JERMAIN TAYLOR was always a bit different. The country music-loving 2000 Olympic bronze medallist was polite, quiet, stable, and he had athleticism coupled with a rare natural talent. By 2005 he had the world, and Bernard Hopkins’ world middleweight titles, in his hands.
The Taylor of 2019 is a totally different proposition. Felony after felony piled up over time. Police were called in 2011 when he smashed his mother’s car window.
He shot his cousin, Tyrone DaWayne Hinton, in 2014 while preparing to challenge Sam Soliman for the IBF’s middleweight title. He fired his gun at a Martin Luther Day parade and threatened a family. Then he went to rehab, where he punched fellow patient Jason Isaac Condon, fracturing his skull.