Meldrick Taylor

Meldrick Taylor ( * October 19, 1966 in Philadelphia ) is a retired American boxer.

Amateur

The very fast Taylor had a 99-4 record as an amateur. In 1982, he became the Bantamgewichtler the U.S. Championship and the Golden Gloves tournament. At the Junior World Championships in 1983 in Santo Domingo, he finished after a knockout loss in the final against the Cubans Ángel Espinosa to second place in the light welterweight.

In 1984 he qualified as a 17- year-old for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles and won gold in the featherweight. Nevertheless, he was then no big star, mainly lay on the scandal judgment against the Nigerian finalists Peter Konyegwachie, but also that these Olympics brought forth many other U.S. top boxers such as Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker, Tyrell Biggs and Mark Breland, the all were promoted by Main Events.

Professional

In 1984 he became a professional at lightweight and defeated in the twelfth battle in 1986 the world-class man Harold Brazier. He then punched draw against another Olympic gold medalist ( 1976 ) Howard Davis.

Some more wins then earned him a title shot in the welterweight. On September 3, 1988 he succeeded against Buddy McGirt in the fight for the IBF title in the twelfth and final round, a technical knockout, his only major knockout success.

On March 17, 1990, it was by far the most famous fight of his career when he took in a unification bout against unbeaten Mexican WBC titleholder Julio Cesar Chavez. After an action-packed fight Taylor was dramatic and controversial in the last round two seconds before the end of the fight KO. He was on the point slips forward. His " weak chin " was, especially in the context of an inappropriately aggressive leadership struggle but always a problem in Taylor's career.

In 1991 he won the WBA welterweight title against his unbeaten compatriot Aaron Davis, but this was the last fight of his career, for which he received good reviews. All following title defenses were hard-fought, he narrowly won against the Venezuelan Luis Garcia, was against Glenwood Brown twice on the ground. A class higher against Terry Norris in 1992 he went kurzrundig KO, he lost his welterweight title in the same year against the unknown Venezuelan Crisanto España by technical knockout in the eighth round. He was never world class.

1994, there was far too late for rematch with Chávez, which this clearly won by KO. Taylor punched a few more years, but was only a shadow of himself, his last fight, he played in 2002.