Having been simply 4 seconds away from profitable the British and Commonwealth welterweight titles in his first alternative, Liam Taylor has needed to wait greater than 4 years for his second shot on the prestigious belts. However his lengthy wait is nearly over.
The British Boxing Board of Management lately ordered present British and Commonwealth champion Harry Scarff to defend his Lonsdale Belt in opposition to Taylor. Purse bids are scheduled to open April 10.
In November 2019, Taylor (27-2-1, 14 KOs) dropped then-champion Chris Jenkins within the second spherical of their combat and was main on factors when, with simply 4 seconds of the fourth spherical remaining, an unintentional conflict of heads opened a minimize over Jenkins’ left eye.
The combat was halted instantly and declared a technical draw. Had the ringside physician allowed Jenkins to complete the spherical, the combat would have gone to the scorecards and Taylor would have been topped the brand new champion.
Coach Steve Maylett advised BoxingScene that he expects Tayor, 33, from Middleton, U.Ok., shouldn’t need to be affected person for much longer.
“Final week, the Board put it out once more that they wish to try to get this combat on,” Maylett mentioned. “That’s honest play to them. They will’t depart the British title sitting on the shelf for six to 9 months. It’s too prestigious. You solely have to look at the combat between Nathan Heaney and Brad Pauls final weekend to see simply what it means to those fighters. They’re a number of the greatest fights of the 12 months. We are able to’t be having titles sat about for 9 or 12 months and never fought for.”
Scarff (13-2, 3 KOs) is named “Horrible Harry,” however he has been something however since dropping down from tremendous welterweight two years in the past. He broadly outpointed Louis Greene to win the English title, and adopted that by placing in a superb show to take the British and Commonwealth titles from Ekow Essuman final November. Scarff was then shortly nominated to field Ukraine’s Karen Chukhadzian in a ultimate eliminator for a shot at Jaron Ennis’ IBF welterweight title.
In February, Wasserman Boxing gained that purse bid, organising a combat between Scarff and Chukhadzian sooner or later this summer season.
Two weeks in the past, Taylor pressured former British title challenger Sam O’Maison to retire after only a single spherical. O’Maison and Maylett will now keep within the gymnasium and look forward to a date.
“I feel they’re saying the combat must be performed by August time,” Maylett mentioned. “I feel it’ll be August or September. Good luck to Scarff, who’s received an IBF eliminator developing. I imagine if he wins that, he would possibly vacate. But when he doesn’t, we’ll be sat right here prepared and ready for him.”