The 27-year-old Scot extended his winning record to 12 with a convincing victory over Winston Campos.
Josh Taylor left Glasgow’s SSE Hydro with the smell of a world title in his nostrils following his no-nonsense WBC silver super lightweight title win over Winston Campos.
The Nicaraguan was a late replacement for veteran Humberto Soto, who was injured while sparring but that change was irrelevant to the man from Prestonpans.
In the venue where he won his Commonwealth gold medal in 2014, Taylor felled Campos twice in the second round before referee Victor Loughlin called a halt in the third when the tentative and nervy challenger went down again.
The 27-year-old Scot extended his winning record to 12 fights, 11 by stoppage, and he senses that he is on the way to the very top.
He said: “I always believed, even when I pulled on the gloves at the Commonwealth Games, that I was going to become a world champion. I can smell it now. My dream is so close to becoming a reality.
“Turning professional, that was my ambition. I just didn’t think it would happen so quick, these big fights. The bigger fights are coming at me rapidly now. I couldn’t have imagined that.
“I’m really pleased with the start of my career. That’s down to Barry (McGuigan, manager and promoter), I would like to thank him for the opportunities he’s given me. I am going to get the head down and work hard until it does become a reality.”
McGuigan spoke of Taylor being “on the cusp of a world title fight”.
They plan to target the winner of the March 17th clash between Jose Ramirez and Amir Imam, who battle for the vacant WBC junior welterweight belt.
The former world champion said to The Scotsman: “Josh is one of the best fighters in the world, not just in the super lightweight division but any division. The super lightweight division is red hot at the moment but he’s the hottest thing in it. We’re now very close to something really exciting. He’s very special. I am accused of being biased but I said at the very beginning how much talent this kid has.
"They all said he couldn’t punch as an amateur – well how silly do those people look now? We’ll see how Imam and Ramirez get on in two weeks in New York and I think we’d like to see Josh fight the winner in a world-title eliminator back here in Glasgow in June. He’s fast, controlled, intelligent – he really is one of the most exciting talents in world boxing.”
