Great white hope Taylor gets his shot at big time
McGuigan called him Scotland’s best since Buchanan, now Commonwealth champion can show it
HERE is not even a hint of apprehension in Josh Taylor’s voice when he talks about fighting on the same bill as one of the most hotly anticipated fights that Britain has seen in years. The 25-year-old Scot has a coveted spot on the undercard of the superbantamweight unification battle between IBF champion Carl Frampton and WBA title holder Scott Quigg. Tickets for the evening sold out in under 10 minutes and a capacity crowd of over 20,000 will be packed into the Manchester Arena.
Taylor won Commonwealth lightwelterweight gold at Glasgow 2014 before turning professional last June. Next weekend, he takes on Lyes Chaibi of France in what will be only his fourth professional fight and he admits he can barely believe that he will be part of such a high-profile fight night so early in his pro career.
“To be boxing on the undercard of a Sky pay-per-view event in only my fourth pro fight is amazing, I couldn’t ask for a better stage to perform on,” he says. “Just to be a part of the evening is going to be brilliant.”
The prospect of fighting in front of such a sizeable crowd while still a fledgling professional would be daunting to many but not Taylor – this, he believes, is what he was born for. “It’s not nerve-wracking – I boxed at the Commonwealth Games in front of 10,000 people and I love performing in front of a big crowd,” he says.
“This opponent is a step up in class for me which is great because the tougher the opponent, the better I’m going to be. I’m feeling good, so I can’t wait to get out there. My training’s been going well, I’m feeling really fit and I definitely believe I’ve improved since my last fight.”
That Taylor is improving is no surprise – he is part of one of the most revered boxing stables in this country. Coached by Shane McGuigan, son of former world champion, Barry, Taylor trains alongside numerous world-class fighters but it is his respect for the younger McGuigan that really shines through.
“Shane’s a brilliant coach. I’m learning all the time working with him because his knowledge is unbelievable,” he says. And with fighters like David Haye, George Groves and Frampton as stablemates, there are endless opportunities for Taylor to learn from the best. There are, the Scot reveals, times when it’s less than serious though. “David Haye’s a real character. He’s a very funny big guy but he’s a gentleman and he can’t do enough for you.
“And there’s George Groves, he’s more quiet but he’s a gentleman too. A few of us are renting George’s flat from him and you need to constantly be on your toes because if you’re not, you’ll get caught out and ripped to shreds. But I really enjoy it. I think that’s half the battle – if you’re enjoying it then it makes everything so much better.”
The Frampton v Quigg fight has been surrounded by a huge amount of hype, with opinion split on who is the likely victor. Taylor has seen Frampton at close quarters, often hanging back in the gym to watch the Irishman spar and do pad work, and so can make a more educated prediction than most about the likely outcome.
“I know I’m biased, but I think Frampton’s flying,” the Commonwealth gold medallist says. “Quigg’s going to come out full of confidence but I think Frampton’s going to be too sharp. Quigg’s going to get desperate and I think Carl will knock him out. In sparring Carl’s been looking so good – he’s been knocking the shit out of everybody. I’ve not done any sparring with him because I’m slightly too big but he’d give me a great spar because he’s punching so hard.”
Taylor may not have reached the heights of some of his stablemates just yet but there is no lack of belief in the young Scot, particularly from Barry McGuigan who has said that he believes Taylor is the best boxer to come out of Scotland since the great Ken Buchanan.
The Prestonpans fighter is not letting the praise go to his head though. “It’s a privilege to have him say those things about me but it’s a bold shout,” Taylor admits. “Barry’s great to chat to – he’s been there and done it all himself and he gives us all advice about life outside the ring, how to conduct yourself and how to invest your money. He’s taken me on to become a world champion, which I believe I will be, but I think he’s just trying to catch people’s attention by making that comparison between me and Ken.
“If I can be half the fighter that Ken Buchanan was then I’ll be happy.”