BY ERIC KN0PSNYDER
JOHNSTOWN — When Andres “Taylor Made” Taylor steps back into the ring tonight in Pittsburgh he will be linked to one of the biggest names in boxing history.
The Johnstown native will fight William “The Storm” Bailey in a card being promoted by eight-time world champion Roy Jones Jr.
The card, which begins at
7 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel, has co-main events. Taylor shares top billing with Rayco “War” Saunders.
Taylor, who was a late addition to the card, said that Jones Jr. personally made sure that Taylor was involved.
“I was supposed to be on the card two months ago, but politics played into it,” Taylor said.
“Roy Jones Jr. found out I wasn’t and said ‘put Andres on the card.’ ”
Having that kind of support from Jones Jr. was a big step for Taylor, who is the World Boxing Federation’s All-Americas cruiserweight champion.
“The biggest name in the sport – he’s a legend, a hall of famer – to want you is special,” Taylor said. “I’m blessed with that.”
Taylor (11-1-1, 6 KOs) won’t put his title on the line tonight against Bailey (10-18-2, 5 KOs), but Taylor knows that any time he steps into the ring it’s an important fight.
“He’s a journeyman,” Taylor said of Bailey. “He’s been around. People look at journeymen (negatively), but those are the guys you’ve got to watch out for. They’ve got nothing to lose.
“He’s been around the game for years. All his losses ain’t to bums. You never know which guy’s coming – the William Bailey that lost those (18) fights or the one that won those (10) fights. Those guys make the sport. Guys like me have to go out there and work, and they help us move up to the next level.”
Bailey, who fights out of Chesapeake, Va., has lost his past two fights and four out of his past five.
This will be Taylor’s first pro fight in Pittsburgh, and he’s excited to showcase his skills in a big metropolitan area.
“It’s great to be fighting in a city,” he said. “We’re bringing out like 100 fans. They’re going to convert another 1,000 fans in Pittsburgh into Taylor Made fans.”
Taylor, who last fought on Oct. 31 at Cambria County War Memorial Arena, is ready to get back into the ring.
“Training’s going real well,” he said. “My last few sparring sessions have been great. Looking like a new fighter. I’ve been with Tommy Yankello only eight months now. It’s tough to put in a new system. The last few fights I haven’t felt confident and sure. But now, my last few sparring sessions, I’ve felt really great.”
Taylor is scheduled to fight again on Feb. 20 as part of a boxing/mixed martial arts card in Altoona.
