Taylor Has Something to Prove

As he walked into Detroit’s legendary Kronk Gym six weeks ago, Jermain Taylor heard a bystander yell out, “Fresh meat!”

Not “undisputed middleweight champion.” Not “two-time conqueror of Bernard Hopkins.” Not “undefeated in 25 pro fights.” Not “2000 Olympic bronze medalist.”

“Fresh meat.”

At 27, Taylor (25-0, 17 knockouts) is still fighting for recognition.

The boxer from Little Rock, Ark., hopes to add to his already impressive resume and perhaps gain new believers tonight when he puts his title on the line at the FedExForum against Winky Wright (50-3, 25), generally considered one of the top two fighters in the world, pound-for-pound, along with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I feel I still have a lot to prove,” Taylor said.

That attitude made Taylor receptive to the advice of his longtime associate, Ozell Nelson, when Nelson urged Taylor to replace trainer Pat Burns with Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward.

Steward quickly took Taylor to his Kronk gym, where many great fighters have worked.

“The sweat of champions is in that gym,” Steward said.

The trainer then lined up southpaw sparring partners so Taylor could get used to fighting a lefty, as Wright is.

“I didn’t know there were that many left-handers in the world,” Taylor said. “Emanuel Steward has brought a lot to the table. He takes what you’ve got and makes you better. I have been throwing punches in sparring that I had never thrown in my life.”

After watching Taylor work, Thomas Hearns, Steward’s first great champion, told his former trainer, “He would have been a problem for me, for Ray Leonard and for Marvin Hagler.”

But will Taylor (who weighed in at 160 Friday) be a problem for Wright (159 3/4 ), whose style has confounded fighters ranging from Shane Mosley, whom he beat twice, to Felix Trinidad, who was dominated by Wright in what could only be described as a shutout.

Wright is arguably the best defensive fighter in boxing. He presses his gloves tightly against his cheeks, leaving little or no open space on his face, and tucks his elbows into his sides to protect them. Out of that stance, he fires the ferocious jab that reduced Trinidad to a human punching bag.

Boxing commentator Larry Merchant says, though, that Taylor need not be frustrated by Wright’s style.

“If you can’t get through to his face, you try to hit him hard enough to break an arm,” Merchant said.

Said Taylor: “If the only thing there to hit are gloves, I’ll hit his gloves.”

The biggest question about Taylor after the Hopkins fights was his lack of aggressiveness. Facing the best middleweight of his era, Taylor was often too cautious. Big deal. He beat a 40-year-old, said Taylor’s critics.

But Hopkins, now 41, answered last week by pulling off a monumental finish to his career, coming up two weight classes to beat light-heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver.

“Looking at Hopkins’ performance last week,” said HBO executive Kery Davis, “you’d certainly have to say that Jermain Taylor’s stock has risen.”

Wright, 34 and a 16-year ring veteran, has had little to say about Taylor other than, “It was a great thing Jermain did, to go get help from Emanuel.”

Wright mostly smiles when he looks at Taylor. But you know what he’s thinking: “Fresh meat.”