Joub’s just the job for young Josh

THIS is an important year for Josh Taylor, a young fella I believe has a massive future in world boxing.

I am writing this from New York, where Carl Frampton and my son Shane became the first Irishmen to receive the Association Of American Boxing Writers’ gongs for fighter and trainer of the year respectively.

A huge honour, obviously, and one that is not beyond the dreams of Taylor to shoot at down the line.

He is up against a solid opponent in Warren Joubert at the Meadowbank Arena in Edinburgh on Friday, another test after going the distance for the first time against Alfonso Olvera in Las Vegas.

Taylor (above, left, with Olvera) was not at his best that night, though he still won comfortably.

It was important for him to experience the big-fight arena on a huge Vegas show. He needed that kind of performance against an awkward opponent. You can’t knock them all over. As he progresses it is vital to understand the demands of rounds eight, nine and 10 in championship fights and take it on.

Yes it was only eight rounds in Vegas but he has sparred 12 in camp and is ready to go the trip if he has to.

He has sparred something like 125 rounds for Joubert and it is not easy to get partners in his division because the good ones see him as a rival and don’t want to know.

So he has been in with middleweights, super-welters and welters. We want to keep him busy this year with more defences of his Commonwealth belt and maybe even a European title shot.

Ricky Burns remains the ultimate reference point for Taylor, a big target but he has to come through against a game opponent in Julius Indongo next month with his WBA and the IBF Super-lightweight belts at stake.

Also on the Meadowbank bill next Friday is Conrad Cummings, who is looking to reboot after a first career defeat.

He would have loved to avenge his splitdecision loss last time out but Ronny Mittag wanted none of it so he takes on Gogi Knezevic for the vacant WBO European middleweight crown.

There is huge excitement out here for the Gennady Golovkin/Daniel Jacobs showdown at the Garden this weekend..

New York remains a great fight town and it’s one we would really love to grace again soon.