"Two Seconds From Glory"

[banjo]

Has anybody read this autobiography about Meldrick Taylor? Is it any good?

[purple.obi]

I just recently found out about it, wouldn't mind having the book. :??

[Rocky Balboa]

Never knew about the book, but the title is very appropriate! I do not how anyone who comes so close to reaching such heights as Taylor could ever get over the disappointment that would no doubt be there afterwards?

Mentally, it must have messed him up, big time! I mean to come so close but still not get quite there is hugely frustrating! I feel for the guy! Two seconds & his career would probably have been different! Damn that must be so hard to accept!

[Expug]

Meldricks in bad shape these days.
He carried on too long . I saw an interview with him awhile back and he didnt sound or look good at all.
People talk about his fight with Chavez,being brutal and it was. Meldrick showed tons of heart in that fight and was ahead when it was stopped. Its well documented, and often discussed.
But when I think of Taylor career, the sore spot is that he was thrown in with Terry Norris. He was annihalated and I really dont think that fight should have been made.
Lou Duva threw him in there and I really dont think he even thought Meldrick could pull it off. Terry was a strong junior middle and Meldrick was a junior welter.They fought at a catch weight, but it was still not a good fight for Taylor.Especially after all the punishment he took from Chavez.Going in, what exactly was jr welter Taylor gonna do better than Norris? Punch harder? No way. Faster? No way. Stronger? Nope. People can draw their own conclusions as to why that fight was made.

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

Going in, what exactly was jr welter Taylor gonna do better than Norris? Punch harder? No way. Faster? No way. Stronger? Nope. People can draw their own conclusions as to why that fight was made.

- Actually, Taylor gave Norris plenty of problems early on with his blurring combinations.

Once Norris got settled and adjusted, the speed was negated by power as Norris disregarded defense in favor of an all out power display.

Agree, Duva screwed Taylor twice, first distracting him in the Chavez fight when he needed his wits to answer Steele, and then throwing him in with Norris. He did win a share of the welter title, so wasn't completely washed up, but just not the same fighter they decided to cash their chips in on.

[Goodnight, Irene]

"...first distracting him in the Chavez fight when he needed his wits to answer Steele..." - BRR

Easily (& often) said with the benefit of retrospect, but what Steele did was a freakish thing (whether right or not, it's exceedingly rare), & Duva could not have known it was a likely thing his ranting & raving would've contributed to his fighters' downfall. Add to that the enormous amount of passion & heat of the moment impetus such an occasion has, & I think Duva gets an unfair bad rap.

Does, too, on his advice to Taylor approaching the last round. Everyone says, "Oh, he was way ahead, him & Benton were criminal for the advice they gave..."

Well, maybe. Maybe not. They were both well-schooled in the Don King-influence, & just how far-reaching it was (testimony may even come from that very fight, where one official ludicrously & obscenely had Taylor trailing), & perhaps simply wanted to leave as little chance as possible for King & Chavez to do what King & Ali did multiple times (sneaking out the back door by finishing strong in a fight they plainly lost, while their opponent began to cruise, or failed to close hard).

However, Pug is right about the pairing with Norris. Perhaps finances were at play above all else in that one, as Duva, I would think, would be bright enough to know a mismatch when he saw one --- which it was.

[bollox]

I followed Taylor's career from right after the '84 olympics when all the big wraps were put on him together with his teram-mates. Geez, was there a serious amount of hype leading up to the Chavez fight or what

It's pretty sad the way he's ended up

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Horrible robbery and I can't even watch it anymore, much less read about it. Mel was better than Chavez, period. He wont go down as being greater and rightly so, chavez had way more longevity. But best on best, taylor was his daddy.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Horrible robbery and I can't even watch it anymore, much less read about it. Mel was better than Chavez, period. He wont go down as being greater and rightly so, chavez had way more longevity. But best on best, taylor was his daddy.

