If you weren’t aware that Jermain Taylor or Kelly Pavlik were professional boxers, you’d probably have guessed they were collegiate amateurs when they fought Saturday night for the middleweight title. Taylor, who was knocked out in the seventh round, wore a big Razorbacks logo on the back of his red-and-white trunks while Pavlik had an Ohio State Buckeyes emblem on the front of his silver shorts.

Taylor, at one point, was prohibited from wearing the same logo the University of Arkansas’ football team has painted on the side of its helmets. However, following his first victory over Bernard Hopkins to claim the middleweight championship in 2005, a red hog has accompanied Taylor into the ring. In previous bouts, it was stitched on the back of his robe. Last Saturday, however, it was emblazoned on his trunks.

Here is an excerpt taken from a 2005 article by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Chris Givens about Taylor wearing the Razorback emblem:

The University of Arkansas has taken issue with people trying to use the Razorback logo in the past, including Taylor, but not this time.

“We did not have an issue whatsoever with Jermain showing his support of Razorbacks on his trunks or robe,” said Matt Shanklin, the university’s assistant athletic director for marketing and licensing. “To us, we view that as no different than [professional golfer] John Daly wearing a Razorback on his shirt or using a Razorback head cover. We think all of that is wonderful, and anything related to his [Taylor’s] trunks, robe or whatever we’re totally supportive.” The university wasn’t as supportive in 2004. Then Taylor’s camp and the university were at odds when Taylor’s promoter, Lou DiBella, attempted to name a boxing card at Alltel Arena the “Razorback Rumble.” Citing trademark violations, a university attorney sent a cease and desist letter to DiBella and asked that the name of the card be changed and that DiBella not use its marks or logos.

Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles said “it’s a legal matter that we have to enforce and have no control over. It’s just a matter of enforcement.” An upset DiBella changed the card to “March Badness.” Shanklin said that was a different situation, one where a company attempted to make a profit off the Razorback logo.

“The issue in the past was with the event,” Shanklin said. “That was using a Razorback within a commercial venture.” In 1998, a Little Rock-based East Coast Hockey League team originally was named Arkansas Razorblades but, after objections from the university, quickly changed its name to Arkansas RiverBlades. Like the 2004 Taylor boxing card, the hockey team, which no longer exists, held a name-the-team contest before changing the name.

Taylor’s camp said it was never concerned about the use of the Razorback.

“It’s a totally different situation when you’re talking about a New York promoter trying to make money off the Razorbacks logo,” said Andrew Meadors, Taylor’s business advisor. “We haven’t heard any negative comments from the university nor do we expect to. We aren’t trying to profit off Arkansas, we aren’t selling those robes. It was just Jermain showing his support in the ring. Now, if we were putting the Razorback on Everlast warm-ups with the name `Jermain Taylor,’ now that would be something different.” Taylor said he never thought the university would have a problem with the robe.

Filed under: Other U of A Sports by Rainer Sabin. Posted on: October 1, 2007 at 1:44 am