Former Commonwealth games gold medallist Josh Taylor (12-0-0, 11 KO’s) is definitely a fighter to get excited about.
Trained by Shane McGuigan – son of legendary Irish featherweight Barry McGuigan – Taylor has shown immense improvements in a sparkling start to his career.
Under the expert tutelage of McGuigan, who also works with George Groves as well as having previously guided Carl Frampton to championship glory in two weight divisions, Taylor offers a straightforward insight into the effectiveness of their partnership.
“We just clicked.” Taylor revealed in an exclusive interview with Boxing Social.
“I’m working with him constantly, and he knows how I think.”
Edinburgh’s Taylor, a diehard Hibernian fan, has consistently impressed against respectable opposition in a professional career spanning just twelve fights.
A protracted rivalry with countryman Ohara Davies culminated in a domestic showdown last July; something which was decidedly less spirited and competitive in nature than the social-media trash-talking the pair were engaged in for months beforehand.
Indeed, the fight itself was a thoroughly one-sided affair, as Taylor outclassed his then-undefeated adversary from the outset before silencing him in the seventh round.
Taylor was able to keep calm throughout and deliver a professional, clinical performance; something which he also attributes to the composed wisdom of his corner.
“Shane was good at keeping me calm and relaxed.” explains Taylor.
“I could remember, actually, a couple of times during the fight where we never really said anything, but we just looked at each other and a thousand words were spoken.”
As fans marvelled at the dominant and seemingly effortless fashion in which Taylor dispatched of the heavy-handed Davies, the Scotsman’s victory on the night was only made sweeter by the fact that he had asserted himself as one of the world’s most promising fighters at light-welterweight, in the process.
Now, the undefeated super lightweight contender, seemingly on the cusp of a World title shot, faces seasoned former champion Viktor Postol on June 23rd in what has largely been deemed by commentators as an extraordinarily risky engagement at this juncture in his career.
Is it, as most people claim, his toughest fight so far?
“Yeah, definitely.” answers Taylor, without a flicker of hesitation.
“He [Postol] has had thirty fights and his only defeat has been to Terence Crawford, the best fighter on the planet, by decision. It’s definitely my hardest fight to date. It’s the biggest fight in my career and the biggest fight in my life, so there’s no shortage of motivation here. I can’t wait.”
Taylor, like many other of his sporting counterparts, revels in being recognised for his accomplishments, and making his community proud with his success.
“I came home from the Commonwealth games [2010] with a silver medal, and everybody at the gym, my mates, and my family were all congratulating me.” Taylor recounts, grinning broadly.
“That’s when I realised I could go pretty far with boxing, and I wanted to take it as far as I could go.”
“It [the attention, following his success at the Commonwealth games] was exciting and really nice. There was a massive gathering when I got piped along my home street, with a big crowd there. Crowds of people were asking me for photos. It was absolutely unbelievable.”
Expectations are high and the excitement surrounding Taylor as a prospect is reaching astronomical proportions. Does he feel any pressure?
“Not really, no. The bigger the occasion, the more I enjoy it and want to impress.” Taylor stresses.
“I don’t really feel any pressure, to be honest.”
Ultimately, on June 23rd, backed by a passionate crowd at the Hydro, Taylor will be undoubtedly looking to put the pressure on Postol himself and win in style in order to consolidate his position as one of the best super lightweights in the world.
Article by: Navi Singh
You can follow Navi on Twitter at: @hombre__obscuro