Tag: Scotland

Josh Taylor vs. Apinum Khongsong set for May 2 in Scotland

Josh Taylor will defend his junior welterweight titles against Apinum Khongsong on May 2 at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland on ESPN+

The next chapter in Josh Taylor’s career will begin at home.

Taylor’s mandatory title defense against Apinum Khongsong will take place in Scotland on May 2 in his first bout since his surprising jump to Top Rank in early January, about 2½ months after his dramatic majority-decision victory over Regis Prograis for two pieces of the junior welterweight title.

Top Rank announced Thursday that Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs) will face Khongsong (16-0, 13 KOs), of Thailand, in at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow on ESPN+.

Taylor, who is from Edinburgh, will be fighting at the arena for a fifth time.

“I am super excited to kick-start the new year with a fresh start and with a new team,” said Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs), who won his first 140-pound belt in Glasgow by a unanimous decision over Ivan Baranchyk on May 18.

The Taylor announcement came on the same day that Prograis’ next bout against Maurice Hooker on April 17 was formally announced at a news conference. It might have been coincidence, but Taylor and Progais appear to be on track for a rematch in the busy junior welterweight division.

Jose Ramirez, who also holds two belts, faces Viktor Postol in a rescheduled bout on May 9 in Fresno, California, Ramirez’s hometown.

It’s still not clear who will train Taylor, who has been working with former Tyson Fury trainer Ben Davison and Adam Booth. Taylor split with Shane McGuigan when he left Barry McGuigan and Cyclone Promotions for Top Rank.

Josh Taylor, thinking big, sets his sights on Terence Crawford

Josh Taylor wants to unify the 140-pound titles against Jose Ramirez and then move up to 147 and face Terence Crawford.

First, Jose Ramirez. Then, Terence Crawford.

That’s a bold plan, but Josh Taylor’s move to Top Rank has emboldened the Scottish fighter.

Taylor, who announced a multi-year deal with Top Rank on Thursday, told his hometown newspaper that Crawford has always been somebody he has wanted to fight.

“It’s been an ambition of mine to fight him for a long time,” Taylor told the Evening Edinburgh News

Taylor might be getting a little bit ahead of himself. Crawford, ranked first or second in the various pound-for-pound ratings, is a welterweight. Taylor is at junior welter and is expected to face Ramirez later in the year for all of the significant belts at 140 pounds. First, Ramirez has to beat Viktor Postol Feb. 2 in China on ESPN.

If, as expected, Ramirez beats Postol, then Taylor faces a challenge as daunting as the one he wants against Crawford. Taylor-Ramirez looks to be a pick-em fight. But Taylor is nothing if not confident. His fearlessness is a reason Top Rank signed him. His long-term ambitions also might be welcome news to Crawford, who is looking for a well-known name with proven talent who can silence the critics who dismiss the quality of his opposition

That name might be Taylor. Might be Ramirez.

“We both now operate under the same banner so there’s no reason for boxing politics to get involved,” said Taylor, referring to Crawford. “If I move up to 147 pounds, then that fight with Crawford should be easily made. The only negotiating that would need to happen would be if it is going to be here or in America.‘’

A more immediate task for Taylor is to find a new trainer. In leaving Barry McGuigan’s Cyclone Promotions, it’s expected that Taylor will also leave trainer Shane McGuigan, Barry’s son.