Jermain Taylor: I have to beat the hell out of him

On Wednesday, October 8, DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing, in association with Soliman Stanley Promotions, will stage an exciting night of boxing with IBF middleweight champion "King" Sam Soliman (44-11, 18KO's) defending his crown against former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain "Bad Intentions" Taylor (32-4-1, 20KO's) in the main event. The card will take place at the beautiful Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, in Biloxi, Mississippi.

"I'm going to be stepping into the ring against a former world middleweight champion and super middleweight contender, who is chasing a comeback dream," said Soliman. "Jermain Taylor has nothing to lose, and that makes him a very dangerous opponent. I know how dangerous that mindset is. It's the same 'all or nothing' approach that I've taken into my last 10 fights to win the title. I'm bringing the same intensity to my preparation for this fight. It has taken me 20 hard years to get to where I am. Being a world champion is a special feeling, and one I plan on keeping. This is my first title defense, and I'm leaving no stone unturned to make sure it's not my last."

In 2005, Jermain Taylor was on top of the boxing world, having defeated longtime undisputed middleweight champion and future Hall-of-Famer Bernard Hopkins, not once but twice in the same year. Fast forward nine years later and the 36-year-old Taylor will be getting another crack at reclaiming a piece of the coveted middleweight world championship when he takes on the IBF titlist Soliman.

Following a two-year hiatus from the ring in the wake of back-to-back losses in 2009 while campaigning at super middleweight, Taylor returned to the division where he once reigned supreme and rejoined forces with trainer Pat Burns. Since his return, Taylor, now rated #8 by the WBC and #15 by the IBF, has looked better and better with each outing, going 4-0 thus far in his comeback, with three wins by knockout. The only opponent to go the distance with Taylor during his comeback was then-undefeated and now fellow top-rated middleweight contender Caleb Truax (24-1-2, 14KO's). Taylor is relishing the opportunity to once again prove that he is one of the best 160lb. fighters in the world.

"Things have come full circle for me. I have another shot to become a world champion and I'm not going to let this opportunity pass by without being victorious," said Taylor. "I've made a bunch of mistakes in boxing, losing to fighters I shouldn't have lost to because of a lack of training, but I'm ready to clear all that up. With hard work and dedication, I will be 110 percent ready. I think Sam Soliman is a great fighter. He's had a great career and he comes to fight, but I have to go in there and beat the hell out of him."

Tickets go on sale Friday, September 5, 9:00am CT, and are priced at $89.95, $69.95, $49.95 and $29.95, plus tax and service charges, and can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office, or through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 4:45pm, with the first bout scheduled for 5:30pm.