I grew up watching Pacquiao, Sugar Ray and Hearns. Now I could join that world
SAYS JOSH TAYLOR
HE has viewed the famous footage often enough, gorging himself on the greatness of men like Ali, Leonard and Hearns.
Now Josh Taylor gets the chance to at least touch the fringes of that world. To put himself in contention for what he hopes will be just the first of many global triumphs.
Victory over Viktor Postol at the SSE Hydro tomorrow night would guarantee the Scot a shot at WBC world super-lightweight champ Jose Ramirez.
Undoubtedly the biggest event of Scotland’s sporting weekend, a fight creating a buzz not just in the UK but also the USA, this final eliminator promises to be something special. A defining moment, even, for Taylor.
If he can beat Postol, the former WBC champion whose record shows just one defeat to the peerless Terence Crawford, the world will open up for Taylor.
He is exactly where he wants to be. A little disbelieving, perhaps. But with his pugilistic passions stirred by history — and ready to tread the same heroic path of so many greats down the years.
His interest in boxing originally kindled by watching Alex Arthur in his pomp, a teenage Taylor quickly expanded his knowledge of the sport.
‘I discovered guys like Joe Calzaghe and all the other greats, Manny Pacquiao, Sugar Ray Leonard — and I knew who Muhammad Ali was,’ said the Prestonpans fighter, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist heading into just his 13th pro bout.
‘I started watching tapes of all their great fights and wanted to be like them. They were my inspiration.
‘I would watch the big fights from Vegas and everywhere. And now I could be in that world.
‘I never, ever thought I would be part of that when I started out boxing. I never thought I would get to the Commonwealth Games, never thought I’d make it to the Olympics — and damn sure never thought I’d be here speaking to you guys about being on the cusp of a world title shot. I love watching the fights between Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns.
‘Both of those fights. I actually think the second one was better, because they were slightly older, even a wee bit past it!
‘But they were still going for it and it was a better fight to watch, some big bombs being thrown.
‘I just get on YouTube and watch that fight. Sometimes I get lost about what fight to watch, so I go on Twitter and get loads of suggestions for great fights.
‘I loved Sugar Ray. He was brilliant, amazing. I’ve named my dog Manny after Pacquiao.
‘I used to train like him, try to throw a hundred punches a round like him.
‘I want to be like these guys, be on that level and be successful.
‘I feel like I’m standing at the gates. If I win this, it opens all the gates to the big fights.
‘So I’m super excited. But also confident and ready to go.
‘Postol has fought in Vegas, all the big venues in front of thousands of fans, so this is nothing new.
‘He might be thinking I’m nervous — but I’m totally relaxed, ready to go.’
If repeated viewings of great fight nights past can provide inspiration, Taylor has also taken heart from a more recent look at an altogether more contemporary clash.
‘I watched Postol’s loss to Terence Crawford last night, the first time I’ve watched it all the way through,’ he revealed yesterday.
‘And it gave me a lot of confidence. Then I watched the first five rounds of his most recent fight, as well.
‘I see a lot of things I can catch him out with. And I think I will catch him on Saturday.
‘Has Crawford given me a blueprint? Aye and no. There are a few things he did well in that fight.
‘And you have to remember that Crawford is an awesome fighter, so you can’t read too much into it. But there were things I saw that will work for me.
‘His footwork and things like that, there are areas I can exploit — and I will.’
Postol is undoubtedly the toughest opponent put before Taylor to date, the 34-year-old Ukrainian having amassed 29 wins for just that single loss.
He has never been stopped, not even by Crawford, the poundfor-pound phenomenon who has now moved up and out of the ten-stone division.
Yet Taylor predicted: ‘I think I can be the first guy to stop him. I think I can, yeah.
‘I won’t be going looking for it but I feel — the way I’m performing now — I can catch him and hurt him.
‘And, when I hurt him, I’m going to jump on him. I think I can get him out of there. That would be a huge message to send out.
‘This fight, in the boxing world, is a massive fight. It’s getting talked about a lot.
‘I’m even getting a lot of messages from America.
‘One of my amateur opponents, Jamel Herring, who I boxed with at the Olympic test event — I beat him — messaged me the other day saying I had a lot of support on that side of the pond, that he would be rooting for me.
‘It’s nice to hear that it’s creating a buzz. And I think America will sit up and take notice when I win on Saturday.
‘The division is wide open. People are waiting for the next great champion.
‘The guys who have the belts right now, I believe I can beat every single one of them.
‘That is a goal of mine, to become undisputed world champion at this weight — and then hopefully move up, in the longer term, and win a world title at a second weight.’