Middleweight Marquis Taylor didn’t get the call he expected after handing undefeated Cuban prospect Yoelvis Gomez his first defeat.
A big fight seemed inevitable, but instead, his phone stayed silent—until former titleholder Shawn Porter rang, offering help.
For the last two months, Taylor, 17-1-2 (3 KOs), has been working with Porter, a partnership that has helped refine his approach as he eyes the top of the middleweight division.
“It’s been great,” Taylor told BoxingScene about working with Porter. “Shawn came in and started helping me with my foundation, my feet, just polishing things up. He’s been giving me advice on conditioning too, really everything. He always said, ‘If you ever need anything, call me.’ So one day, I hit him up, asked for some help, and eventually told him I wanted him to coach me, we tried it out, and it’s been clicking ever since.”
Taylor’s rugged, high-pressure style mirrors Porter’s, making the partnership even more fitting. The two-time titleholder has focused on sharpening Taylor’s overall set of skills.
Taylor’s last bout came in August, when he stopped Roberto Garcia, 47-7-1 (29 KOs) in the fifth round. In April, Taylor from Galena Park, Texas, will mark a full decade without a loss. Now approaching his 31st birthday, which comes next month, he has grown—literally and figuratively—from his start at a little above 140lbs.
“I was still growing,” Taylor said. “In the amateurs, I was fighting at 140, so when I turned pro, I thought I’d stick there. But I kept getting taller. I went from 5ft 10ins to 6ft 2ins. After my first couple of pro fights, I couldn’t make 140 anymore, so I moved up to 147, then 154, and eventually 160. I thought maybe as a smaller middleweight, I’d get more opportunities, but that hasn’t been the case.”
The victory over Gomez, aired on Showtime, initially felt like Taylor’s breakthrough moment. It soon became a mixed blessing.
“My dad called it after the fight,” Taylor said. “He told me, ‘You’re not going to get any more fights.’ I thought for sure I’d get calls, at least one big fight a year. He was right. No B-side offers, nothing. Even as the A-side, nobody wants to fight me.”
Despite the frustration, Taylor remains focused and motivated, confident that his time will come.
“It gets hard sometimes, but I’ve got too many people who believe in me to quit,” Taylor said. “When I spar undefeated fighters and champions down here in Houston, and I’m only at 60 per cent, I know I’m too good to stop now.”
With major fights elusive, Taylor is taking the sanctioning body route, aiming to become a mandatory challenger to force a fight.
“I just defended my NABF title, and I went from ranked 30 to 19,” Taylor said. “But it’s funny—all 18 guys ahead of me would never fight me.”
Looking ahead, Taylor has his sights set on the top names in the middleweight division. When asked who he wants he made it clear, he wants the titleholders.
“I want Janibek, Carlos Adames, and Erislandy Lara,” Taylor said.
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