Boxer Emanuel Taylor Forces Second Round TKO

Edgewood resident Emanuel Taylor dropped Chicago's Guadalupe Diaz with a first-round, left hook, and used the same punch to slice open a bloody cut above his right eye in the second round that led to the ringside doctor's advising the referee to wave an end to Friday night's junior welterweight (140 pounds) bout at the Maryland Sportsplex in Millersville of Anne Arundel County. 

The second-round technical knockout victory over the 33-year-old Diaz (5-9-3, one KO) represented the 10th career stoppage for the 20-year-old Taylor, as well as his 12th win without a loss.

"I felt like I could have done better. I felt like I should have gotten him out of there earlier. I wanted him to be completely unconcious, but I had him on the ropes a couple of times, and I felt like I let him off the hook," said Taylor, who is nicknamed, "The Tranzformer."

"On the other hand, I thought that I boxed him well, and when my coach was telling me to be patient, I tried to do what he told me to do and to pick my spots," said Taylor. "Overall, though, I thought that I had a good performance. I felt like the crowd was into the fight."

Taylor's trainer of nearly eight years, David Sewell, agreed that Taylor demonstrated a calculated poise over the course of his dispatchment of Diaz, whom the winner punished with a varied assortment of body shots. 

"From early in the first round, Manny was hurting the guy with body shots, but he took his time and broke him down, even after he dropped him," said Sewell. 

"Manny was hitting him with good right hooks to the body. And when the guy was throwing some wild, wide punches, Manny kept his defense tight," said Sewell. "Manny was patient and didn't rush anything tonight, so I thought that it was a good, overall performance."

Sewell said that he expected Taylor to return to the ring as early as May 21 against an opponent to be determined at the Maryland Sportsplex.