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Considered as one of the best trainers in the country, Taylor, who now resides in Arlington County, Virginia, was named as one of the trainers for the United States Olympic boxing team that is getting prepared for the August games in Beijing, China.
“My main thing is to not change them up too much because they already know how to fight,” Taylor, 47, said. “I just try to keep them in the best shape, and remind them of what they already know, and try to keep them motivated.”
Taylor gained national recognition for his work running a boxing program for the Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, where he has spent the last 15 years training young kids of all ages. His five-day-a-week after-school training program has been increasingly popular, especially with at-risk youths. Arlington County Police work closely with Taylor, and often bring him prospective students after one of them has been involved in some type of trouble. Several national champions have trained under Taylor.
“He has a lot of character, he’s been around for a long time and he’s got credentials,” said Lt. Jim Wasem of the Arlington County Police Department of Taylor in a 2004 interview. “Some of these kids have had a street life, they’re street-savvy, and they recognize when someone is going to be fraud.”
Known as “The Heat” during his professional career, Taylor won the junior welterweight Mid-Atlantic championship in 1988. He has also sparred with legends such as Pernell Whitaker and “Sugar” Ray Leonard. In 2004, Taylor was inducted into the Washington D.C. Boxing Hall of Fame.
With the Olympic games less than two months away, Taylor feels the United States has a very solid team with a few boxers having a chance to medal. But he feels the U.S. is at a disadvantage to other countries like Cuba because American fighters usually forgo their amateur status right after the games end, resulting in constant turn-over.
“We have a good team with a few guys that have a good chance of medaling,” Taylor said. “They have to get themselves fully into it. Some of these guys, when they become an Olympian, feel they don’t have to work as hard as they need to because they are on the way to getting that big pro contract. Once they make the Olympics, their mind goes on to their pro career. They’re spoiled.”
Flyweight Rau’shee Warren, a 112-pounder, is considered one of the American favorites for a gold medal, according to Taylor. As usual, however, Cuba will be the country to beat, along with Russia and Germany.
“No doubt, it’ll be the Cubans, like always,” said Taylor. “They don’t turn anybody pro and they keep their guys for years. Our team is always young because right after the Olympics, they all turn pro. If we could get these guys to stay for one more Olympics, we would dominate. Once they get thinking about that pro career, they’re gone. It’s tough because we are always expected to medal. Once you fight in the Olympics, it’s a totally different game. Everything changes. It’s the toughest tournament to be in your life.”
Unlike a traditional fight, Olympic boxing relies on a very technical point-system where three out of five judges have to hit a clicker within a split-second for a punch to count. Along with the difficulty of scoring a single point, Taylor feels America’s reputation around the world doesn’t help when it comes to international competitions.
“We are not liked by a lot of countries, so it’s hard for us to get a good score,” Taylor said. “It’s really, really tough.”
Taylor’s association with Thomasville is far from over. When the Olympics are over, Taylor plans on opening a youth center somewhere in town where he will teach the sport of boxing along with other life-services he feels are important to a young person.
“I’m thinking one day I would like to give back and open a community center with job-related work shops,” said Taylor. “They don’t have much for the kids there besides football. We would like to offer them something else.”
If Taylor’s body of work is any indication as to what he could bring to Thomasville, the Chair City should welcome him with open arms one day.
Staff Writer Eliot Duke can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 233, or at eliotduke@hotmai.com.