Josh Taylor Eager To Return: I'm Getting a Wee Bit Itchy Hands

WBA, IBF junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor is getting a real itch to get back in the ring - and he doesn't care if the contest take place inside an empty arena.

The 29-year-old boxer had been scheduled to fight last month, but his contest was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He was going to make his mandatory defense against top challenger Apinun Khongsong of Thailand.

Taylor has been out of the ring since winning the World Boxing Super Series junior welterweight tournament back in October, when he defeated Regis Prograis in an action-packed fight.

“It’s been since October, you now, since my last fight so it’s a long time. I’ve only had three sparring sessions as well so I’m getting a wee bit itchy hands," Taylor told STV.

“I don’t know what is going to happen. I think it might be behind closed doors, which isn’t ideal. It would just be hard to get up for that because it would be like going out for a sparring match, you know, every day in the gym."

Earlier this year, Taylor parted ways with Cyclone Promotions and then signed a promotional agreement with Top Rank.

Top Rank have already resumed business, by staging a series of empty arena shows in Las Vegas.

Taylor feels fortunate to be financially secure at the moment. 

“I’m very fortunate enough to be in the position, I’m world champion now, where if this had happened maybe two years ago, three years ago I would have been really, really gutted," Taylor said.

“I would have needed the fight and I would have needed the money and needed that fight to move on with my career, so I really feel for the younger fighters coming through, that are doing maybe the small hall shows or shows like my show to sort of showcase themself, to see what talent they’ve got and keep them moving forward."