Hero’s welcome: Taylor comes home triumphant
Boxer Josh Taylor receives a hero’s welcome home in Prestonpans, East Lothian, yesterday having become undisputed world champion in Las Vegas at the weekend – his four belts, however, were lost in transit
Josh Taylor has made a triumphant return to Prestonpans – but without his world championship belts.
The Scottish boxer defeated Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas at the weekend to be crowned the undisputed king of the superlightweight division.
He jet ted back to scotland yesterday and was given a rapturous reception in his hometown in East Lothian.
However, his belts were stranded in Texas.
Taylor, 30, flew home from Vegas via Dallas and then on to Heathrow. Unfortunately, the world championship straps never made it onto the connecting flight.
Asked where the belts were, Taylor replied: “I don’t know – you better ask united airlines !”
Speaking to Sky Sports, he added: “They’re somewhere in Dallas still – they’ve lost my bloody belts! We’re waiting on them coming but nothing’s going to take the smile off my face.”
He is expected to be reunited with the prized mementos later in the week.
Taylor’s victory over Ramirez made him the first Briton to claim the WBO, WBA, IBF and WBC titles simultaneously since the four-belt era officially began in 2004.
The Prestonpans fighter held the WBA and IBF titles going into the fight against Ramirez and added the American’s WBO and WBC belts. Taylor also holds the coveted Ring Magazine belt.
The boxer’s return to Scotland was completed in some style. He switched to a private jet at Heathrow and was pictured sipping champagne on the final leg of the journey back to Edinburgh.
Word that the champ was going to be driving through his hometown yesterday spread like wildfire across social media. Large groups of excited children and saltire-clutching fans turned up and even the icy cold sea breeze, and occasional bursts of rain, did nothingto frighten away the crowds.
People gathered outside the boxer’s local pub, the Goth, which had ensured the Scottish flag was flying proud on the building.
Whispers of “apparently he’s still at the airport” and “no, I heard he just left” filled the almost two and half hours many eager locals waited.
The cheers and yells of delights were deafening as his car approached, with the man himself hanging out the window, beaming at the crowd.
The car stopped and Taylor posed for as many selfies as possible.
Despite having just jumped off a flight from Las Vegas, he made as much time as he could to share the moment with those who turned up before heading home.
Since his victory, Taylor has said that he wants his next fight to be Scotland’s Capital, at either Easter Road or Edinburgh Castle. Taylor hasn’ t fought in his home city since defeating Mexico’s Miguel Vázquez at the Royal Highland Centre at Ingliston in 2017.
Scotland’s Line of Duty actor Martin Compston is a huge fan of the boxer, messaging him several times in the build up to the big fight.
After Taylor’s legendary win, the actor tweeted: “Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Andy Murray, tell me this man doesn’t deserve his place among them and not give af**att he same time .”