Taylor Wins His 10th Straight Pro Fight With a Unanimous Decision Over Blake

Meldrick Taylor, a 1984 Olympic gold medalist, kept his professional boxing record perfect Sunday with a unanimous 10-round decision over veteran Robin Blake in a lightweight bout.

Taylor dominated the early rounds, then fought off a mid-fight slump to dominate the closing rounds and complete his first 10-round contest.

The 1984 featherweight gold medal winner has won all 10 of his professional fights.

Blake, once the top contender as a lightweight, now is 27-4. He said after the fight at the Lake Charles Civic Center he will consider retiring.

“Maybe it’s time I got out. Maybe, I don’t know,” said the southpaw from Levelland, Tex. “I’ve had a great career. I fought the best.”

There were no knockdowns during the fight, in which Taylor used his superior hand speed to offset Blake’s experience and four-inch height advantage.

Taylor, 19, from Philadelphia, said his fight plan worked the way he had hoped and “the key was the jab.”

“He never hit me,” Taylor said. “He’s lucky I didn’t open up.”

Blake was trying to make a comeback after being knocked out last June by Jimmy Paul for the International Boxing Federation lightweight title.

Less than three years ago, Blake was undefeated and one of the most marketable lightweights in boxing. But the defeat to the inexperienced Taylor had Blake wondering whether he should continue his career.

“I couldn’t land any good, solid shots on him,” Blake said. “I tried. I just couldn’t get it done. I couldn’t figure him out. Maybe I didn’t train right. He was better trained than I was.”