When Josh Taylor was at his peak the sky appeared the limit for him.
Watching him win the junior-welterweight World Boxing Super Series generated amazement and admiration. After that he beat Jose Carlos Ramirez to win the undisputed title.
He looked like he’d be at the top of his weight division, and something special, for a while. His fall from grace since then was unthinkable, and yet starting with his controversial victory over Jack Catterall in 2022 that’s what followed.
He didn’t perform well that night against Catterall and was lucky to get the decision. But sometimes even the best fighters have bad nights – it was too soon to write him off.
In his next fight, in 2023 against Teofimo Lopez, he produced a performance that showed he was motivated and still had plenty to offer. The criticism that followed that defeat was undeserved – Lopez was also ready and very, very sharp that night. It wasn’t that Taylor was underprepared, it was that Lopez was very good on the night.
The defeat that then followed in the rematch against Catterall was more worrying. Again, it wasn’t that Taylor was bad, but as good as Catterall was that night, it showed that Taylor had declined. If he had been near his best, like he was against Ramirez, he’d have beaten Catterall – who’s a good fighter nonetheless.
Saturday’s fight, against Ekow Essuman, is Taylor’s first at welterweight after years of him talking about moving up. He’s moved into a thin weight division; while we may never again see the best of Taylor, he’s joined a landscape that’s wide open, and where he can make money and potentially win a title.
Jaron Ennis, the world’s leading welterweight, is the only fighter to be feared at 147lbs. Devin Haney, another former 140lbs champion, is another who’s moved up and put himself in a good position to challenge for a title right away. Catterall, who’s moving up to fight Harlem Eubank on July 5, is a further fighter capable of making an impression there.
If Taylor, 34, has been struggling to make 140lbs he had little choice but to move up. While it’s true that it’s harder for offensive fighters like him to do so, at his best he was far from just a come-forward fighter – he attacked his opponents with a technical ability that meant him picking his punches and throwing combinations.
The 36-year-old Essuman has the potential to prove difficult for him, stylistically. A sense of momentum contributed to Taylor’s success at 140lbs – anyone who believes he lost to Catterall the first time could therefore argue he hasn’t won a fight since May 2021, and that lack of momentum means Essuman can pose even more of a risk.
But Taylor doesn’t need to convince in victory. His profile – built on his past achievements – and the nature of the welterweight division in 2025 means he only needs to win to, potentially, earn a big fight. The key is to at least look solid, and of course to win.
If he doesn’t – particularly after talking for such a long time about moving up – we could be looking at the end for Taylor. Essuman’s reputation doesn’t match his abilities, and his abilities aren’t those of the type of fighters Taylor ought to be aiming for – rebuilding would be very difficult.
The fight is also Taylor’s first with Queensberry Promotions, who like Catterall’s promoters Matchroom are aligned with DAZN. Victory for both of them could lead to rematch – right now it’s 1-1.
That Manny Pacquiao, at 46, is already attracting the interest he is shows how starved the welterweight division is of rivalries – an all-British rivalry like theirs would therefore appeal. Losing to Arnold Barboza Jnr didn’t stop Catterall being a good fighter. It’s also little secret Catterall found it difficult to make 140lbs, so the fight with Eubank is a new beginning for him, too.
Name recognition continues to count for so much in boxing, and the Eubank name has significant weight off the back off Chris Eubank Jnr-Conor Benn, which meant matching Harlem with Catterall made a lot of sense.
Similarly to Taylor-Essuman though, Catterall has to win that fight to avoid questions about his future – Eubank isn’t proven at the level he is.
Brian Norman Jnr, the 24-year-old WBO champion, is still learning and gaining experience – Taylor and Catterall, unless they lose, represent world-level opposition who may appeal as challengers. Mario Barrios, the WBC champion, is beatable. Taylor and Catterall could even be the favourite against him. But they have to win their next fights first.