Jermain Taylor remains set to fight fellow American Andre Ward in April as part of the Super Six super-middleweight title tournament even though Lou DiBella has backed off as his promoter.
Taylor won his first 27 pro fights but has lost four of his past five, three by knockouts, including a 12th-round knockout by Armenian-born German Arthur Abraham in October at Berlin that left Taylor hospitalized with concussion.
Taylor won the undisputed middleweight title from compatriot Bernard Hopkins in 2005 and reigned for more than two years before losses to countryman Kelly Pavlik in back-to-back fights in 2007 and 2008 began his slide.
DiBella announced last week he was cutting ties with Taylor after reports that the fighter would continue in the Super Six, facing Ward later this year with another bout scheduled after that against Denmark's Mikkel Kessler.
"It is my belief that the continuation of Jermain's career as an active fighter places him at unnecessary risk," Di Bella said.
Ward defeated Kessler last month for the World Boxing Association super middleweight crown.
Copyright 2009 AFP American Edition
