Taylor says title win was an anti climax

JOSH TAYLOR has recalled how fulfilling his dream of becoming a world champion a year ago was a bit of an anticlimax – because he never doubted he would reach the top.

The super lightweight boxer collected the IBF belt last May in front of a sell-out SSE Hydro in Glasgow after overcoming the previously unbeaten Ivan Baranchyk on points.

Life was to become even better for the 29-year-old five months later when he became a unified world champion with a pulsating victory over Regis Prograis, who had been in possession of the WBA title.

Describing his feelings when he was crowned IBF belt holder, the unbeaten Taylor said: “You’re expecting, ‘world champions – yes!’, go out and party, got metal with your friends and family and celebrate properly’.

“A world champion, a lifetime of dreaming about that moment. It wasn’t, it was kind of like an anti-climax. It was just, ‘I’ve done it now’.

“At the time I was just like, ‘thank god, I’ve done it, mission accomplished. It had been a long time I had been dreaming about it and thinking about it.

“It was quite weird, I wasn’t really that emotional.”

Speaking to IFL TV, he added: “I always knew I would become world champion. It wasn’t until I went away on holiday and sitting by the pool with [girlfriend] Danielle and I said to her: ‘I’m world champion’.

“We were just sitting sun bathing next to the pool and I turned round to her and said, ‘I’m f***ing world champ’, she just started laughing.

“I was obviously proud of myself for what I had done. Fifteen fights and I’m world champion, amazing man.”