Fighter of the Week (7/3-7/9): Marquis Taylor
Photo Credit: "David Algranati/The Fight Photos"
It's been a long journey for Marquis Taylor. The Houston native has been through a lot in his 29 years and nine professional years in boxing. From small-time Texas Promoters to being a B-side on Showbox cards and egregiously bad decisions. Taylor stayed the course, waited for his moment, and then seized it. Taylor finally got his opportunity at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City against undefeated blue-chip Cuban prospect Yoelvis Gomez. Gomez entered the ring at 6-0 as one of the sport's brightest prospects and on a fast track for a world title shot. The "Clutch City" native was unimpressed and dominated the vast majority of the fight on his way to a lopsided UD victory to move his record to 15-1-2 (1), secure the career-defining win he long waited for, puts himself into the world title picture at 160 and takes home our Fighter of the Week Award.
After an excellent opening stanza for the Cuban, who dominated the action and opened a cut above the eye of Taylor, Gomez was never much of a threat again. The momentum shifted immediately. A looping right hand sent the A-side fighter to the canvas a minute into the round. From that point on, the awkward style of the Houstonian never allowed the Cuban to get comfortable, and the power from the alleged soft hitting proved not to be the case as another straight right hand that staggered Gomez in the fourth and late in the fifth another right hand badly rocked the Cuban once again. Gomez had a brief moment within the sixth. A short hook on the inside that phased Taylor. However, Taylor rallied back immediately with a pair of body shots. Taylo continued to make Gomez miss and run up the points, winning round after round. By the 10th round, Gomez was well aware that he needed a knockout and went for broke. He had another moment with a well-paced uppercut that cut the attention of Taylor with just over a minute left in the fight. However, the Texan survived the scare, ran out of the clock, and took a clear-cut decision by scores of 99-90 and 96-93X2 to move his record to 15-1-2 (1).
Taylor, has beaten one undefeated fighter after the next, sic in total, now plus bogus draw decisions with big names like Paul Kroll and Luke Santamaria, which everyone thought the Texan won, and add on a no contest that occurred when former world champion Kermit Cintron intentionally head-butted him and caused a no contest, a win that would have put a former world champion on his resume. It's been a long strange path for Taylor, but when the Clutch City native got the call, he came up clutch. Now big things are likely heading his way. Possible fights with the likes of Carlos Adames and Jeison Rosario are certainly possibilities. A fight with fellow Houstonian prospect Austin Ammo Williams would also be an intriguing showdown. Whatever Taylor does get next, he is likely just one more win away from securing a world title fight and a massive payday.
