Josh Taylor vs Ekow Essuman this weekend!

Very much looking forward to see what Taylor has left. Though I think he stayed at 140 too long and made a mistake in parting company with Shane McGuigan.

 

I'm stoked for this match up. It'll give us a good indication on how much Taylor has left. If anyone doesn't know about Ekow Essuman watch his fights with Owen Cooper and Ben Vaughan. Definitely a potential FOTY candidate against Josh Taylor.

 

What are you talking about that Taylor doesn’t take easy fights? Essuman is a good fighter but has had wars with fighters at domestic level like Ben Vaughan and Owen Cooper. If Taylor has anything left to compete at world level he should stop Essuman.

Collins vs McGregor is the fight of the card for me.

 

I've no idea who Essuman is but I hope he beats Taylor senseless and sends him into retirement so we never have to listen to his blabber mouth again.

 

I've never seen a fighter wear a "deer in headlights" look more than Taylor. Does he have zero confidence or is he self medicating?

The guy look petrified against Catterall (only throwing punches in the clich or on the break) same against Lopez. Can't beleive Taylor is -$350 on Saturday, tempted to drop a nickel on Essuman but don't trust the judges.

 

Josh will have to be 100% fit and conditioned regardless of how much ability he may or may not have shed over the years. Essuman is one of my favourite fighters, never seen him in a bad fight, all heart, all engine, all action. British level or not, if Josh can't stay with him he'll be outhussled and outworked over the distance.

 

I think Josh is done, but what a career he's had. He is undeniably one of the greats of British boxing and arguably the greatest Scottish boxer of all time. He stayed at 140 for far too long, though, and took years off his career. That first Catterall fight and his response to it tarnished his legacy significantly. Essuman to get robbed on points or Josh to win a closely contested fight, but it's a solid fight and will be interesting.

 

I don’t think he’s done, he’s not necessarily old. This was pretty much the level he was at, dude just didn’t fight great opponents. What’s his best win? A slow flat footed Regis that he barely eeked out? That same Regis got 12-0’d by Haney. Watching his downfall was delightful since I always found him overrated.

 

As someone who has followed Taylor through his rise to undisputed, and his current apparent decline, I would respectfully disagree. Whilst Taylor is an action fighter that belies the craft and skill he has shown in the ring; at his peak he had very good footwork and judicious punch selection, a robust gas tank, fierce heart, and excellent ring IQ. Nowadays he seems much slower of hand and foot and cannot close the distance effectively; add to that I don't think his gas tank is what it was, and against Catterall and Lopez he seemed out of ideas when things weren't going his way and largely accepted his fate. Whilst he is not that old in boxing terms the rumours of his lifestyle outside the ring very well may be true when you consider his decline; like Kovalev he may be another fighter who has aged prematurely because of the bottle.

 

Regis was undefeated and at his peak against Taylor, that version of him would've mauled Haney. He was long gone by the time he fought Devin. Taylor might have been slightly overrated on a world stage, but he has solid wins over Postol and Ramirez and captured all four belts. That's a solid achievement in the sport. Taylor in the 2nd Catterrall fight was a shell of the boxer from the Prograis fight, which is why I think he loses or ends up in a complete war against a guy he would've destroyed a few years ago; his decline has been painfully evident in his last three fights and I don't see how it doesn't continue in that direction.