Josh Taylor regrets missing huge opportunity to face pound-for-pound star

Tonight, Josh Taylor prepares to write a new chapter in his boxing career.

After enjoying undisputed success at super lightweight, ‘The Tartan Tornado’ will move up to welterweight when he faces Ekow Essuman in Glasgow live on DAZN.

Fighting at 147lbs has always been on Taylor’s radar as struggles became more prevalent when making the 140lb limit for super lightweight.

• Read next | ‘A kick in the teeth’ – Josh Taylor reflects on subdued undisputed title and Jack Catterall controversy

After becoming the first British male fighter to become an undisputed champion in the four-belt era, all roads appeared to be leading towards a clash with pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford who at the time was dominating the welterweight division, along with fellow American Errol Spence Jr.

Unfortunately for Taylor, a prior agreement to face Jack Catterall after his win over Jose Ramirez for undisputed glory was next, meaning the window for a Crawford fight was quickly shut.

Crawford has gone on to enjoy undisputed title success at welterweight before winning a world title at light middleweight and is now set to face the undisputed super middleweight champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in a mega-fight later this year.

If Taylor was to continue pursuing an elusive clash with Crawford, then the Scotsman would have to make a rapid move through three weight divisions and speaking in an exclusive interview with DAZN News, Taylor admitted the boat has likely sailed for a future fight with Crawford.

“I think I may have missed that boat now, which is a bit of a bad one because that was the plan,” Taylor said.

“Before the undisputed fight, I'd made a deal with my managerial company and Jack Catterall, I shook the lad's hand, he was mandatory for the world title. He stepped aside and let me go for the undisputed title. I said if I win, I’ll give you the first shot at the title.

“In hindsight, I wish I had just said ‘I've done it now and I'm going to move up and get that Crawford fight because that would have been fantastic. But I've missed that boat now.”

 

Taylor’s first fight with Catterall in February 2022 was the start of a rough patch in his career.

While he managed to beat Catterall by split decision, it was a result which many disputed and prompted an unsavoury reaction from the boxing community.

Taylor then lost three of his four belts outside of the ring before losing his WBO super lightweight title in June 2023 before losing to Catterall in a rematch last year.

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