catch weight of 166 pounds. Pavlik's WBC, WBO and Ring titles are not at stake.

Many thought Taylor would have been better served fighting someone else. There was talk of Taylor moving up to meet Joe Calzaghe, the reigning super middleweight champion. Or, since Taylor also recently fought to a draw against Winky Wright, perhaps it was time to take on a lesser opponent to get a win and rebuild his confidence.

Taylor would have none of it.

"My career is going to be judged on this fight," Taylor said. "Last fight, I was too confident, and look what happened. He took me out.

"I'm fighting to the end this time."

Pavlik (32-0, 29 knockouts) said he expects nothing less from Taylor (27-1-1, 17 KOs).

"Jermain Taylor is coming to fight," Pavlik said. "I'm no dummy. I know he wants to prove something. He ain't used to losing. Everyone knows that."

Pavlik also has something to prove: that he can duplicate September's victory and perhaps begin to create the legacy his promoter, Top Rank president Bob Arum, claims will result in Pavlik being the greatest middleweight in boxing history.

Thomas Hearns, a pretty good middleweight himself, shook his head at that notion.

"He's got a lot to prove," said Hearns, who won seven world titles in six weight classes and held the world middleweight championship in 1987 and 1988. "He has a long way to go to reach the stature I had.

"Anything is possible, though. But you can't judge today's fighters (with) the fighters of the '80s. They don't fight the way we did. These guys, they don't bring it the way we did. They don't take chances the way we did."

Another former champion, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, said Pavlik could achieve boxing immortality.

"He's got something special," Mancini said of Pavlik, who, like Mancini, hails from Youngstown, Ohio. "I think Kelly comes from the great tradition of big punchers. To me, he's the best puncher since Carlos Monzon and Tommy Hearns."

Jack Loew, Pavlik's longtime trainer, said that while he was surprised at Taylor's demand for an immediate rematch, he welcomes it. He said the result will be the same as last time.

"Jermain can do whatever he wants," Loew said. "He can run Mount Charleston every day. We're prepared, and there's nothing he could change that's going to do anything for us."

When asked if Taylor firing trainer Emanuel Steward and going back to his amateur coach, Ozell Nelson, was a good thing, Loew said, "I think he got desperate."

"The rap on Taylor was he brought all his bad habits from his amateur days," Loew said. "He got amateurish in the fights.

"Ozell Nelson is the one who taught him all that, so I just want to thank Jermain for bringing the guy back that taught him all the bad habits."

Nelson laughed upon hearing Loew's comments.

"I'm trying to think back of all the bad habits I taught him in the amateurs on the way to the Olympics, and if I can teach him some more bad habits like that, I'm looking forward to it," Nelson said.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2913.