Josh Taylor vs. Ekow Essuman & Nathaniel Collins vs. Lee McGregor - Round by Round.

There should be a statue in Edinburgh Princes Street and he should be Sir Josh Taylor.

Achieved more than another Scottish great Andy Murray for me.

Josh Taylor was an elite fighter, an ATG, future Hall of Fame boxer and British Boxing Legend.

 

Top quality fighter no doubt, elite skill set ,time has caught up with him but shouldn't be overlooked how good he was at his peak.

 

Hard to watch, that. Taylor looked a shadow of himself after the first couple of rounds — flat-footed, timing off, and Essuman just outworked him down the stretch. No controversy on the cards, either — the right man won.

But when you step back, it’s not entirely surprising. Taylor was fast-tracked from the very start — moved quickly, took on serious opposition early, and within 18 fights he was undisputed at 140 and the clear number one in the division. At one point, he was even being floated as a potential opponent for Terence Crawford — that’s how high he’d climbed.

But that kind of fast rise comes at a cost. There was no easing off, no soft defences — just big fight after big fight. And now, after only 22 professional bouts, it feels like the career’s done. Whether it’s wear and tear, motivation, or just the natural drop-off after reaching the summit, he’s not the same fighter anymore.

Still, it has to be said: he reached heights most fighters never touch. He just burned through it all quicker than most.

 

Better to burn out than fade away. I hope he calls it a day now rather than just becoming a name for people to fight.

Inactivity and injuries haven’t helped, as well as the awful Joe McNally in his corner, but he’s still had a career 99% of the boxing world can only dream of. Hopefully he’s more appreciated once he’s retired.

 

Yeah, totally agree — if this is the end, it’s better he calls it now than becomes a name on someone else's résumé. He deserves to go out with a bit of control and respect.

I think COVID really robbed him of his peak years too. That post-Ramirez window — undisputed champ, number one in a strong division — should’ve been the time he broke through into wider recognition. Instead, fights got delayed, momentum was lost, and exposure was minimal. The tank was already half-empty by the time the Catterall fight came around.

And yeah, Joe McNally's corner work hasn't inspired confidence. Same guy who’s cornered Liam Smith into a couple of career-closing performances recently. Just seems flat — and Taylor’s style hasn’t clicked the same way under McNally as it did under Shane McGuigan or even Boxercise Ben. The spite and sharpness just haven’t been there, and Joe's a bit too loud for my liking, especially in the corner — almost like he’s there to promote himself over the fighter..

 

Missed the fight last night but have read this thread.

His recent record suggests a decline of sorts (for whatever reason - age, inactivity, weight issues?) but if he does carry on for a fight or 2 at 147 before retiring, I can see a Benn v Taylor fight down the line billed as The Battle of Britain.

Easy payday for both and we all know that Benn likes to fight those named fighters - Eubank aside - on a visible slide.

He should, if comfortable financially, call it a day. Nowt to prove. Undisputed at 140. Legacy.

 

Outrageous claim about achieving more than Murray, who was a year-end world number one, three-time slam champion, reached all four major finals, eleven slam finals in total, won fourteen Masters, won a year-end championship, beat the top three slam leaders in history in every tier of event including up to slam final level, two Olympic gold medals, Davis Cup champion, forty-six titles in total, and had a twenty-six match winning streak.

Taylor's only notable wins are Ramirez, Prograis, and Postol.

Fair enough if you don't like Andy Murray (can't stand him either) but he worked his arse off for a lifetime, day in and day out, and has the trophy cabinet and mark in the history books to prove it. Ramirez, Prograis, and Postol could be Crawford, Pacquiao, and Lopez and he still wouldn't be in Murray's league in terms of achievement.

 

Really hope Queensberry has patience with Itauma and I would like to see them build him to 20-0 before he starts facing serious opponents (who pose a threat).

 

Josh Taylor hasn´t lived a healthy life for the past 4 - 5 years.

 

I remember the press conference in the spring of 2021 where Eddie Hearn stated that DAZN would be the home of the biggest british boxing nights. He was right, he just didn't tell us we had to wait 4 years

After Frank Warren / Queensberry joined DAZN, the quality of the UK Shows has changed completely. Now I feel I get value for money !

 

In time someone like Steve Bunce could do a story on boxers whose careers were affected by Covid. Taylor would definitely be right up there.

 

Agree with all of that.

Shades of how Frampton's career went, to be honest. McGuigans are good at matching people on the way up but then people change trainer and promoter and things start to come apart. Taylor is lucky he got the undisputed despite all of that, but he's been an utter shadow since the win in Vegas. The Frampton who fought Herring at the end was like a completely different person despite all the talk of being 'back', running a great camp, etc.

 

I don't know him personally, but would suspect this is correct. He's from the same place as former footballer Gary O'Connor and was caught up the town about 5 years back with some of O'Connors favourite stuff (allegedly).

I suspect making the tight weight for his height and his stand and brawl style will have taken their toll too. Even psychologically it must be easier to go into the ring with millions in the bank and dance around. Taylor's taken more punches in single fights he won than others take throughout a career.

He's never looked good since changing trainer either.

 

Frampton makes a good point about Shane below, along with the impact of the sparring.

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Taylor sucks