• Boxing

Jermain Taylor withdraws from Super Six

ESPN.co.uk
January 13, 2010
Jermain Taylor will take a break from the ring © Getty Images
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An exhausted Jermain Taylor has announced his withdrawal from the Super Six World Boxing Classic, the winner of which will claim the WBA and WBC Super Middleweight titles. The 31-year-old insists he will not retire from the sport, however.

Taylor, a former middleweight champion, lost his previous two fights: knockouts against Arthur Abraham - in the first of his Super Six bouts - and Carl Froch. Justifying his exit, Taylor insisted he needed time to recuperate before boxing again.

"I'm going to take some time off from the sport," he said. "It's important that I give my body and mind some much-needed rest, because I have been boxing for nearly 20 years. I plan on keeping myself in shape and making a return to the sport sometime in the future."

The event organisers insist they have a contingency plan to deal with a fighter quitting, although it is unclear who will replace Taylor. The American was due to face Andre Ward on April 17 in the round robin tournament's second leg, which will crown a winner in early 2011.

2000 Olympic bronze medallist Taylor, who has a 28-4 record, enjoyed his finest hour in 2005 when he defeated long-standing middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins by split decision.

Briton Froch is next in Super Six action against Mikkel Kessler in Denmark on April 17. The Nottingham-born fighter won his first fight of the tournament against Andre Dirrell.

© ESPN EMEA LTD
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