Jermain Taylor
 Jermain TaylorBoxingInsider.com Exclusive Biofile Published by Scoop Malinowski Last Updated on April 14th, 2008 | Options:  Print This Article  Email This Article  RSS |
Status: Middleweight champion made his second successful title defense on Saturday night by drawing with Winky Wright.
Childhood Heroes: “Childhood heroes? I’m not gonna say I had any childhood heroes. But I loved boxing! Try to take a little bit from everybody.”
Hobbies/Interests: “I love going to the movies. I go to the movies by myself because I don’t like bringin’ nobody because they, you know, talk during the movie and mess the movie up [smiles]. I love movies. (Any thing like golf or tennis?) Yeah, I tried golf, man, tried golf – just wasn’t for me. Tried tennis – that wasn’t for me either. Matter of fact, I tried almost every sport…wasn’t for me [smiles]. Except for boxing.”
Nicknames: “Oh, I’ve been called…as a child I used to stutter real bad. Real bad. I still stutter, but not as bad. So they used to call me Akookoo boy [laughs]. What else did they used to call me…just all kinds of nicknames. I never been called anything too bad.”
Favorite Movies: “My favorite movie…I’m gonna say…just between me and you [smiles] – Titanic. Titanic was my favorite movie. And I still watch the movie to this day. Love it.”
Favorite TV Shows: “I like Fresh Prince. I love Martin. I also like Friends – they’re crazy. Everybody Loves Raymond is funny.”
Musical Tastes: “I love country music. I’m a huge country music fan…Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, all of ‘em, The Dixie Chicks – they
good too. I love ‘em all.”
Early Boxing Memory: “I remember beating my coach’s son. He was boxing before then quit for a while. Then he came back. I could remember that feeling.”
First Job: “Was construction. I used to work out there with my coach (age 14). Had me out there, used to pitch the bricks and come in with the wheel barrows of mud. He didn’t have me doing anything too bad.”
First Car: “A brown Buick Century. Man, I loved it back then. My coach bought it for me. I guess that’s all he could give me [smiles]. I don’t think it ever ran [laughs].”
Favorite Meal: “I’m gonna say chicken and dressing with a little greens, sweet potatoes, hot water cornbread. Bam, if you give me that, you got me.”
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “I love Cap’n Crunch.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “I like vanilla. I love vanilla.”
Pre-Fight Feeling: “I’m thinking about just everything working on me – my arms and
stuff, I’m loose, I’m ready to go. I’m in shape. And I can’t wait to go in there and fight.”
Greatest Sports Moment(s): “Beating Bernard Hopkins. When they said, …And NEW! And the Olympics. The Olympic Opening Ceremonies. I felt like a king.”
Most Painful Moment: “When I lost in the Olympics. That was the most painful. Because I knew I was gonna win the gold, I just knew it.”
Favorite Boxers To Watch: “I watch ‘em all. I don’t have a favorite. I like ‘em all.”
Funny Boxing Memory: “My coach had a boxer and he was up in the ring and he’d be doing good. But as soon as he started losing, he’d look over at the corner. ‘Cause he ready to stop. And as soon as he looked over there, you know that means he’s gonna quit [laughs]. So that was funny. Every fight he’d look over there and… [laughter].”
Favorite Vacation Spot: “Cancun, Mexico.”
Childhood Dream: “I love to fix cars. Always wanted to be a mechanic. That was always my love – to fix anything…a toaster, your microphone, anything. It didn’t make a difference.”
Embarrassing Boxing Memory: “Yeah, I got an embarrassing moment. I thought I lost a fight one time. So I was up there crying and, you know, they called my name. Man! (They said you won?) Yeah [laughs]! I knew I had lost. And man, it was the most embarrassing moment in boxing. (Where was that at?) Where was that, coach? (Cleveland, Golden Gloves). I thought for sure I lost. That boy, I know he won. (What year?) I don’t know. Mike Tyson was there in the crowd.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “I love a good person. A good-hearted person. Not with a bad thought in their head. Just real good people, that make me feel comfortable when I’m around them.”
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