Emanuel Taylor Survives Knockdown to Score Eighth-Round TKO in Atlantic City!

Edgewood, MD junior welterweight Emanuel "Tranzforma" Taylor has taken another big step in his pro career with an eighth-round TKO over veteran Victor Cayo of the Dominican Republic tonight at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

Taylor had a solid second round as he had Cayo hurt and against the ropes.  However, Cayo came back very strong in the fourth and fifth rounds. Cayo dropped Taylor with a right hand from the southpaw stance in the fifth.

However, Taylor worked his way back into the fight, eventually damaging Cayo with a right hand in the eighth that sent him to the canvas.  Cayo beat the count.  Taylor quickly forced referee Benji Esteves to stop the contest at 1:11 of the eighth.  

The win, shown live on ESPN2, is Taylor's second straight victory on national television following his sixth-round TKO over Raymond Serrano on January 25 in Huntington, NY that was broadcast on Showtime.

With the win, Taylor raises his record to 17-1, 12 KO's.  Cayo falls to 31-4, 22 KO's.  Cayo also loses to a Beltway Boxer for the second time in his career having been stopped by Lamont Peterson in the 12th round in July 2011 in Las Vegas.

In other bouts featuring local boxers on this card, DC-based junior middleweight Ivan "King Shango" Ziglar lost a six-round unanimous decision to Samuel "Rock City Cobra" Rogers of the US Virgin Islands.  The scores were 59-55, 60-54 and 58-56,  Rogers, a nephew of former world champion Julian Jackson, remains undefeated at 13-0, seven KO's while Ziglar falls to 7-3-1, four KO's.

Also, middleweight Joshua "The Berlin Bomber" Snyder of Berlin, MD lost a six-round unanimous decision to Thomas "Cornflake" LaManna of Millville, NJ.  Snyder suffered two knockdowns and lost by scores of 58-54 (twice) and 57-55.  LaManna is now 11-0, six KO's while Snyder is 9-9-1, three KO's.