Jermain Taylor Beats Game Sam Soliman on ESPN2

MONDAY UPDATE: Sam Soliman attorney Kurt Emhoff told TSS that the Aussie has a prelimary diagnosis of a grade 2 MCL sprain. And, was that present going in to the fight? Did he consider withdrawing? “The knee was a little sore in training but it definitely wasn’t a grade 2,” Emhoff said. “He was throwing roundhouse kicks with it while he was hitting the pads. He definitely messed it up in the fight.”

Jermain Taylor regained the middleweight championship he held a lifetime ago, back when the nickname “Bad Intentions” wasn’t such an invitation to delve into out of the ring missteps. The 36-year-old Alabaman mentally weathered, apparently, the shooting charge hanging over his head, and won a UD12 over Australian Sam Soliman, on ESPN2. The scores were 116-111, 115-109, 116-109, and the Aussie, who dropped his IBF strap, get points for his grit. Down he went in rounds 7,8,9 and 11, because his left leg was hurt in round eight.

Soliman came to the ring with a massive grin but the first couple rounds brought joy to no one watching, save for a narcoleptic, who maybe nodded off, checked Twitter, and was pleased he didn’t miss anything. JT looked to land the jab, then the two, and both got too clinch-y. Soliman feinted, dipped, herkied, jerked, but wasn’t throwing enough. Soliman wanted to land a power right, but JT still has some reflexes and didn’t get nailed because he’s shot.

Taylor looked decent in the sixth, and kept on keep Soliman at bay with feints. In the seventh, Soliman hit the deck, off a sweeping left hook. It was a balance thing, he wasn’t buzzed. JT buckled SS at the bell.

In the eighth, Soliman hurt his left leg. He slipped, while clinching, and then came up limp-y. He went down when his leg buckled, with 1:30 left. In the ninth, Soliman was clearly impacted by the left leg issue. Soliman went to the mat again off a right hand, because he was limping. At this point, the ref and the doc should have at least discussed pulling the plug on the bout…And bang, they listened, and the doc signed off on it. Soliman showed vociferously that his leg was fine, showing the world that he is a game guy.

In the tenth, Soliman did as well as expected with one good peg. He went down in the 11th and all had to be impressed he made it to the final bell.

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