You're not disposed to discussing it at length anymore, obviously. In truth, neither am I. I'll simply say this, though --- mate, it's a twelve-round fight, not an eleven-round, fifty-eight second fight. Severe damage is just that. Time to call it*.

*That said, I would not be surprised if Steele was in King's pocket

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I'll discuss anything, LOL. Just not up for reading a book on it. Sad story, he was robbed of his deserved glory. Great late rally from Chavez, but I can't see any possible reason to stop a fight when there is zero chance of him taking one more punch.

[BoxBuzz]

You can say and think what you will, those two seconds had they ticked by unattended by the ref would not have culminated in any closer to a "near death experience" than what Taylor had already endured. Thr action that Richard Steele took DID NOT save Taylor's life. But it did save Chavez's championship.

And that's the injustice of it. And that is (as is often the case) life. Sa la vie!

[Goodnight, Irene]

You can say and think what you will, those two seconds had they ticked by unattended by the ref would not have culminated in any closer to a "near death experience" than what Taylor had already endured..."

Very true. Care to explain, however, why that justifies the ref acting in a manner different to how he would have had it been at the end of round five, six, seven? Isn't that being deliberately unfair to Chavez?

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

But best on best, taylor was his daddy.

- Just when I think you're all dumbed out, you plumb new depths of dumb henceforth restricted to drain snakes.

Steele could've easily DQed Duva for being on the ring apron disrupting the fight before Taylor had even gotten up from the KD. See the Chazz Witherspoon/Arreola fight for a more minor and more technical example of how that works.

Your boy got thrown to the wolf and eaten up over two matches. Had Taylor a better trainer, no doubt he would've won the first fight, but he did have two fights to get it straight and couldn't do it and had the hospital bills to prove it.

[BoxBuzz]

You can say and think what you will, those two seconds had they ticked by unattended by the ref would not have culminated in any closer to a "near death experience" than what Taylor had already endured..."

Very true. Care to explain, however, why that justifies the ref acting in a manner different to how he would have had it been at the end of round five, six, seven? Isn't that being deliberately unfair to Chavez?

Hey GI what about "Sa la vie" is it that you don't get? Is it the "la" part?

...sort of kidding here. It's just that I think we agree on this one. I would go so far to add that the two seconds had a random aspect that is just maddening. In time I've withdrawn my initial critical thoughts about Steele and simply blamed the dieties and life itself for all these moments that make life on occasion so unfair, yet like imperfections in the finest of leather or diamonds these are the very moments that at the same time make life so remarkable and ultimately precious.

[Collins2000]

You can say and think what you will, those two seconds had they ticked by unattended by the ref would not have culminated in any closer to a "near death experience" than what Taylor had already endured..."

Very true. Care to explain, however, why that justifies the ref acting in a manner different to how he would have had it been at the end of round five, six, seven? Isn't that being deliberately unfair to Chavez?

Hey GI what about "Sa la vie" is it that you don't get? Is it the "la" part?

Is it anything like "C'est la vie"?

Reminds me of that aussie dude who thinks he is ordering a 'cup of chino' every morning.

[Goodnight, Irene]

You can say and think what you will, those two seconds had they ticked by unattended by the ref would not have culminated in any closer to a "near death experience" than what Taylor had already endured..."

Very true. Care to explain, however, why that justifies the ref acting in a manner different to how he would have had it been at the end of round five, six, seven? Isn't that being deliberately unfair to Chavez?

Hey GI what about "Sa la vie" is it that you don't get? Is it the "la" part?

...sort of kidding here. It's just that I think we agree on this one. I would go so far to add that the two seconds had a random aspect that is just maddening. In time I've withdrawn my initial critical thoughts about Steele and simply blamed the dieties and life itself for all these moments that make life on occasion so unfair, yet like imperfections in the finest of leather or diamonds these are the very moments that at the same time make life so remarkable and ultimately precious.

I don't know how some of your oft-used tangents are supposed to relate to the fight. I read it as though you are saying Steele should intentionally change his decision based on how long remains in the fight. Is that fair to Chavez? I don't think so.