madjack
12-04-2003, 01:33 AM
Taylor held to boxing draw
April 11, 2003
SHANNAN TAYLOR was taken the full 12 rounds distance for the first time in his professional boxing career tonight when he won his second national title 10 years after his first.
World ranked junior middleweight Taylor won the Australian super middleweight crown with a hard-earned split decision points win over fellow New South Welshman Marc Bargero at Panthers Club, Penrith in western Sydney.
Two judges gave Taylor the bout by margins of two and four points with their colleague seeing it very differently, scoring Bargero a nine-point winner.
The heavier-handed Taylor dominated the early rounds, but Bargero appeared to take most of the last six.
Although he'd landed the heavier blows, Taylor's punches appeared to lack the venom they had as a junior middleweight and his unconvincing performance tonight is likely to see him abandon his attempts to fight world ranked super middleweight Anthony Mundine and return to a lighter division.
Taylor said he would probably head back to junior middleweight after a flat performance which he himself rated "pretty ordinary".
After the fight Taylor mentioned he had broken his right hand sparring three weeks ago and said the suspended sentence he received from the Boxing Authority of NSW last week had made him scared of trying to rough up Bargero.
Taylor received the suspended sentence for his volatile behavior after his first bout with Bargero at the same venue in February ended in a technical draw.
"I was scared to get in there and work because of the suspended sentence. I think I boxed alright, I thought I maybe dropped three or four rounds," said Taylor.
"I've got to go back down to junior middleweight," added Taylor, who is ranked no.10 in the World Boxing Association division.
Taylor won his first national title as a junior welterweight in 1993.
Awkward switch-hitter Bargero did his best to confuse Taylor by switching stances and frustrating the `Bulli Blaster' with his holding tactics.
Bargero, a two-time Australian middleweight and super middleweight champion, had no qualms about the decision which judging by the reaction some of the crowd felt he deserved.
"He never hurt me, but I didn't do enough work in the early rounds of the fight," said Bargero who went 12 rounds for the 15th time in his professional career.
"I thought I got the last six rounds, but I will wear the judges decision."
It was a lively, albeit untidy, fight with both boxers slipping to the canvas on several occasions.
Taylor, 30, improved his record to 32 wins and 3 losses while 34-year-old Bargero's log dropped to 32 victories, 11 defeats and three draws.
April 11, 2003
SHANNAN TAYLOR was taken the full 12 rounds distance for the first time in his professional boxing career tonight when he won his second national title 10 years after his first.
World ranked junior middleweight Taylor won the Australian super middleweight crown with a hard-earned split decision points win over fellow New South Welshman Marc Bargero at Panthers Club, Penrith in western Sydney.
Two judges gave Taylor the bout by margins of two and four points with their colleague seeing it very differently, scoring Bargero a nine-point winner.
The heavier-handed Taylor dominated the early rounds, but Bargero appeared to take most of the last six.
Although he'd landed the heavier blows, Taylor's punches appeared to lack the venom they had as a junior middleweight and his unconvincing performance tonight is likely to see him abandon his attempts to fight world ranked super middleweight Anthony Mundine and return to a lighter division.
Taylor said he would probably head back to junior middleweight after a flat performance which he himself rated "pretty ordinary".
After the fight Taylor mentioned he had broken his right hand sparring three weeks ago and said the suspended sentence he received from the Boxing Authority of NSW last week had made him scared of trying to rough up Bargero.
Taylor received the suspended sentence for his volatile behavior after his first bout with Bargero at the same venue in February ended in a technical draw.
"I was scared to get in there and work because of the suspended sentence. I think I boxed alright, I thought I maybe dropped three or four rounds," said Taylor.
"I've got to go back down to junior middleweight," added Taylor, who is ranked no.10 in the World Boxing Association division.
Taylor won his first national title as a junior welterweight in 1993.
Awkward switch-hitter Bargero did his best to confuse Taylor by switching stances and frustrating the `Bulli Blaster' with his holding tactics.
Bargero, a two-time Australian middleweight and super middleweight champion, had no qualms about the decision which judging by the reaction some of the crowd felt he deserved.
"He never hurt me, but I didn't do enough work in the early rounds of the fight," said Bargero who went 12 rounds for the 15th time in his professional career.
"I thought I got the last six rounds, but I will wear the judges decision."
It was a lively, albeit untidy, fight with both boxers slipping to the canvas on several occasions.
Taylor, 30, improved his record to 32 wins and 3 losses while 34-year-old Bargero's log dropped to 32 victories, 11 defeats and three draws.