Professional career Meldrick Taylor

over next 18 months, taylor won 4 more fights, setting unification bout wbc light welterweight champion julio césar chávez on march 17, 1990 in las vegas. chavez had aura of invincibility, considered best fighter pound pound in world , 1 of dangerous fighters in sport. fight drew huge media attention, both men came in unbeaten (taylor @ 24-0-1 , chávez @ 68-0), , regarded 2 of best boxers in world, regardless of weight class. fight 1 of famous , controversial bouts in boxing history.

taylor took control of action , began build lead on scorecards. however, chávez proved heavier puncher, , wearing taylor down lost rounds. going 12th , final round, taylor led wide margins on 2 of 3 scorecards, , corner famously told him needed win round. because of this, taylor chose continue fighting @ close quarters hard-hitting mexican champion. chávez, realizing time running out, came @ taylor aggressively in last round. 17 seconds left in fight, chávez floored taylor. taylor beat 10-count , got feet @ six. referee richard steele twice asked taylor, ok? taylor did not respond , looked @ corner. steele waved fight off 2 seconds left, awarding chávez win tko.

the controversy surrounding stoppage continues day, , 10 years later, ring proclaimed fight of decade .

many boxing fans believe taylor ruined fighter because of bout—due in part tremendous punishment taken @ hands of chavez, including several fractures , kidney damage (according hbo legendary nights episode mentioned before, taken hospital after chavez bout—reportedly urinating blood.)

wba welterweight champion

taylor had lost title, not desire. feeling having make 140 pound (64 kg) weight had weakened him against chavez, taylor moved welterweight (147 pounds) , decisioned undefeated aaron davis wba welterweight title on january 19, 1991. issued challenge chávez rematch @ 147 pounds, latter wouldn t move in weight many years. taylor won 3 more fights before answering challenge world junior middleweight champion terry norris fight norris wbc title. norris, naturally bigger , stronger man, knocked taylor out in fourth round.

this marked end of taylor s career world-class fighter; lost welterweight crown undefeated challenger crisanto españa in next fight on halloween night in 1992. taylor won following 3 fights, including second-round knockout on number 4 ranked welterweight chad broussard. got 1 more title shot, against chávez on september 17, 1994 in las vegas, but, years removed prime, stopped chávez in eighth round. fight competitive, taylor getting off fast start. after brutal sixth round, taylor s legs became rubbery , stopped 2 rounds later. fought off , on over next 8 years, winning fights , losing others, before retiring in 2002. finished record of 38-8-1, (20 kos).

during episode of hbo s legendary nights in 2003, interview taylor shown, in speech slurred , difficult understand. many viewers shocked , disturbed when heard way taylor speaks. indeed, episode implicitly attributed pugilistic dementia—mentioning, time , again, how taylor past prime fighter.

meldrick taylor has written autobiography, titled 2 seconds glory.