August 11, 1978

Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor was born in Little Rock (Pulaski County). Taylor began boxing at the age of thirteen and rose through the amateur and professional ranks to become one of the best boxers in the sport in the twenty-first century. He won a bronze medal for boxing in the 2000 Olympics and became the undisputed middleweight champion in 2005, holding that title for two years. Taylor became actively involved in the “Stamp Out Smoking” Healthy Arkansas campaign and became part-owner of a D1 Sports Training facility in Little Rock. Taylor also spoke at several events regarding speech therapy for children who, like Taylor, suffer from speech impediments. In subsequent years, however, Taylor ran afoul of the law several times, with arrests for shootings, battery, and other charges.