‘ Scots wha hae wi Wallace bled,
Scots wham Bruce has aften led;
Welcome tae your gory mattress, or tae victory ‘
By Gary Todd: When Josh Taylor walks down seventh avenue and in by the doorway to the Mecca of boxing, which is Madison Sq. Backyard, his feelings will probably be operating riot, and so they need to be. Each boxer desires of combating on this historic and particular place to affix the previous contenders and champions who gave their coronary heart and soul to be scribed into the historical past annals without end.
As he makes the lengthy stroll by the corridors and right down to the ring, Taylor will probably be fascinated with the fights he has watched on the TV, and greater than something, he’ll be fascinated with the Scottish nice, light-weight champion, Ken Buchanan, who fought there in world title 15 spherical fights. Buchanan spilled blood there, and he gained and misplaced there in fights that made him ‘ The Tartan Legend.’
Taylor would befriend Buchanan earlier than he handed away and Kenny would inform him tales of outdated as they sat ‘chewin the fats ‘ across the kitchen desk.
On the evening, Taylor will probably be paying tribute to his pal by sporting tartan shorts and robe as he goes into battle in enemy territory.
Josh Taylor ( 19 -0 13 Kos) turned skilled in 2015 after profitable gold within the 2014 commonwealth video games in Glasgow, combating 4 fights a yr and racking up a powerful report. His southpaw aggressive model and great offensive punching have been proving to be an excessive amount of for all that confronted him. Good fighters in Miguel Vasquez, Viktor Postol, Ryan Martin, and Ivan Baranchyk had no reply for ‘ The Tartan Twister’ who would finally win the Muhammad Ali trophy by beating the gifted Regis Prograis ( 24-0 ) on factors within the closing of the tremendous six competitors in 2019.
In 2020 he would battle the unbeaten, hard-as-nails Thai boxer, kickboxer in London, and Taylor wasted no time in stopping the #1 challenger to retain his titles.
There was a whole lot of discuss in regards to the Mexican, Jose Carlos Ramirez and Taylor combating for the IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO titles, and in Could 2021, the 2 champions met in a bitter showdown for Ramirez to attempt to turn out to be the primary boxer of Mexican descent to win the undisputed title and Taylor to turn out to be the undisputed champion after solely 18 fights. Within the battle, Taylor rocked Ramirez and knocked him down in spherical 6 and spherical 7 to win on factors to turn out to be the undisputed champion of the world.
Teofimo Lopez ( 18-1 13 Kos ) made his debut in 2016 after representing his mom and fathers ‘outdated’ nation of Honduras within the Olympic Video games of that very same yr. He burst onto the light-weight scene and was touted as the subsequent large factor, and himself and his father proclaimed he can be ‘ Taking up’ the division earlier than later.
The Brooklyn-born fighter was strolling the stroll and speaking it up at each alternative he acquired, hammering skilled fighters in Mason Menard, Diego Magdaleno, and Masayoshi Nakatani.
In 2019, he gained the IBF light-weight title in explosive vogue by knocking out the extremely regarded Richard Commey in two rounds, and it appeared like there was positively’ a takeover’ within the 135lb division and there was just one man that stood in his means, and that was Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Covid 19 had affected the world in so some ways, and illness and isolation stopped just about every part, but there was nonetheless discuss of placing on sports activities with nobody in attendance and boxers combating with solely the officers there to officiate. It was loopy time, irrespective of the place you have been or what you have been doing, and everybody finally needed to overcome the worry of the virus to hold on and stay their lives.
It was October 2020 and Lomachenko and Lopez fought to unify the division they usually fought with no crowd to cheer them on, and within the battle, Lopez took the battle to the Ukrainian , out boxing, utilizing his jab and concentrating on Lomachenko’s physique in an excellent show of velocity and boxing IQ that he simply couldn’t adapt to , however regardless of having some good moments within the championship rounds, the person generally known as ‘ The Matrix’ appeared out of it and was crushed by a large factors choice in Vegas.
