Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that former Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor will return to the ring in August after a two year break following a brutal knockout loss to Arthur Abraham.
The report indicated that Taylor will go back to his original trainer Pat Burns.
“I’m training him. We’re working out all the logistics right now about exactly when and where the fight will take place. (Taylor adviser) Al Haymon is working on all of that now,” Burns told ESPN.com Monday. “I will be with Jermain in the next couple of days. We need to get going on the next phase of training, and that’s sparring.”
Multiple sources told ESPN.com that Showtime, which had a contract with Taylor, one of the original participants in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, likely will televise the bout on Aug. 13. It is likely to take place in Taylor’s hometown of Little Rock, Ark., according to sources. No opponent has been selected.
“I like everything I’m seeing, but most important, both neurologists he has seen have given him 100 percent clearance to compete and, based on what I’ve seen, he looks outstanding. He’s very hungry. He has the look he had when he was on the way up.
“He went through a lot and lot of guys would have thrown in the towel, but he has a determination to come back and capture the title, and that’s pretty exciting. I’m glad we were able communicate and work this out. He’s very hungry, which is great to see, and he’s done a lot of maturing.”
Taylor, according to Burns, had extensive neurological tests done in Little Rock as well as at the renowned Mayo Clinic. He said both neurologists received copies of the medical reports from Germany from after the Abraham fight so they could compare test results.
“This has been going on for a little over a year,” Burns said. “When it comes to a concussion there is nothing like time (to allow it to heal). He is still young and we all did a lot of research. The medical reports say he is at no greater risk than any other fighter, otherwise I’m not interested.
“I don’t need the money. I’m very content with the way I’m living my life. But there is a feeling that is itching me — that he can recapture the world title.”
“The first time I saw Jermain he was 197 pounds,” Burns said. “He came down to Miami to see me. He had called me two or three times and I wasn’t showing a whole lot of interest. But Jermain was adamant about it. So he came down and we had some heart to heart discussion about what went down and there was a lot of acknowledgement about what happened from his side.
“I told him that, yes, I was disappointed about what had happened, but I put it in my rearview mirror pretty quick and moved on. I was very disappointed in the way he was being handled by his new trainers and the people he was surrounded with in Little Rock, who were supposed to be the people looking out for him.
“My concern was that he go to a neurologist,” Burns said. “He went to a local one in Little Rock. I advised him to go the Mayo Clinic, which he did about four months ago. His safety is more important to me than anything else. Working with Jermain is going to put money in my pocket, but it won’t change my lifestyle. I need to make sure I can live with myself.
“I later found out that Al Haymon was adamant about him going to the Mayo Clinic also, so we were on the same page, which was great.”
“It was a test to see the commitment and I was very, very pleased with his commitment,” Burns said. “About four weeks ago, he came down and was 170 pounds and left at 164. The other day he was 165. I have someone in Little Rock I trust and that’s what he weighed. He knows there is no room for anything other than honesty.
“He’s doing great. I’ve spoken to Al Haymon, I’ve been in touch with Jermain and his wife about this and he wants to fight, and I’m willing to take this on. In a nutshell, here’s my evaluation: He looks extremely hungry, extremely sharp and all the instincts are there. He looks tremendous. His mental state is great and I sense a real commitment.
Burns said he and Taylor plan to start a full training camp, including sparring, perhaps as soon as next week with the intention of fighting in August. He said all of this is being done with the support of Taylor’s family.
“In Erika, he has a great wife. She had concerns for him and his health and she wanted to make sure he was cleared,” Burns said. “There is life other than boxing. She supported him. She helped facilitate all of the exams Jermain undertook. If she’s happy, that is very important. The people that love him and care about him have to support this for it to be a go. Had there been any doubt, it wouldn’t have happened. And Jermain told me himself, ‘I have to take care of my family and be there for them.’ He wasn’t going to go through any undue risk because he has a family to take care of for a long, long time.”
The move back down to middleweight is something Burns pressed for.
“He should have never been at 168 pounds,” he said. “Not only will he fight at middleweight now, he’ll be able to have a big dinner (the night before the weigh in). None of that killing himself to make weight.
“Nothing replaces hard work. I still have that old marine mentality. I was raised hard. My mother was tough on me. I’m going back to him to make him a world champion again. Let’s see if we can win a few fights and recapture a middleweight title.”
