By Jake Donovan

Jermain Taylor ended a 26-month hiatus from the ring with an 8th round stoppage of Jessie Nicklow in their Showtime-televised main event Friday evening in Cabazon, California.

Taylor was in control throughout the bout, but lost a point for hitting after the bell to end the sixth round. The former middleweight champion admitted after the fight to have injured his right hand early in the bout, but came on with a vengeance in the eighth. Just as the action was getting good, referee Ray Corona pulled the plug in what appeared to be a severely premature stoppage.

Full report to come...