Jermain Taylor and Andre Dirrell Headed to California for Dec. 30 ShoBox

by Scott Christ on Nov 28, 2011 10:04 AM EST in Boxing News Analysis

Jermain Taylor is back on December 30, and Andre Dirrell will be on the same card. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

The comeback double-header featuring Jermain Taylor and Andre Dirrell is headed to the Morongo Casino Resort in Cabazon, Calif., which will air December 30 as a "special" version of Showtime's ShoBox series.

Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KO) will face Maryland club fighter Jessie Nicklow (22-2-3, 8 KO) in the first fight for the former middleweight champion since October 2009, when he was violently knocked out in the 12th round by Arthur Abraham.

Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO) will take on Darryl Cunningham (24-2, 10 KO) in the other headline fight of the evening, which means that a guy from Flint and a guy from Detroit will be fighting each other in a city halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego. Cunningham, 37, was the man who was set to face Kelly Pavlik on ShoBox in August, so I think it's kind of a feel-good story that he'll still get his shot on TV this year.

Dirrell's last fight also came against Abraham, in March 2010, when he was knocked out by a late shot from Abraham, who was disqualified. Following their fights with Abraham, both pulled out of the Super Six, though for very different reasons. (More on that in a minute.)

Neither fight is exactly marquee stuff, and if I wanted to start a whole conversation about the danger of either man's well-being, I might point out that both were set to come back a few months ago, but it was repeatedly delayed on both sides, and that it sure seems convenient that as soon as the Super Six ends, here come these two guys back into boxing, but I won't do that.

I'll just say that I think without the Super Six continuing on, both of these guys probably would have already been back in the ring. Taylor was re-licensed and examined in Nevada a short while back, and questions about the severity of any condition Dirrell may have had have been raised repeatedly, and Team Dirrell did itself no favors with their now-infamous handling of questions on Fight Camp 360:

Taylor is difficult to judge, because it's a legit commission that examined him and found no reason to not give him a new license. And lots of guys have been knocked out bad and fought on and on and on, but we didn't see it on TV. I can't really judge the Taylor situation right now without it being some personal fear of seeing something bad happen, which doesn't take into account much by way of facts.

But I'll just say I have no issues with Dirrell coming back, and no fear that he's in any more danger than any boxer is, and leave it at that.

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my only issue is why Showtime is paying for this

the Shobox budget is small but I’d rather see a featured prospect than these comeback fights. I’m all for either getting their career going again, but take the KO-ing of hobos off TV and they can return when they’re ready to fight legitimate opponents again.

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"Don't nag, flag!"

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Nov 28, 2011 12:46 PM EST reply actions

Or better, just have them face each other in a super six what could have been matchup.

by cyke on Nov 28, 2011 12:54 PM EST up reply actions

When I read the headline, that’s what I thought was going to happen. “Battle of the Concussed”

Bob Arum would promote Lucifer himself if he could put asses in the seats.

by Apprentice on Nov 28, 2011 1:12 PM EST up reply actions

Me too

by tkeithwhite on Nov 28, 2011 2:12 PM EST up reply actions

Stage it in Queens, NY just so that we can call it “Concussions in Flushing!”

by El Destruyo on Nov 28, 2011 2:23 PM EST up reply actions

We all know that Dirrell was faking his anyways.

by tkeithwhite on Nov 28, 2011 2:29 PM EST up reply actions

I’m sure there’s a ‘just like every woman you pretended to sleep with’ insult in there but I’m not going to make it. I would think that Dirrell could have at least taken a get-back fight by now if he really wasn’t injured.

"The bell that tolls for all in boxing belongs to a cash register."
-Bob Verdi

by Waldo Rastel on Nov 28, 2011 4:00 PM EST up reply actions

yup

There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else--James Thurber, 1939

by BoxAnne on Nov 28, 2011 4:44 PM EST up reply actions

Oh yeah, he was for sure injured. I can’t believe so many people had the gall to say otherwise.

by tkeithwhite on Nov 28, 2011 5:53 PM EST up reply actions

Does anyone watch the video up there and really not have questions about the validity of his claims? He whispers for help when the questions get too hard for him, and they’re not even hard questions.

I’m not saying you have to think he’s lying or anything, but you don’t find that whole situation at all strange? The part where the Ward fight had no venue, nobody was training, they were complaining about money, and then suddenly, after months of so many people going “they’re not going to fight, you guys,” the fight is off for medical concerns that SUDDENLY became THAT serious?

In a sport where we’re quick to call bullshit, you don’t think there’s anything weird about any of this?

Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."

by Scott Christ on Nov 28, 2011 9:23 PM EST up reply actions

"Dr. Shaw.......High."

Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."

by Scott Christ on Nov 28, 2011 9:24 PM EST up reply actions

Oh yeah it was weird, but this is also boxing. Weird is kinda the norm.

"The bell that tolls for all in boxing belongs to a cash register."
-Bob Verdi

by Waldo Rastel on Nov 28, 2011 11:37 PM EST up reply actions

No. He was never going to take that fight, he invented a doctor who happened to have his promoter’s name, his entire team was squirrely about the whole thing, and he whispered to grandpa for help, and grandpa demanded no more questions without the lawyer, because they asked him questions he didn’t have a rehearsed answer for. Sorry, but boxing is not weird like that.

Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."

by Scott Christ on Nov 29, 2011 8:41 AM EST up reply actions

I’ve watched this video several times, and see a guy who was cold-cocked while down and instantly and savagely pilloried for it, and is understandably traumatized and unsure of what will be made of what he says no matter what. He’s probably just as damaged by the public ridicule as by the KO, and no, I have no doubt that he was pretty badly injured, in more than one way. And I say that as someone who’s not a big fan, can take him or leave him, but no, I don’t doubt he was injured badly at all. He’s been out ot the ring for 21 months, that says pretty well injured to me.

There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else--James Thurber, 1939

by BoxAnne on Nov 29, 2011 9:34 AM EST up reply actions