Josh Taylor loved the very best highs and endured the bottom lows of boxing over the previous 5 years.
The 33-year-old Scotsman had an incredible run from 2019 to 2021, when he defeated in succession Ivan Baranchyk, Regis Prograis, Apinun Khongsong and Jose Ramirez to change into the king of the 140-pound division and a world star.
Then got here 2022 and final 12 months, when introduced him again to earth. He struggled to defeat Jack Catterall by a disputed resolution after which was outclassed in a unanimous resolution loss to Teofimo Lopez final June. The previous broken his repute, the latter value him his titles.
And a rematch with Catterall was postponed twice due to accidents to Taylor, first involving his foot after which his eye, including to his frustration.
He’ll have an opportunity to place all that behind him and regain a few of what he misplaced when he faces his English rival a second time on Saturday evening at First Direct Area in Leeds (ESPN+).
“It’s simply one other combat week and on Saturday it’s simply one other combat,” Taylor, 33, mentioned at a information convention Thursday. “I’m wanting ahead to placing all this to mattress and transferring on with my profession and proving that the final time was simply an off evening.
“Take a look at the historical past of boxing. All the nice fighters of the previous have taken defeats and are available again and gained world titles once more. Simply since you take one defeat, it doesn’t imply you’re a completed fighter.
“I feel that’s the place boxing has taken a flip for the more serious as a result of when a fighter takes a loss everybody says, ‘Ah he’s completed’, and stuff like that. However within the UFC, there are fighters that have gotten 20 fights with 10 losses however they’re nonetheless on the prime of the sport and nonetheless combating.
“Simply since you take a loss it doesn’t imply that you’re a dangerous fighter. I nonetheless really feel that I’m on the prime of the sport and on Saturday, I handle enterprise and I’m again within the image and successful my titles again.”
Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs) was lucky to have his hand raised after his first combat with fellow southpaw Catterall (28-1, 13 KOs).
The then-champion went down from a pair of overhand lefts within the eighth spherical, which shocked Taylor’s home-country followers in Glasgow. And he was by no means capable of take management of the combat, though he did his finest work down the stretch.
He said the apparent after the combat: “It wasn’t my finest efficiency.”
“The final combat was a stinker from each of us,” Taylor mentioned Thursday. “Jack was doing lots of holding and spoiling, slowing the tempo down, I used to be very poor as nicely. I imagine the 2 of us could be a lot higher, and will probably be a greater combat for the followers.
“It’s going to be a barnstormer, we had been within the enviornment on Monday and bought a little bit of a shock, it’s proper on prime of you. So it’s going to be an awesome expertise and ambiance in there.”
It has been some time since Taylor has had an awesome expertise.
