13 Facts About Arnold Taylor

Arnold Taylor was a South African boxer who held the Lineal and WBA bantamweight championships in 1973.

Arnold Taylor was a qualified confectioner, he used to work at a local bakery in Johannesburg during the day before training at night.

Arnold Taylor made his professional boxing debut on 20 May 1967, against Ray Buttle, against whom he drew after six rounds in Transvaal.

Arnold Taylor lost weight to fight Adams for the South African Featherweight title, and he avenged his first defeat, conquering his third regional title along the way, by knocking Adams out in round eight, exactly twelve days after conquering the Lightweight title.

Arnold Taylor decided to vacate the Featherweight title and concentrate on defending his Lightweight title, but he lost that title on his first defense, when rematched with Steyn, on 4 July 1969, by a knockout in round eight.

The rematch lasted one more round, as Arnold Taylor regained the title with a sixth-round knockout.

Arnold Taylor began the 1970s with an upgrade in opposition quality, when he fought fellow world Bantamweight champion Johnny Famechon, of Australia, on 11 April 1970, at Johannesburg.

On 3 November 1973, Arnold Taylor met the Lineal and WBA World Bantamweight champion, Mexico's Romeo Anaya, in a match refereed by Stanley Christodoulou.

Arnold Taylor suffered a cut and was knocked down once in round five and three times in round eight.

Nevertheless, Arnold Taylor cut the champion, and, in round fourteen, he connected with a right hand to Anaya's jaw, sending him to the floor.

In what is considered by many to be another boxing classic, Arnold Taylor was dropped four times.

Arnold Taylor was dropped three times early in the fight, and he staged a rally from rounds ten to fifteen, constantly pinning the challenger against the ring's corners and ropes, but he was dropped for a fourth time in round fourteen, and ended up losing the title by a fifteen-round unanimous decision.

Arnold Taylor won four fights in a row, but, after losing two fights back to back, he decided to retire.