This is as big as Scotland winning the World Cup
I don’t have to stand here and do the usual promoter thing, talking s***, but..
THERE will be four belts on the line, the prestigious Ali Trophy and global recognition as one of the pound-for-pound stars on the planet.
But promoter Kalle Sauerland reckons he could chuck in the Jules Rimet while he’s at it.
The brains behind the World Boxing Super Series believes it’s not just a ton of hardware up for grabs in the O2 this evening.
There’s Regis Prograis’ WBA and Taylor’s IBF world titles, the Ring Magazine strap and the Ali Trophy for starters.
But Sauerland is convinced the Scot can blast the country back into the boxing big time if he does the business against the slick American.
He said: “If Josh wins this will be like Scotland winning the m.gannon@dailyrecord.co.uk
World Cup. To have a guy like Taylor fighting on this stage really puts his country on the boxing map. We all know he’s very patriotic and what it means to him.”
Promoters do tend to add a bit of extra relish to their encounters but Sauerland said: “The great thing about this fight is I don’t have to stand here and do the usual promoter thing, talking s*** about it.
“This contest speaks for itself. It’s the two best super lightweights in the world.
“They’re both young guys and they both have wonderful careers ahead of them no
matter what happens. But this is a huge opportunity for them. It’s the Champions League Final.
“This is it. This is the shot at glory. They’ve both won world titles on the way and now, boom, it’s all on the line. That’s what this tournament is all about.”
Sauerland is a money man but he’s also a boxing fan and is lapping up this contest and the increasingly-chilling build-up.
Taylor slapped Prograis down in the pre-fight press conference and it’s clear the Scot has bad intentions brewing.
Sauerland said: “You can’t ignore the sense of dislike there is. You have to build up hatred for your opponent.
“I’ve done a few of these faceoffs now where they meet up in the ring straight after a fight.
“Most guys are like, ‘Get me out of here, I’m tired, I’m not doing a face-off ’. But Josh had just done 12 tough rounds with Ivan Baranchyk in his semi – yet he still had a pop at Prograis. The mental war was on right away.
“There is respect but there’s a real edge there.”
Sauerland understandably will sit on the fence and even revealed the Ali Trophy will be decided by a fourth judge on standby if the three at ringside can’t be split.
But Taylor’s trainer Shane McGuigan has no doubt about the outcome. He might be
This contest speaks for itself. It’s the two best in the world at this weight
KALLE SAUERLAND, THE FIGHT’S PROMOTER
biased but he’s also a student of the game and he is convinced Prograis has bitten off more than he can chew.
McGuigan has seen American stars rise rapidly only for their empires to be built on sand. He remembers Jeff Lacy being billed as the new Mike Tyson then getting taken to school by Joe Calzaghe. And previously unbeaten Ryan Martin got the big build-up before Taylor took him to pieces in the WBSS quarter-finals.
McGuigan said: “What you’ve got to think about is people like Terence Crawford. He was an international amateur. Errol Spence won the Olympics.
“Prograis has come out of nowhere. Even Baranchyk had boxed a lot internationally as an amateur. It always makes me wonder when these guys come over from the States with this big reputation
“The last guy to come over from America to do that was Jeff Lacy. He was the last one to come out of the blue – and look what happened to him. So he could be another one of those fighters.
“He’s not as hitable as Lacy but he could feel like he’s massively out of his depth on Saturday night.
“Someone with Josh’s speed against a guy like Prograis who wants to fight at his own pace, it’s tough for him.
“His style is all wrong for fighting someone who is in and out as fast as Josh.”
McGuigan feels he’s having to hold back a pitbull at the moment, with Taylor straining at the leash.
The Scot has a fierce streak and Prograis is bringing his dark side to the fore.
There’s a reason he’s nicknamed Hank after the Jekyll and Hyde Jim Carey film character in Me, Myself & Irene.
McGuigan said: “He’s always ready to explode. He hates the flamboyant lifestyle, he’s just a very chilled guy.
“When he finishes boxing he just wants to live in his house with his dogs and his family. Whereas this guy wants to walk around the streets, being paraded everywhere.
“It’s a bit of the Ohara Davies thing – they want to be superstars rather than fighters. That’s what winds Josh up, bringing out a bit of mischief and spite. We see the Hank in him. It’s a joke in the gym. There was a boxer called Aaron Prior and we used to call him The Hawk.
“Instead of Hawk time, we say Josh has Hank time – when that other side of the split personality comes out. Even in sparring it’s Hank time. He lets himself go, he’s got that little switch.”
Tonight could be Hank time too. The Scot has the tools to drag Prograis into the depths of war he’s never seen before and claim a wide points victory – or perhaps even a late stoppage.