11.12.06 – By Frank Gonzalez Jr. Sharkie’s Machine – Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor improved his record to 27-0-1, 17 KO’s after successfully controlling the action and scoring the better punches over rookie Middleweight and seasoned veteran Contender, Kassim “The Dream” Ouma (25-3-1, 15 KO’s). The fight took place in Taylor’s hometown of Little Rock, where the Arkansan pugilist wanted to impress his fans with a knockout victory. He hasn’t KO’d anyone in two years now and as Taylor suggested before the fight, its about that time. Taylor won practically every round but failed to get the KO in a fight that was competitive to the end.
Taylor began the fight like a Tasmanian devil possessed with the idea of a quick knockout. He was so wild that at times, he was off balance. Kassim Ouma is no pushover and though Taylor won rounds, he wasted a lot of energy with the pace he employed early on.
Flawed as that strategy seemed it did force Ouma to reduce his offensive output and not throw the volume of punches he normally does. Considering Taylor’s strength, it was too dangerous to be too open too often to Taylor’s right hand. For all his heart and grit, Ouma did get rocked quite a few times but he always sucked it up and kept coming forward.
I gave Ouma the fifth round but knew it was only because of the ferocious effort he unleashed in that round. Even at his best, he couldn’t hurt Taylor.
Midway into the fight, Taylor suffered a cut on the outside of his left eye. Ouma managed to massage that cut with pity pat punches throughout the match but Ouma’s lack of punching power was ultimately the deciding factor in this fight. Taylor knew he couldn’t hurt him and showed no regard for Ouma’s offense, happily exchanging with him and winning the clashes.
Taylor has a lot of spirit but his boxing skills are still far from polished, even with superstar trainer Manny Stewart in his corner. To his credit, Taylor can follow instructions, and when Manny said, “Shoot the upper cut!” Taylor took heed, executed the order with speed and rocked Ouma accordingly. Sometimes, boxing skills beat strength, sometimes strength over
powers good boxing skills. Taylor’s size, power, conditioning and bad intentions proved the winning formula against the smaller Ouma, who showed a hell of a chin, taking a good deal of flush punches from Taylor during unrelenting 12 rounds.
Taylor dominated the action with cleaner punching. Though he didn’t score a knockout, takes little away from the fact that Taylor is a hell of a “fighter.” He may lack the smooth flowing skills of a Bernard Hopkins or Winky Wright, but Taylor has a heart like a lion in the ring. His offense is his defense, as he back peddles aggressively and counter punches with authority.
Taylor has a pretty good chin too. Basically, he’s a brawler with common sense. He’s far more exciting to watch than Hopkins or Wright, who win decisions with technical expertise that rival the excitement of watching paint dry. Expect Jermain’s defensive skills to improve along the way. He’s only 28-years old and still approaching his prime. His wealth of experience
after fighting two great boxers in Hopkins and Wright will keep paying dividends for the remainder of his career.
Styles make fights and Kassim Ouma had a too tough an assignment in challenging the Champion Taylor in his first fight at Middleweight. Ouma gave a respectable effort as he always pressed the action and kept a range close enough to reduce the effect of Taylor’s power. Unfortunately for Ouma, he was unable to hurt Taylor or stop Taylor from catching him so frequently.
Taylor always beat him to the punch and landed the stronger shots, particularly with his right hand. Ouma’s lack of power and Taylor’s strength proved a losing combination for Kassim, who appears to have lost something in his move up to the 160-pound division.
Just a few months ago, in August of 2006, Kassim “The Dream” Ouma was fighting at Jr. Middleweight. A few months later, he moved up to Middleweight and immediately got a shot at Jermain Taylor’s WBA, WBC and WBO Titles. I don’t understand the logic in that.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m a huge fan of Ouma, who’s best known for throwing upwards of a thousand punches a fight. I sympathize with his personal story of overcoming harsh conditions during his childhood in Uganda, from which he defected and evolved into a successful prizefighter with an address in the US of A. But that aside, what justifies Kassim Ouma getting a title shot in his first fight at 160?
The Middleweight division isn’t very well stocked with exciting name brand fighters these days, but if boxing is a sport, why does it not behave like other sports, where you have to earn your way to the top?
Imagine if, after winning the Superbowl in January, the Pittsburgh Steelers were allowed to hand pick what teams they’d play next season? If they hand picked whom they’d play this year, they’d probably be on their way to being labeled as one of the best Football teams this season. Instead, because of a legitimate rankings system in Pro Football, the Steelers of 2006 are little more than a mediocre-ranked team this season that won’t be going to the playoffs let alone the Superbowl.
The question for those who administer the fight game is, what about all the top contenders at 160, who worked their way up the ladder and were bypassed? This casts no aspersions on Taylor or any of the fighters, but on a rankings system that fails to produce undisputed Champions. By comparison with other all other sports, boxing is an, ‘exhibition event,’ instead of a legitimate sport, where merit decides who competes against who and the best fighters have to EARN their way to the top in the quest to determine who is the true Champion, of which there can only be ONE.
Taylor vs. Ouma turned out to be entertaining in spite of the politics, as Ouma’s spirited effort kept the one-sided fight fairly entertaining for all of 12 rounds.
In the end, the six foot one inch Taylor was gracious, crediting Ouma (five foot eight inches) with being a “tough little guy.” He humbly admitted that his wild start sapped him of energy. With good training, Taylor will only get better. He has a good attitude and is a good ambassador for the sport.
Kassim Ouma sported an, “I love Larry Merchant” hat after the fight. Ouma has a good humor and deserves a lot of respect. He’s probably better off going back to the 154-pound division, where he will not be considered, “a tough little guy.” As for loving Larry Merchant, aside from his regular irrelevant meanderings, he does ask the tough questions while interviewing
fighters that too many other ringside reporters wouldn’t dare. In this era of backside kissing journalism, you gotta love him for that.
If Taylor has any plans to fight Super Middleweight Champion Joe Calzaghe next year, he better fine-tune his defensive skills and work on his discipline. Calzaghe may be under rated in some circles but he is a very skillful boxer with an aggressive demeanor in the ring. Calzaghe being at the twilight of his career and Taylor’s blunt boxing skills could put them even at the gate come round one.
Taylor may not pack the biggest punch, but he has enough power and an impressive enough work rate to beat fighters with better boxing skills then he may ever have.
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