Junior welterweight titleholder Josh Taylor was arrested and fined £350 ($457) for making racial comments to an Asian doorman after he was tossed out of a nightclub in Edinburgh, Scotland, according to the BBC.
Taylor pleaded guilty to charges of behaving in a “threatening and abusive manner,” the BBC reported.
The boxer, who a prosecutor said was drunk at the time, was remorseful after his day in court. He wrote on his Twitter account that he was “ashamed.”
“I can only apologise,” he wrote, “not only to those whom I offended, but to my family and friends for the upset I’ve caused. There’s no excuse for the comments and the disturbance. I’m going to take some time off over Christmas to reflect on my actions and ensure it never happens again.”
Taylor was at the Shanghai Club when, at about 3 a.m. Sunday, he was asked to leave because of what the BBC reported was a “disturbance.” He then exchanged words with door staff – including the racial comments – and police were called.
Taylor’s lawyer defended him by saying he was a first-time offender who had “achieved exceptional heights” in his boxing career.”
The BBC also reported that Taylor was charged with cocaine possession at a police station. However, a judge accepted his not guilty plea and the charges were dropped.
“I’m regularly tested by all the relevant authorities … and could be at any time regardless of when I’m fighting,” Taylor said. “I would never risk my career and reputation with drugs.”
Taylor is coming off the biggest victory of his career, a majority decision victory over Regis Prograis that unified two 140-pound titles on Oct. 26 in London.