MCTAVISH REPORTS SHANNAN TAYLOR's CONDITION IS IMPROVING

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International referee Bruce McTavish says that WBF middleweight champion Shannan Taylor (52-10-3, 37 KO's) is still on a life-support system but that his condition is improving.

McTavish spoke to the Manila Standard from Perth in Western Australia where he will serve as one of the judges in the WBC cruiserweight title fight between 38 year old champion Danny Green (31-4, 27 KO's) of Australia and 30 year old challenger Krzystof Wlodarczyk (45-2-1, 32 KO's) of Poland.

McTavish helped train Taylor along with Manny Pacquiao's American trainer Rick Stahely when Pacquiao won the WBC flyweight title in Thailand in December 1998 for Taylor's battle for the vacant WBA International middleweight title against Anthony Mundine. Taylor lost by a twelve round unanimous decision on February 11, 2009.

McTavish told us that Taylor who stayed in his Angeles City home when he trained for the Mundine fight was recovering really well from what was believed to have been a problem with drugs and alcohol.

Taylor was regarded as one of Australia's best boxers of the late 1990s and early 2000s and was best known for his aggressive fighting style , thrilling fight fans with an aggressive style that earned him the nickname Bulli Blaster.

Taylor's first loss came in his biggest fight when he was stopped by then WBC welterweight champion Shane Mosley in the sixth round in March 2001.

In his last fight on October 7 this year Taylor won the World Boxing Federation and IBF Pan Pacific middleweight titles with a 4th round knockout of Thailand's Sintung Kietbusaba.