Meldrick Taylor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Meldrick Taylor |
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| Height | 5 ft 7+1/2 in | |||||||||||||
| Reach | 66 in | |||||||||||||
| Born | October 19, 1966 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 47 | |||||||||||||
| Wins | 38 | |||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 20 | |||||||||||||
| Losses | 8 | |||||||||||||
| Draws | 1 | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Meldrick Taylor (born October 19, 1966) is an American former professional boxer. He competed from 1984 to 2002. Meldrick was a world champion in two different boxing weight classes. He held the IBF junior welterweight title from 1988 to 1990. He also held the WBA welterweight title from 1991 to 1992. Before becoming a professional, Taylor won a gold medal in the featherweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
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Meldrick Taylor's Amateur Boxing Career
Meldrick Taylor grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a city known for its boxing champions. He learned to box in local gyms. As an amateur fighter, he had an impressive record of 99 wins and only 4 losses.
In 1984, when he was just 17 years old, Taylor earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. He went on to win the gold medal in the featherweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics. After his big win, he decided to become a professional boxer.
1984 Olympic Boxing Results
At the 1984 Olympics, Meldrick Taylor showed his skill by winning all his fights.
- He defeated Nicolae Talpos from Romania.
- He beat Francisco Camacho from Mexico.
- He won against John Wanjau from Kenya.
- He defeated Omar Catari from Venezuela in the semifinal.
- In the final, he won against Peter Konyegwachie from Nigeria, earning the gold medal.
Before the Olympics, Taylor had to fight in the American Olympic trials. He lost once to Andrew Minsker. But Taylor then beat Minsker twice to secure his spot on the Olympic team.
Meldrick Taylor's Professional Boxing Career
Meldrick Taylor started his professional career in 1984. His first fights were against less experienced boxers. But in his 12th fight, in May 1986, he won against Harold Brazier. This win helped him move up in the world rankings.
On September 3, 1988, Taylor fought James "Buddy" McGirt for the IBF light welterweight title. Taylor won the fight by a technical knockout (TKO) in the 12th and final round. This was the start of his first championship reign. A TKO happens when the referee stops the fight because one boxer cannot continue safely.
Taylor vs. Chávez: A Famous Fight
Over the next 18 months, Taylor won four more fights. This led to a huge match against Julio César Chávez on March 17, 1990, in Las Vegas. Chávez was the WBC light welterweight champion. Many people thought Chávez was the best boxer in the world at the time.
This fight was very exciting because both boxers were undefeated. Taylor had 24 wins and 1 draw, and Chávez had 66 wins. It became one of the most famous and talked-about fights in boxing history.
Taylor started strong and was ahead on the judges' scorecards. However, Chávez was a very powerful puncher. He slowly wore Taylor down, even though he was losing rounds. Going into the 12th and final round, Taylor was still ahead. But Chávez knew he needed a knockout to win.
With only 17 seconds left in the fight, Chávez knocked Taylor down. Taylor bravely got back to his feet when the referee counted to six. The referee, Richard Steele, asked Taylor if he was okay. Taylor didn't answer and only looked at his corner. Steele then stopped the fight with just two seconds left, giving Chávez the win by TKO.
Many people still debate whether the referee should have stopped the fight. The Ring magazine later called it the "Fight of the Decade." Many boxing fans believe this tough fight affected Taylor's career because of the many hits he took.
Winning Another Title and the Rematch
Even after losing his title, Meldrick Taylor still wanted to fight. He felt that making the 140-pound weight limit had weakened him against Chávez. So, Taylor moved up to the welterweight division (147 pounds).
On January 19, 1991, he defeated undefeated Aaron Davis to win the WBA welterweight title. Taylor then challenged Chávez to a rematch at the new weight. However, Chávez did not move up in weight for many years.
Taylor won three more fights. Then he faced world junior middleweight champion Terry Norris. Norris was naturally bigger and stronger. He knocked Taylor out in the fourth round.
This fight marked the end of Taylor's time as a top-level boxer. He lost his welterweight title to Crisanto España in his next fight in 1992. Taylor won his next three fights, including a knockout win over Chad Broussard.
He got one more chance to fight Chávez on September 17, 1994, in Las Vegas. But Taylor was not as strong as he used to be. Chávez stopped him in the eighth round. Taylor continued to fight on and off for a few more years before retiring in 2002. He finished his career with 38 wins, 8 losses, and 1 draw, with 20 knockouts.
Later in life, Meldrick Taylor's speech was affected. This was due to the many tough fights he had during his career. Meldrick Taylor has also written a book about his life called Two Seconds From Glory.
Personal Life
Meldrick Taylor has a twin brother named Eldrick. Eldrick also tried professional boxing for a short time. Meldrick also has another brother, Myron, who was a professional boxer. Myron Taylor had a record of 29 wins, 9 losses, and one draw. He even fought for a world title once.
Professional Boxing Record Summary
Meldrick Taylor's professional boxing record was:
- Total Fights: 47
- Wins: 38 (20 by knockout)
- Losses: 8 (4 by knockout)
- Draws: 1
See also
In Spanish: Meldrick Taylor para niños
