JERMAIN TAYLOR’S career is on the brink of implosion.
The IBF middleweight champion will no longer fight Sergio Mora on February 6 after he suffered a fractured rib in training. It looks unlikely that the fight – originally scheduled for 2007 – will get a new date after it emerged that Taylor was arrested on new felony charges.
The 36-year-old was arrested and charged with eight felonies and one misdemeanour over an incident on Monday in his Little Rock, Arkansas hometown.
According to ESPN, Taylor – who revitalised his career last year by upsetting Sam Soliman to win the title – was charged with five felony counts of aggravated assault for allegedly discharging a gun, three felony counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and one misdemeanour count of possession of a controlled substance (marijuana).
Allegedly, Taylor shot the weapon five times after pointing at his wife, children and a bystander. It was after his arrest that the marijuana was found.
Allegedly, Taylor discharged the weapon five times Monday afternoon on a Little Rock street corner after pointing it at his wife, children and another bystander. When Taylor was arrested, police said, they found him in possession of a bag with marijuana in it.
Taylor was already facing trouble following an August 2014 incident at his home when he allegedly shot his cousin multiple times.
His promoter Lou DiBella – who originally faced criticism for employing Taylor after the boxer returned following a boxing-related brain injury – insists there are no plans for the fighter to resume fighting until all legal issues are dealt with.
“This obviously is a shocking development no matter what the exact details are,” DiBella told ESPN, “and it leads myself and his management [Al Haymon] to be more concerned with his well being, his mental health and his future than his boxing career.”
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