Former world Middleweight Champion Jermain Taylor will make his second comeback fight on April 20th against Undefeated Caleb Truax on Showtime.
“I thought Jermain had a very good performance against Nicklow after 26 months out of the ring, but what I want to see is a better performance against a slightly better opponent,” Lou DiBella, Taylor’s promoter, told ESPN.com on Tuesday.
“Anyone who is undefeated is a different type of challenge,” DiBella said. “When you’ve been out of the ring for 26 months, this is exactly what Jermain needs. He fought at the end of December and is coming back just a few months later. He can’t just fight twice a year at this stage. He needs the activity, the rounds and the comfort of the ring.
“I thought the first performance was very good given the time off and the circumstances of why he had the time off. He sustained an injury and took time off, so there is a hurdle that has to be overcome when you get back in the ring.”
“Pat Burns did a great job getting Jermain in shape,” DiBella said. “He was in better shape in his fight in December than he was for some of the fights he had at the end of his first go-round. I expect to see a more relaxed and more fluid fighter against (Truax). I think the activity is very important and we’ll really be able to assess things after this fight.”
Also on the card, junior middleweight contender Erislandy Lara (15-1-1, 10 KOs), in his first bout since a highly controversial majority decision loss to Paul Williams in July, will face former middleweight title challenger Ronald Hearns (26-2, 20 KOs), the son of newly elected International Boxing Hall of Famer Thomas Hearns, in a scheduled 10-rounder at a catch weight of 157 pounds.
Featherweight Gary Russell Jr. (19-0, 11 KOs), the 2011 ESPN.com prospect of the year, will open the card in a scheduled eight-round bout against Dat Nguyen (17-2, 6 KOs).