Subsequent up was the brawler from Australia, George Kambosos Jr. Kambosos had completed sufficient by combating anybody, wherever, and after years of sparring in coaching camps with Manny Pacquiao, and battling by life, ready for his probability, he knew this was his probability at glory. Within the battle, the smaller Kambosos got here out exhausting and quick and fought like a determined man, knocking Lopez down within the 1st spherical.
There was discuss of Lopez being sick in camp and likewise having difficulties making the load, and it confirmed. He was positively off, however he nonetheless appeared harmful and, at instances, outclassed Kambosos together with his boxing expertise and punching combos. Kambosos saved pushing and fought the one means he knew, and within the tenth spherical, Lopez decked the Australian, making it shut going into the ultimate rounds. In the long run, it went to the scorecards, and Kambosos gained by a break up choice in New York and adjusted his life without end.
This may be his final battle as a light-weight. Lopez got here again some 8 months later and fought a dominant efficiency, knocking out Pedro Campa in 7 rounds. With extra discuss, Lopez was calling out the highest guys within the tremendous light-weight division, and subsequent up was the robust European champion Sandor Martin.
It was clear that the Spanish fighter wasn’t in any respect intimidated by Lopez, and though the New Yorker got here out aggressively, the person from Barcelona matched him together with his personal boxing capability, and within the 2nd spherical, he knocked down Lopez with a tough proper hand. Lopez recovered and fought again to make it a troublesome however shut battle. Lopez profitable a break up choice. Questions have been requested if he had the chin and the facility at 140 to problem the large boys.
Whereas Lopez was being dissected by many throughout the pond, the previous undisputed tremendous light-weight champion Josh Taylor was being doubted, and he had his personal inquiries to reply.
Taylor had achieved a lot in his profession at tremendous light-weight, and it appeared that making the load yr after yr, battle after battle, was taking its toll on him, and while you’re a champion, there’s at all times somebody across the nook, ready to take what’s yours. Jack Catterall ( 27 fights 26 wins 13 Kos 1 loss) had been combating as an expert for 10 years.
He gained the WBO European gentle welter title, the WBO Intercontinental gentle welter title, and the British gentle welterweight title. The man might battle. Like Kambosos, he was patiently ready for his probability, and in February of 2022, after stepping apart offers, disappointments, and covid, he lastly acquired his shot towards Josh Taylor.
On paper, Taylor had peak, attain, and bodily benefits, and he had a significantly better resume and big-fight expertise. On the weigh-in, it was a bitter confrontation, and it was clear there was no respect for both fighter. Taylor appeared weight drained, and within the battle, it confirmed as his timing and stability have been off, and he didn’t use his jab or his measurement to his benefit, and Catterall boxed brilliantly, counterpunching Taylor, leaving the proud Scotsman annoyed and respiratory heavy.
2 southpaws clashing making it a clumsy affair. It was a troublesome battle to attain, however after the 12 rounds, Taylor acquired the nod by a break up choice. Many at ringside thought the English boxer had completed sufficient to win, notably by knocking Taylor down within the eighth spherical.
With each champions combating one another and each arguably combating to every make a press release to anybody who doubted them, this conflict is ready to be a traditional.
Can Taylor make the load another time? Lopez would be the extra pure at 140 however can he take the facility?
At 32, Taylor would be the older man by seven years. Taylor could have peak and attain benefits and he might want to use his jab to determine the tone of the battle. Taylor will wish to battle inside, whereas Lopez will attempt to battle from the surface and stick and transfer, counterpunching all evening lengthy.
Taylor has to dictate the tempo and use his footwork and jab, and at all times end with the hook. I feel being aggressive and throwing the fitting hand to the physique and the uppercut, and ending with the fitting or left hook to Lopez’s head will probably be Taylor’s key to victory.
Lopez has dazzling footwork, he punches from all angles and has respectable punching energy, and he’s a counterpuncher.