Ruthless Josh faces big test
JThe exciting super lightweight is gearing up for what promises to be his first major test tonight at the Royal Highland Centre in his hometown of Edinburgh.
The experienced and dangerous Mexican Miguel Vazquez is his opponent. And while he’ll certainly be a step up from what undefeated 26-year-old Taylor has been experiencing in the gym, there’s little doubt Taylor has the ability to put down the former world lightweight champion.
‘Taylor hurts guys in sparring,’ said the legendary Barry McGuigan, the Scot’s promoter and manager, yesterday.
‘We had to put an ice hockey carbon fibre body guard on one of his sparring partners to protect him from Taylor’s body shots.
‘He breaks a guy’s ribs and the fighter in question said after the first session that he felt as if he was dying and if he got bashed like that again, he wouldn’t be able to come back the following day.
‘Taylor has a way of getting through against tough opponents, the way he throws his shots and varies his punches.’
McGuigan first took notice of Taylor at the Commonwealth Games three years ago, where he picked up gold before turning professional in 2015. Since then, it’s been an upward trajectory.
‘As soon as I clocked him at Glasgow 2014, I knew he was going to be very special,’ continued McGuigan.
‘I went to the Commonwealth Games to work for BBC 5 Live just to see how Taylor responded against quality opponents and he was the stand out boxer by a mile; there is something very special about him.
‘And for all that he is going to be tested by Vazquez, I think we are going to see other elements to him, because every time he fights he shows me something different.
‘I genuinely believe he can be the first to knock out Vazquez, he’s such a spiteful puncher.’
McGuigan brought the curtain down on his glittering ring career 28 years ago, having suffered just three defeats in 35 contests that garnered the world featherweight crown. The 56-year-old Irishman remains a fighter at heart, of course, and admits he still feels the tension before a fight.
‘I’m always nervous, it’s the fighter in me,’ he continued.
‘In my mind, I am still that fighter and when I turn up at ringside I can feel the butterflies in the pit of my stomach.
‘Even when I was just commentating, it took me five years to be able to sit at ringside and not feel them.
‘It may not be my job to fight any more, but when the atmosphere is building, suddenly, when I walk to the ring I become a fighter again.
‘It’s then that I have to tell myself to calm down and show control for my boxer’s sake, no matter that it’s tough to do that.
‘I am still able to live the life of a fighter but I am no longer one — my role is to pass on to my fighters in the gym all that I have learned.’
That knowledge will be crucial to Taylor tonight as he looks to take a step up. There’s little doubt a victory over a quality opponent like Vazquez would propel his career forwards.
‘This a big moment in Taylor’s career,’ said McGuigan. ‘This is a real acid test for him because Vazquez is very tough and he’s going to be ruthless.
‘After he lost his world title to Mickey Bey to a wafer-thin decision, Vazquez was criticised by the Latino boxing purists.
‘They said that he needed to change his style and he has. He’s now fighting aggressively as well as keeping his defensive mastery.’
Vazquez, certainly, is intent on shattering Taylor’s dream of one day headlining a show at Edinburgh Castle.
The 30-year-old said: ‘I’ve come to win. My biggest dream is to be king of the boxing fraternity.
‘But even though Josh is only having his 11th fight, I would never underestimate him. I know he’s a good fighter.
‘But I have a leverage on experience, and, with all due respect to Josh Taylor, I am confident in my training. I have prepared myself 100 per cent.
‘He is a bit taller than me and at the beginning he is going to try to use his reach to keep me away.
‘But I am going to try to put pressure on him and wear him down. First, I am going to try to use my skills to disrupt Josh’s rhythm.
‘My country has produced a lot of great boxers and I plan to keep that tradition alive.
‘But I don’t want to fall into the category of the plain old Mexican fighter who receives one punch and responds with three or four and goes crazy, toe to toe.
‘I also base my style on that of the Cuban fighters who keep their distance and use the art of boxing.’
Taylor scaled nine stone, 13 pounds and two ounces, a pound heavier than his opponent.