NATIONAL CHAMP: Taylor takes kickboxing tourney title

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard

Herman Taylor shows off his championship belts, including the IKF welterweight title he won last week in Orlando, Fla. (Photo provided)

The championships keep getting bigger and better for McMinnville’s Herman Taylor.

Taylor, who has amassed an already impressive collection of awards in the boxing and kickboxing rings over the past few years, added another national title to his collection recently. But following the International Kickboxing Federation’s creed of “walking the walk,” meant overcoming several obstacles along the way.

A straight “A” student at Warren County High School, Taylor — who already owns a national San Shou championship belt and a whopping 64 trophies from both kickboxing and boxing events — fought his way to the championship round of the welterweight of the recent IKF North American Classic amateur tournament in Orlando.

Taylor competed in the semifinals against 19-year-old Virginian Kevin Dusza. After a fairly even first round, which included an early slip to the canvas by Taylor that only seemed to frustrate the young gladiator, Dusza found himself backed up to the ropes by the local talent time and again in the second.

Seizing opportunity midway through the match’s deciding round, Taylor unloaded with a flurry of punches to his challenger, landing a left hook which sent Dusza to the canvas for the 10-count.

Facing off against Arkansas’ Todd Sinclair in the championship match, Taylor scored a knockdown in the three-round bout, but the 20-year-old Sinclair was saved from a knockout by the final bell. Going to the scorecards, all three judges saw the fight the same way, giving Taylor all three rounds and the championship.

Up next for Taylor, who hopes to pursue a career as a civil engineer when his high school days are over, is a possible shot at a world championship.

“Winning this North American championship belt qualifies me for a World title fight, which is scheduled for next month in Newark, N.J.,” Taylor explained. “I have been invited to participate; it all depends how I feel.

“Highly competitive fights are physically exhausting. After two fights this weekend, I need two weeks of rest.”

Taylor trains at the well-known Ed Clay’s Mixed Martial Arts Gym, and works on his boxing skills at Donnie Broadway’s Gym. Both gyms are located in Nashville.

“Without good training and good facilities, it would be difficult to compete on the national level and win against the best athletes,” Taylor said.