Josh Taylor is finishing his training camp under the hot sun. He appears fit, confident, and slightly sunburnt.
He commented to ESPN with a bright smile, “I`ve gone from pale blue to lobster red, so hopefully it turns into a little bit of a tan.”
Regardless of the sunburn, the former undisputed junior welterweight champion looks in excellent condition, partly due to moving up to welterweight where he has more weight flexibility.
Taylor (19-2, 13 KOs) stated he never struggled to make the 140-pound limit he previously dominated. However, like many boxers, he`s reached a point where moving up in weight makes sense. The 34-year-old feels the difference as he prepares for his 147-pound debut against Ekow Essuman (21-1, 8 KOs) in Glasgow this Saturday.
Taylor mentioned, “I`m basically at my natural weight. I`m just a couple of pounds over right now, which is nothing. I`m eating well and feel full of energy and vitality.”
He no longer faces the difficult process of cutting the final pounds before weigh-ins, a typically brutal procedure. This means no saunas, no sweat suits, and no dehydration techniques.
Essuman presents a significant challenge for Taylor, especially as this is only his fourth fight in four years. The Scottish fighter aims to become a two-weight world champion, a feasible goal for one of Britain`s top boxers. Yet, he requires a decisive win to show he can compete among the top contenders in the competitive welterweight division.
Josh Taylor is targeting significant matchups, similar to his past fight against Teofimo Lopez.
“If I win this weekend,” he explained, “I`ll be in contention for major welterweight fights, but I`m focused on Ekow because he`s a very difficult opponent.”
“He`s tried and tested,” Taylor added, “he`s Commonwealth and British champion so I`ll have my hands full.”
If Taylor proves he remains at the elite level, he could look towards fights against names like Jaron `Boots` Ennis, Devin Haney, Mario Barrios, and Conor Benn.
Key Questions for Taylor
However, there are still questions surrounding his performance:
- Does he still possess the drive?
- He has participated in demanding fights and performs well in fast-paced bouts, which likely takes a physical toll. How will his body respond to another demanding challenge after such wars?
- What impact has his relative inactivity had? Six of his last seven bouts went the full distance.
Another persistent question is regarding Jack Catterall. Taylor and Jack Catterall have had two exciting fights, each winning one.
“It`s officially one win each,” Taylor stated. “I`m content to move forward and leave it there.”
“I was prepared for a third fight, but they weren`t interested, believing Catterall would get a world title shot. However, he lost to Arnold Barboza Jr.”
“I`m on my own path now,” he concluded. “My focus is on becoming a two-weight world champion. If the fight against Catterall becomes financially appealing, I`d consider it, as it`s one win each and it would be good to settle the score.”