By Ant Evans: Defending World Middleweight Champion Jermain Taylor cut a menacing figure as he weighed in at 160lbs in Memphis Friday afternoon. The champ's body looked as though composed of twisted steel and there was a razor sharp air of confidence about him.
Meanwhile challenger Ronald 'Winky' Wright, who scaled 159.2lbs, also looked composed but some neutral observers believed they detected something in Wright's demeanour which suggested he is not as confident than the champion.
Taylor's promoter, Lou DiBella, has a theory as to why.
He explained that actual weigh-in took place at 1:30pm in the fight hotel and the 'public' weigh-in on Memphis's famous Beale Street at 5:00pm was purely for promotional purposes.
And DiBella said: "I don't know what they weighed in at 5 o'clock but it was obvious to everyone that Jermain was MUCH bigger than Wright was already. Winky is going to know what it is to fight a legitimate middleweight tomorrow night."
DiBella also noted that a lot of observers (and you can include this one) who originally selected Wright to win were now pluming for the champion. Again, DiBella was forthcoming with an explanation.
"They probably realised they were wrong in the first place," he joked. "But people saw last week when (Bernard) Hopkins literally beat the snot out of Antonio Tarver that Jermain didn't beat a shot Hopkins.
"People underestimated just how great a fighter Jermain beat in those two fights last year. They were two great performances by Jermain to beat Hopkins, they just weren't great fights."
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I won't get any credit if Taylor wins b/c of the very early wager at a great #. And I refuse to post a play on a guy at -130 when half of my cash is booked at +140.
However...its becoming very clear to me that Taylor's size, youth, power, and talent will be too much for the more skilled and more tech sound Wright. Taylor has a substancial height, reach, weight, and age advantage here.
Lets just say my play on Wright by decison is now a hedge with Taylor straight-up as the main play.
gl bl
