Jermain Taylor's Exit Highlights Fight Camp 360 Episode IV

Episode IV of Showtime's 30-minute long, Fight Camp 360, which debuts on Saturday, Feb. 27, marks the third straight time that Jermain Taylor appears to have stolen the show in a riveting, yet somber fashion.

Taylor is shown as he's working out in preparation for his next fight of The Super Six Super Middleweight (168 pounds) World Boxing Classic, even as the 31-year-old Taylor ponders aloud what it takes to keep moving forward after having been brutally stopped in the 12th round of his last outting by Germany's Arthur Abraham.

"I've got to come back, baby. If this is what I've got to do, then this is what I've got to do," said Taylor. "I've been boxing every day of life. Every time that I wake up."

Taylor eventually withdrew from the tournament, and here is why:

Backtrack to the opening scene of Episode III of Fight Camp 360, when Taylor's promoter, Lou DiBella, is describing the frightening end to the KO loss to Abraham.

"I'm on the way to the hospital. Six seconds left. Straight right hand up the middle, and he hit his head on the canvas," said DiBella. "But I was a little concerned, because when I talked to him in the doping room, he didn't remember the last round. He asked me the same question, like, three times."




The loss to Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) was the fourth in the past five fights for Taylor (28-4-1, 17 knockouts), of Little Rock, Arkansas, and his third by knockout during that time.

This, for a man who once stood as undisputed middleweight (160 pounds) champion of the world following one of two victories over Bernard Hopkins -- the first of which ended Hopkins' division-record run of 20 title defenses in July of 2005.

There is arguably not a fighter in the sport who has battled through as many tough bouts as Taylor has over his past 13 fights. For 12 of those matchups have been opposite men who were either world champs at the time they met Taylor, or, who were once world titlists.

Taylor's repertoire includes the two wins over Hopkins, as well as one over southpaw IBF junior middleweight (154 pounds) king, Cory Spinks. Taylor also battled to a draw with former world champion, Winky Wright, and owns victories over former titlists, William Joppy, Kassim Ouma, Jeff Lacy and Raul Marquez.

"By any measure, Jermain's had a tremendous career. He's been undisputed middleweight champion, he's beaten Bernard Hopkins -- a first ballot Hall of Famer -- twice," Dibella said of Taylor before his fight with Abraham.




"The level of competition that Jermain has fought, there's no champion or top fighter in boxing who can claim back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back those kinds of fights," said DiBella. "Literally, almost everyone that he's fought has championship pedigree."

Of course, Taylor's career also includes the two losses to WBC and WBO middleweight champ, Kelly Pavlik -- one by seventh-round knockout -- as well as a 12th-round stoppage loss to WBC super middleweight champ, Carl Froch (26-0, 25 KOs), of England.

"I've been down, I've been up, I've been down, but no matter what, I've kept going and I've never quit," said Taylor. "And now, everybody is telling me to take some time off. If everybody's saying it, you kind of have to listen to them."

Taylor has been replaced by Allan Green (29-1, 20 kockouts), who will take his place opposite WBA champ, Andre Ward (21-0, 13 KOs) in a clash that will happen on April 24.

"I'm very pissed about quitting," said Taylor, who does not say that he's retired. "For something like 20 years straight, I've been boxing."

Also on April 24, Froch meets former WBA titlist, Mikkel Kessler (42-2, 32 KOs) of Denmark, and on March 6, Abraham takes on Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs).

In light of recent developments with Taylor, it is interesting to examine the opening scene of an earlier episode of Fight Camp 360.

In it, Taylor is asked if he feels blessed to be in the tournament, considering the fact that he was coming off of the loss to Froch, and, two bouts earlier, those consecutive setbacks against Pavlik.

"When I first heard about this tournament, I was on my boat. Then I get a call saying something about the Super Six [Tournament,]" said the soft-spoken Taylor, who speaks with a slight stutter.

"They said there are going to be six guys in the super middleweight division, and they're going to put us all in the ring, and 'May the best man win,' " said Taylor. "I was just like, 'This is a blessing.' After this tournament -- after I win it -- I'll be right back on top, no matter what happens."



Fight Camp 360: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic returns with episode IV on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET, recapping all of the action leading up to this point.


Saturday, Feb. 27 – 7:30 p.m. SHOWTIME (premiere)

Sunday, Feb. 28 – 2:15 a.m. SHOWTIME 2

Monday, March 1 – 8:30 p.m. SHOWTIME

Monday, March 1 – 10 p.m. SHO 2

Tuesday, March 2 – 10 p.m. SHO 2

Wednesday, March 3 – 10:30 p.m. SHO 2

Thursday, March 4, 1 – 1 a.m. SHOWTIME

Thursday, March 4, 11 p.m. SHO 2

Friday, March 5 – 10 p.m. SHO 2

Friday, March 5 – Midnight SHOWTIME

Friday, March 5 – 4 a.m. SHO 2

Saturday, March 6 – 1:30 p.m. SHOWTIME2

Wednesday, March 17 – 11 p.m. SHO 2

Monday, March 22 – 10 p.m. SHO 2

Tuesday, March 23 – 10:30 p.m. SHO 2

Thursday, March 25 – 11:30 p.m. SHO 2

Friday, March 26 – 5 a.m. SHO2

Wednesday, March 31 – 10:30 p.m. SHO2

Note: all times ET/PT



Below are the remaining air dates for Episode III of Fight Camp 360


Wednesday, Mar. 3 – 10 p.m. SHO2

Thursday, Mar. 25 – 11 p.m. SHO2

Wednesday, Mar. 31 – 10 p.m. SHO2

*Note: all times ET/PT They can run, but they can't hide.