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Remembering Two Time Cruiserweight Challenger Eddie Taylor AKA Young Joe Louis

image2By Jeffrey “Italian Medallion” Cellini

Eddie Taylor, 31-19-1, 18 KO’s, aka Young Joe Louis, was a former two-time world title-challenger in the cruiserweight division. Taylor, who was feasted on mediocre competition early on in his career, was able to become a title contender despite his limitations. The crude boxer with knock out power, who was born in Mississippi, would begin his boxing career in Chicago.

On August 29,1975, Taylor won his first professional bout with a knockout victory over Milton Marshall. He would go on and win his first twenty-one contests, with thirteen knockouts, including victories over Ivy Brown and Jesse Burnett. However, Eddie’s winning streak would be snapped in his next fight. On March 13, 1982, fighting on the James “Quick” Tillis-Jerry Williams undercard at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Taylor had to settle for a technical draw against Dale Grant.

Promoters had seen something in Young Joe Louis though, and decided that he was ready to step up to the next level. On December 15, 1982, Eddie Taylor would get his first opportunity for a world title against Ossie Ocasio for the WBA World Cruiserweight championship. The entire show was moved from Indiana to Illinois the day before because the Indiana commission and the WBA could not agree on officials. Taylor put up a formidable challenge, but still lost a fifteen-round unanimous decision to the champion. Judges Medardo Villalobos (147-143), Ove Ovesen (146-142) and Isidro Rodriguez (147-144) had determined Ocasio had controlled most of the fight despite a solid effort by the challenger.

On July 15, 1983, Taylor was matched against young contender Anthony Davis at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas. Despite having a one-inch height advantage over his opponent, Eddie was outpointed once again. Davis would get an opportunity to fight Carlos De Leon for the WBC Cruiserweight belt in his next bout.

Eddie would suffer another setback when he was knocked out by Prince Mama Mohammad (from Ghana) in the main event at the Forum in Inglewood, California on July 9, 1984. However, Taylor was still able to manage to earn his second chance for a world title in the near future.
On December 20, 1984, at the Bismarck Hotel in Chicago, Lee Roy Murphy, making his first title defense of the IBF Cruiserweight belt, stopped Eddie Taylor by technical knockout at the 1:37 mark of the twelfth round (of fifteen scheduled rounds). At the time of the stoppage, Murphy was ahead on all three of judges’ scorecards.

Young Joe Louis, who won two meaningless fights after his defeat to Murphy, would be stopped in five consecutive contests. Three of those losses would come in fights outside the United States, with two of them occurring in South Africa. In 1986, Pierre Coetzer and Johnny DuPlooy, both scored big wins over Taylor in their home country.

Eddie Taylor would have one last run of success in his fighting career. Starting with two unanimous decision wins against poor competition, Taylor managed to put himself in line for one more good payday.

Young Joe Louis would have one last good fight in him. On June 11, 1990, Eddie Taylor defeated former world champion Marvin Camel by majority decision at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Taylor was able to put Camel down in the second round, and win on two scorecards (99-93, 97-94). The third judge scored the bout a draw (99-99). The win would be the last highlight of his career.

Just three weeks after his comeback victory over Charles Dixon, Parkey was matched with the former two-time world title-challenger Eddie Taylor at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Parkey, who entered the fight with four losses in his last five fights, was a desperate fighter like Taylor. At stake would be the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) World Cruiserweight title.

Taylor had fought and won his last three bouts in Minneapolis, including a victory over former WBC titlist Marvin Camel, and promoter Chuck Daszkiewicz figured a victory over Parkey would further boost his fighter’s credentials, and finally make him a world champion.

Unfortunately, “The Hammer” did not follow the game plan, and had one last great fight in him. On July 12, 1990, a stunned crowd watched as Parkey captured the newly-created title by stopping Taylor in six rounds. Parkey would lose the next twelve and final fights of his career following his triumph over Taylor.

The end had come for Young Joe Louis, as he continued on as a journeyman, taking several beatings from younger prospects. On December 5, 1992, Eddie was stopped by the up-and-coming heavyweight contender Andrew Golota in the first round. Taylor would lose the last ten fights of his career, all by stoppage.

Eddie Taylor continued boxing too long after his skills had diminished, leading to some brutal losses at the tail end of his career. According to Brian D’Ambrosio, who wrote a biography about Marvin Camel in his book “Warrior in the Ring,” described Young Joe Louis, who was Marvin’s last fight, as a man wandering the streets penniless. Perhaps Eddie Taylor had to fight on for the money, which led him to absorb more physical punishment. Young Joe Louis had feasted on lesser talent at the beginning of his career; sadly, hungrier fighters feasted on the former two-time title challenger at the end of his career. Taylor had come close in his two attempts at the world title; unfortunately, he fell just short in both encounters.

Ringside Report can report as of this article, Young Joe Louis is living in Chicago and doing well.

YJL

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