Congrats to Taylor the new Middleweight Champion*

[Lanny]

nm

[hogsgrl09]

OMG what a fight! i almost cried bc i was so happy!

i hated how the announcers ended the show......jermain won it fair and square and deserved it! hopkins lost!

[Bomis Hawg]

Awesome night.  Great to see Jermain with the belts.  I agree with everyone else that the "split-decision" scared me, but Jermain came out on top!

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[Fletch]

A very good fight. A little scary at the end. The old saying "you have to beat the champ" made me a little nervous as to how the decision would go.

[WindyCityHog]

Taylor won the fight......and I'm sure there will be a rematch.

They were calling the Hogs prefight.....I have a voice mail from someone who was there.....

Arkansas backwardsarse beats a streetwise tough guy from Philly.....Hopkins had defended his title 20 staright times.....best fighter pound-for-pound?  Taylor.....he owns that title now.

[Drite]

Im biased, but Im also being honest...the decision was right...both Taylor and Hoplins had a gameplan and Taylors just worked better.

Further, I dont think Hopkins can beat him in a rematch now that Taylor knows what he is up against.

Great fight.

[3kgthog]

I did not say a word the entire night........until Buffer read the first judge's scorecard of 116-112. That one had me dumbfounded.  Of course then after the last two were announced I felt a feeling I hadn't felt since the Miracle on Markham. What a great night to be an Arkansan. Even the fine as hell Cindy Brunson on ESPNEWS loves that "Arkansas drawl." 

The only guy I'm afraid for Jermain to face is Winky Wright. That guy is good and probably could've beaten Hopkins tonight as well.

[Whataboar™]

Folks! I am one proud Arkansan right now.
Little Rock's Jermaine Taylor, undisputed middleweight champion of the world.
Doesn't that have a great ring to it?!!
And it couldn't happen to a more deserving or nicer young man.
I'm not too proud to say I had tears in my eyes when Michael Buffer read the decision.
I'd been saying a silent prayer ever since the 10th round that Jermaine could hang on for the victory.
There's no doubt Jermaine won the fight, despite Hopkins' contention otherwise.
With that said, I still found myself feeling as though the better fighter hadn't won.
Once again, Jermaine clearly won the bout on points.
However, I'm concerned that had Hopkins begun pressing Jermaine earlier, things would have been different.
Once Hopkins got off his rear and started throwing punches, Jermaine reacted quite amateurishly at times -- throwing long, looping, sometimes wild right hands and leaving himself out of position on numerous occasions.
I'd been concerned all along that Jermaine hadn't truly been tested entering the biggest fight of his career.
When I say "tested,'' I mean he hadn't been hurt by anyone to show how he would react.
Hopkins stung Jermaine several times between the 10th and 12th rounds, revealing that Jermaine, while having the presence of mind to hold Hopkins, looked like anything but a seasoned professional.
Granted, Jermaine will learn much from this experience. And, no doubt, trainer Pat Burns will break down the tape second by second to work on Jermaine's weaknesses.
I'm just a little more than worried that in the rematch, Hopkins won't make the same mistake and wait too long to start pressing Jermaine.
And I'm afraid that if Hopkins DOES begin attacking sooner, he stands a good chance of either stopping Jermaine or knocking him out.
I wish I didn't feel that way ... but I do.
In the meantime, Hopkins, who has no one to blame for the loss but himself, will hopefully age like a muther and let the defeat eat away at his fragile ego, thereby leaving him a broken, bitter wisp of his former self.
OK! OK! You can't blame a guy for wishing.
Congrats, Jermaine! You're a class act and a wonderful ambassador for the state of Arkansas.
And good luck in the rematch. 

[Lando Calrissian]

http://www.hogville.net/yabbse/index.php?topic=22348.0

[maniax22bolts20]

From todays Las Vegas Review-Journal :

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Jul-17-Sun-2005/sports/26896874.html

Joe Hawk is eating roast crow for breakfast.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Jul-17-Sun-2005/sports/26895791.html

Philly reaction upcoming.

[maniax22bolts20]

Philadelphia Inquirer: You may have to sign up

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/12153541.htm

[toshortrock]

u always cry and make excuses when u lose

[Bomis Hawg]

It's good to wake up and hear Stephen A. Smith's loudmouth saying that Hopkins was robbed and they "wanted him stripped of the title."  He also said that Hopkins won 1 or 2 of the early rounds and like the last 5-6.  Crazyness.

[Hogz87]

I've never been a huge boxing fan, I liked it just never got into it.  I had planned on watching this fight but my job kept me from it.  However just reading about this and hearing about all the hype and how great a fight it was I can't wait for the rematch!

[Bomis Hawg]

For those, like myself, that did not see the fight, HBO is going to air their delayed replay of this on Saturday.  They always do this with their PPV fights, much like Showtime did/does.

The date is Saturday, July 23.  Time is going to be a 9:15 PM. 

[#9man]

yep jermaine taylor is da man

[Big Papa Satan]

It's good to wake up and hear Stephen A. Smith's loudmouth saying that Hopkins was robbed and they "wanted him stripped of the title."  He also said that Hopkins won 1 or 2 of the early rounds and like the last 5-6.  Crazyness.

I've been waiting for someone to break Stephen Assmaggot Smith's jaw for quite some time now.  He's up there with Trev Alberts in terms of jackassery.

[WindyCityHog]

Smith is a Jim Rome-wannabe.....if that's actually something to aspire to be

Big mouth....no substance.  ESPN is rapidly becoming the home of loudmouthed blowhards with NO talent....At least Berman and Vitale look natural when they're spraying their blowholes.  Smith?  It's obviously contrived....

[Bomis Hawg]

Stephen A. Smith is Trev Alberts with talent.  Alberts is just an idiot.  Smith is also, but he has some knowledge of hoops.  Boxing or anything else?  Doubtful.  Hopkins is a Philly boy, so is Smith.  The town would probably riot against him if he didn't take up for Hopkins (not saying that would be a bad thing).  Frick the haters.  Taylor is the new champ!

[bigred7987]

while i agree about these idiotic sports writers...How many of us could survive without SportsCenter???

[WindyCityHog]

You seriously believe Chris Mortensen is "advertising" for Arkansas?  He's a pro analyst, not college....

I seriously doubt anyone cares where his son is attending college.....IF Alex becomes something special here.....maybe....but it means beans otherwise.

[BushHawg]

Wow!  I just got watching the fight all over again.  I'll just start by saying that anyone who wants to say that Hopkins got screwed needs to kiss my behind because he's lucky to have been given the rounds that he was.  Most scorecards gave him the 5th, and 9-12.  After watching it again I'd say 11 could have gone to Taylor and 12 could have gone either way.

Bottom line is B-Hop stood back, ducked, ran, and held the whole fight until the end and then thinks he won it because he landed a few right hand counters.

Jermain outworked him, he deserves this Championship and I couldn't be happier about it.  When I heard split-decision I just thought I can't believe that Hopkins is going to win this decision on benefit of the doubt alone.  Then I heard "AND NEW"!!!!!

Thanks to all the Arkies who made it out to Vegas.  I wish I could have gone.  You made a good showing on TV.  By the way I love Taylor's Arkansas trunks.

Enough of my rambling.  Here's to Jermain!!!