Josh Taylor (“The Tartan Tornado”), originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, is rated the # 7 contender in the super lightweight division by Boxrec.
The 27- year old 5’10” southpaw has a 91% KO record with 11 wins and no losses. Moreover, ten of those wins came by 7 straight knockouts.
As “a wee lad,” Josh won a junior Taekwando championship. Later, in amateur boxing, he won silver and gold medals, and a commonwealth championship.
He currently holds the WBC Silver Super Lightweight title, the Commonwealth Light Welterweight title, and the IBF World Light Welterweight belt.
Fighting outside his native UK, the Scots warrior opened another avenue of recognition with bouts in El Paso, Las Vegas, and Brooklyn, New York.
He trains under the experienced eye of Shane McGuigan, son of the Irish “Clones Cyclone” Barry McGuigan, former WBA and EBU featherweight champion.
In 2015, Taylor signed on with Cyclone Promotions, where he’s spared with a number of top British fighters including Carl Frampton and George Groves.
His six-day training regimen includes sparing, sprints, and weight training. However, a one-day respite is permitted with a “clean” meal (low carbs and little sugar).
There’s no ring rust or stamina issues with Taylor, who comes to fight in tip-top condition. Moreover, he’s stayed busy with 4 fights in 2017.
Shane McGuigan compares Taylor to the great Scot lightweight champion, Ken Buchanan. He believes Josh is championship material; it’s just a matter of time.
The 6 fighters in his way to the super lightweight title are: John Molina Jr., Adrian Broner, Julius Indongo, Rances Barthelemy, Victor Postol, and champion, Mickey Garcia.
To Taylor’s credit, he’s been fighting legitimate opponents like Ohara Davies and Miguel Vazquez, who held the IBF lightweight title for 4 years.
Team Taylor believes a contest for the British (BBBofC) title is a step backward, and prefers a match against Anthony Yigit of Sweden for the EBU (European) belt instead.
Taylor has an aggressive, forward moving style. He can box and bang, which makes him a dangerous opponent. His most lethal punch is a right hook to the body.
He likes to mix it up on the inside, going down to the basement to nail his opponent with vicious right hooks, working him over in a corner or on the ropes.
Taylor has KO’d all but one of his opponents, often wearing them down with body shots, and setting them up for a classic overhand left.
His clam shell defense is highly effective. He puts on the ear muffs, and then suddenly jumps on a surprised opponent with a flurry of deadly counter-punches.
A good tactical fighter, he can adjust his fight plan in minutes, turning his opponent, or shifting from his southpaw stance to an orthodox position.
However, Taylor has only 11 bouts and lacks experience. Moreover, he’s never fought a top-10 contender at the highest level. At this stage, he’s still untested.
Nevertheless, he has the speed, power, and skill to move up quickly. Fight fans will be hearing the name Josh Taylor more frequently in the near future.
