26.04.06 - By Aaron King: The World Boxing Association will no longer list Jermain Taylor as middleweight champion. WBA officials say that he hasn’t been stripped of the title, only that he is removed from the rankings until an investigation requested by Felix Sturm is completed.
According to Robert Mack, the WBA’s legal director, “It is my understanding that there was a request by representatives of Felix Sturm questioning whether Taylor had met all the requirements necessary to be the unified champion.
“The Sturm people raised the issue of whether Taylor had technically met the requirements such as having his last defense actually sanctioned before the bout, having a supervisor at the bout, a number of matters,†Mack added.
Essentially, Sturm and his people are alleging that Taylor’s claim as champion is illegitimate.
No reason has been heard from the Sturm camp as to why they are pursuing this claim. According to the WBA’s latest rankings, Felix Sturm is listed as the new middleweight champion.
In regards to Taylor, the website only says, “Jermain Taylor’s Unified Championship is under review, pursuant to request.â€
In the previous rankings, the WBA listed Taylor as the “Unified Champion†and Sturm as the “World Champion,†indicating that Taylor was ranked ahead of Sturm, and thus was the “true†WBA champion.
Taylor will fight Winky Wright in Memphis on June.
Nope. He’s not saying that he’s in the running for Super Champ…he’s just saying that Taylor isn’t the unified man. He’s pressing the issue (I believe) because he had laid ground work for fighting Hopkins back before Taylor signed on the line…then he was lining up a shot at Winky when all the mess started between Wink & Taylor.
Sturm needs to lay his ground work for going after Taylor by fighting whoever the public opinion is out there for being the next best middleweight behind Taylor and Winky and not get involved in this monkey business.
Agreed. This is a b!tch move. If he wants the title, he should fight for it (Wacko, I get your point that this opportunity has eluded him, but still), not run around to commissioners or courts like John Ruiz.
Sturm is being a little girl, imo. Let the fight between Winky and Taylor happen, then if he has the balls go after the winner.. I mean noone is going to consider him a real champ until he does, it’s just a shame that Winky Taylor will no longer technically be a unification.. Plus didn’t Sturm already get an offer to fight Taylor and turn it down? What does he expect Jermain to come fight him in Germany instead of fight Winky?
Again…I would think that this is in an effort to secure a fight…not get the belt…that aint a possibility.
Taylor was running the risk of getting stripped for facing Wright in the first place.
I forget who his mandatory was prior to him securing the fight with Wright…hell…it might have been STurm…but for some reason I think that it was with someone else.
We’ll just have to wait & see…but I think that nailing Sturm to a cross for something that we only know half the info on…it’s a bit…soon for that. ;D
I don’t know…but again…I ask you…would you fight Taylor in his hometown?
Hell…Winky just came down off of his high of beating the shat outta Tito & defeating Soliman…& he didn’t even want to take a fight in Arkansas…that should tell you something.
but it says the investigation was launched by Sturm… I mean either way he can’t expect to become champ witghout fighting. That is John Ruiz style. No I wouldn’t fight Taylor in his hometown but Taylor certainly shouldnt fight Sturm in his.. And neutral ground would be somewhere in the states… Id rather just see Sturm try and get a fight with the winner in the states… Not take away from the upcoming fight.
I dont mind if JT has to drop the WBA, at least if he wants it back then Sturm is in the mix If Taylor didnt play by the rules then bad luck, his expert groomers should of done a better job. ;D
Again… I don’t think that he wants to become a champion without fighting for his title…I personally believe that he’s trying to secure his fight with Taylor.
Just a bunch of politics going on. I respect JT, he stood in with bernard for 24 rounds, got the better of bhop in many of those, and he did it with a lame trainer like pat burns. Pat is a great amatuer trainer, but he doesnt have a clue in the pros. Great move by camp taylor to get manny sterwart, smart! Now winky has trouble on his hands, because taylor will be using his jab to perfection to set up the other “power” combos to take wright out. And might I add that JT’s jab has KO power also. JT proved by getting hit on the button numerous times by Bhop that he’s got a chin. I think Taylors gonna be real dangerous when manny gets done with him. Also, JT wants to give the people what they want. He is the peoples champion. His promoter wanted to take the easy road, but JT threw a damn fit on them. He said, winky wants me, and I want him! They tried to tell JT, take the easy fights for a while. This just made Taylor frustrated because he doesnt want to fight pawns, he wants the best that the middleweights can offer. Some people after the hopkins fights had the wrong idea about jermaine. He is a gentleman who respects all people. He also dodges no-one which sturm will find out after JT KO’s winky wright. The problem with the other fighters is that they dont bring the “potential” KO power that taylor does. You get caught looking away with JT and “?BAM?” , you could be on your back looking up. Hopkins was cautious, very cautious. He got caught a time or two and he didnt like the power he felt. JT nearly KO’d him with a jab in the second fight. With manny as the trainer, its looking like JT could be champ for a long time. As far as the belt stripping going on, JT aint worried about that, he knows it takes more than a belt around your waste to make you champion.
Apparently you missed Hopkins beating Taylor around the ring & him almost getting stopped in their first fight…it was when Taylor was be pressed backwards from about the 10th on.
Looking back at it now I would liked to have seen BHop walk away with the win in their 1st fight simply because he finished like a champion… but in the rematch I believe there was a changing of the guard. We just gotta agree to disagree on this one
Great point jman, Taylor has shown us his character by stepping up to fight Winky when advised against it. So many boxers these days hide behind their promoters ie. Cotto
In the first fight with bhop, taylor had to learn the hard way. I will say, I’ve watched the fights many times, I have never seen either boxer seriously hurt or in trouble. I think some of JT’s retreating was pat burns fault. He in no way had JT prepared for either fight. I am glad to see the addition of manny sterwart to JT’s corner. Hopefully, he’ll teach jermaine how to actually use his skills to take his opponent out and not the crap that burns yells like, ok jermaine your scoring, keep touching him and scoring, you did good that round JT, you scored a lot of points. JT would say, I want to ko someone and pat would reply, No JT, you just score points. Thats why manny made the comment about JT being amatuerish. Screw points, in the middleweight division, you need to be taking somebody down.
BHOP won first fight easily but got robbed by judges what a shame,second time around Taylor won. Winky will beat Taylor by UD and we will have new champion
If Taylor didnt play by the rules then bad luck, his expert groomers should of done a better job. ;D