Eric Knopsnyder
The Tribune-Democrat
JOHNSTOWN —
The next pro boxing event in Johnstown might be held in a ballroom, but don't expect any dancing.
Fans better be ready for a TaylorMade War.
Johnstown’s Andres “TaylorMade” Taylor
(14-1-1, 6 KOs) will defend his World Boxing Foundation All Americas cruiserweight title on June 10 at the Pasquerilla Conference Center. A successful title defense would enable Taylor to fight for the vacant world title, so Taylor has plenty of motivation.
“I’m right on track,” Taylor said Tuesday during a press conference in his Hornerstown gym.
“Everything is going right on schedule. Now, after making this last title defense, being eligible to fight for a world title, everything is definitely going in my favor. I’m really excited. Really excited.”
Rayco “War” Saunders is the co-main event on the six-fight card. The WBF light heavyweight champion recently signed with Roy Jones Jr.
Morgan Fritz of Pittsburgh will be making his pro debut at the event, but Taylor is in no doubt about the headliner. This will be Taylor’s fifth fight in Johnstown, although it’s his first outside of Cambria County War Memorial Arena.
“It’s nothing to do with the War Memorial, we just wanted to give the fans more of a ballroom setting,” Taylor said. “It brings the fans in closer.
“It makes them a part of the show, a little bit.
“The War Memorial is a little bit too big right now.”
If Taylor is able to get a world title fight
– which he said he’d love to bring to Johnstown – the War Memorial might be the right fit. But first, Taylor will need to win on June 10, although he wouldn’t reveal his opponent.
“Right now, I can’t say who he is, because he didn’t sign the contract,” Taylor said. “But I know who he is.”
Taylor said that his opponent had beaten the WBF intercontinental champion in October. Paul Jennette, a 41-year-old from Greensboro, N.C., scored a split decision over former champ Zack Mwekassa of South Africa seven months ago.
Taylor would not confirm if Jennette (11-3, 8 KOs) was his opponent, but there already appears to be bad blood between the Johnstown fighter and his prospective opponent.
“They had me on a phone conference on Sunday with my opponent, me and the head of the WBF,” Taylor said. “Basically, my opponent was bad mouthing me in a way. He beat the intercontinental champion. He's upset that he has to come back, I guess, and fight a lesser opponent - fighting the Americas champion to be eligible for the world title. He was basically saying I'm from Johnstown, 'Where's Johnstown? What's Johnstown?' ”
Taylor has faced such criticism before, specifically from Simon Carr, the Philadelphia fighter that Taylor beat by technical knockout at the War Memorial a little more than a year ago.
“I basically told him, like I told Simon Carr, it's not where you're from, it's where you're at,” Taylor said. “He's going to be in my back yard come June 10, and he's going to be fighting for my title. Come June 10, he's not going to be eligible for the world title any more.”
The verbal jabs didn't stop there, according to Taylor.
“He said I can't fight,” Taylor recalled. “ 'Who's TaylorMade? He can't fight. He can't beat me.' He was like, 'I'll be impressed if he makes it to the third round.' Basically, he said he's going to knock me out. … I'm from a household of seven brothers and sisters, raised in the projects, one parent. I've been fighting well before I laced up those gloves. There's nothing he can do to me that I ain't never seen before. He better be ready for a fight, because, believe me, I'm ready to put it on him.”
Taylor just fought on Friday night, beating Chris Thomas by unanimous decision, but said fighting again three weeks later shouldn't be a problem.
“As you can see, I'm still looking pretty,” Taylor said with a laugh. “No marks. It was a tough fight. He was a tough guy. … It wasn't an easy fight, but I went in there and did what I had to do.”
He'll look to do the same on June 10.
