Atlanta City NJ—-Marquis Taylor walked and strutted around the ring with supreme confidence against Yoelvis Gomez Saturday night on a PBC event on Showtime from Boardwalk Hall’s Adrian Phillips Theater.
Taylor upsetted Gomez by unanimous decision in a 10-round middleweight match Showtime televised from Boardwalk Hall’s Adrian Phillips Theater. Taylor dropped Gomez to the canvas in the second round, Taylor fought through a cut around his right eye for nine-plus rounds, worked well to the body on the inside and paced himself throughout the fight.
Judges Ron McNair (96-93) and Paul Wallace (96-93) scored six rounds apiece for Taylor. Judge Robin Taylor had Taylor with a much decisive win (99-90).
The 29-year-old Taylor (15-1-2, 1 KO, 1 NC), of Galena Park, Texas, has now beaten five undefeated fighters and is 7-0 against southpaws. He entered the ring as the underdog but pulled off the most noteworthy victory of his nine-year pro career upsetting the undefeated Cuban southpaw.
“Only through God’s grace am I able to do this,” Taylor said. “I want to thank everyone who put this together. Mom we did it. This is what I wanted to do my whole life. It took me a long time and a lot of battles to make it here. But it was all worth it.”
In the beginning of the fight, Gomez (6-1, 5 KOs) from Havana was the aggressor and set the tone for the fight. Coming off a 13-month layoff was listed as 5-1 favorite, the Cuban southpaw went immediately after Taylor, cutting him in the corner of his right eyebrow in the first round.
In the third round it went back-and-forth, but Gomez appeared to have problems getting inside on Taylor. Taylor kept hitting Gomez with the right jab and establishing it throughout the round.
For the most part, Taylor was a little wild but effective, throwing wide shots that landed before Gomez could counter.
In the fifth, Taylor was backing up Gomez with hard body shots, and working at a pacw more conducive to him than to Gomez.
In the sixth, Taylor went back to punishing the body then back on top. Gomez did connect with a right hook, which was his best punch of the night. It did not phase Taylor at all. He kept leaning in and he closed the round by slipping in a quick combination that let Gomez off balance and a little dazed.
“At first I’m not going to lie at the beginning of the fight it was hard because he’s really strong,” Taylor said. “He was doing what he’s supposed to do and that’s use his weight and push me down, so I had to get into his midsection and break him down, so I started tapping that belly and pushing in.
Through the six rounds, Taylor looked very comfortable and was going to pull off the upset.
With 1:21 left in the eighth round, Taylor pinned Gomez against the ropes and worked him on the inside. When they were inside, Taylor tapped Gomez’ head a few times and piled on the points.
For the first time in his career, Taylor fought into the ninth round. In the last minute of the ninth, Gomez started to figure it out. He landed a straight left that had Taylor falling into the ropes. He spent the rest of the round chasing Taylor around the ring.
“I proved to myself that I can be in here with anyone and overcome and prevail. This is my second weight class in nine months. I proved it to myself. It’s not about the weight. It’s about skill and hard work and trusting my team.”
