Sixth in a series profiling the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame class of 2023. A banquet honoring the class will be held May 13 at German’s Villa in Vermilion.
All it takes is a taste of something to get hooked.
When it comes to decorated Southview wrestler Robert Taylor, the taste of wrestling was in the backyard with his brother G.T. Taylor.
Taylor found his passion for wrestling in the sixth grade and would eventually turn into a three-time state qualifier and state champion.
His official debut on the mat was at Sacred Heart Church’s wrestling camp, which was run by Dan and Tommy Ternes.
Though Taylor was hesitant to attend the camp, the Ternes brothers were quickly impressed with his talents. In junior high, he had a 23-0 record in two years and was a city champion.
He started his high school career at 132 pounds. With an 8-5 record, he was a regional qualifier and placed third in the district tournament.
Taylor qualified for his first state tournament as a sophomore at 138 and placed inside the top three for the regional tournament with a 26-4 record.
As a junior and senior, he placed no lower than second place in Ohio, second in 1988 at 152 and was 31-2. He also won the state championship at 145 pounds in 1987.
He had a 24-4 record in his junior season and was 81-15 throughout his entire high school career.
Taylor wrestled for Edinboro University for Mike Deana and two-time Olympic champion Bruce Baumgartner. He went 28-11 as a freshman.
He also wrestled for Morgan State, but his career was halted due to injury.
Taylor moved back to Lorain to seek employment at the Ford Motor Company and has four children: Ashia, Halo, Gabriel and Raeghan.
