According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Jermain Taylor has pulled out of Showtime’s Super Six Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic.
Taylor was due to face super middleweight titleholder Andre Ward in the second stage of the modified round-robin tournament on April 17.
“I’m going to take some time off from the sport of boxing and take myself out of [the] Showtime Sports World Boxing Classic tournament,” Taylor said in a statement. “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.”
Taylor’s promoter Lou DiBella was pleased that Taylor took his advice and withdrew from the tournament.
“I know it must have been a difficult decision for Jermain and I’m very happy for him and his family that he decided to give himself a much-needed break,” DiBella told ESPN.com.
Behind the scenes Taylor’s manager, Al Haymon, had been working with Showtime on a buyout of Taylor’s remaining tournament fights. It is unclear what sort of deal they reached, if any, before Taylor’s announcement.
“This was not an easy decision for me, having discussed it with my family, trainer [Ozell Nelson], friends and my adviser, Al Haymon, because I’m a very competitive person. But I know this is the smart road for me to take,” Taylor said. “I want to thank Showtime Sports for everything and I wish the best for my five counterparts who will continue on in the Super Six tournament. Most of all, I want to thank the many fans for their continued support.”
Taylor’s replacement is likely to be the winner of a fight between Sakio Bika (28-3-2, 19 KOs), champion of the 2007 “Contender” tournament, and Allan Green (29-1, 20 KOs). Their handlers are working to finalize a fight between the two for Feb. 5 on Showtime’s “ShoBox” series. DiBella promotes Green and Haymon manages Bika.
Late last week, DiBella told ESPN.com that “Allan has agreed to the fight and Bika and Al Haymon are working on their side.”
If Bika and Green fight to a draw, DiBella said the winner of a coin flip would become the alternate. If an injury forced the fight to be called off, the healthy fighter would get the open spot in the field.
