Josh Taylor: record, next fight and profile →
Jack Catterall will not be stepping aside to smooth the way for Josh Taylor to face Jose Carlos Ramirez in an undisputed world super-lightweight title fight, according to his promoter, Frank Warren.
Maurice Hooker’s handlers have had discussions about the former WBO junior welterweight champion opposing another onetime 140-pound champion next. If they can’t come to an agreement for Hooker to fight Regis Prograis, however, Hooker gladly would challenge the unbeaten champion who topped Prograis in their title unification fight three months ago. Hooker predicted during an interview with BoxingScene.com that he would soundly defeat Josh Taylor if given the opportunity to face the Scottish southpaw.
Bob Arum’s company has regained control of the Josh Taylor-Apinun Khongsong promotion. According to an ESPN.com story, Sampson Lewkowicz, Khongsong’s promoter, defaulted on the winning bid he submitted January 24 to promote the IBF-mandated match between Taylor, its junior welterweight champion, and Khongsong, its number one contender at 140 pounds. Lewkowicz submitted an unforeseen winning bid of $1,320,000 for the right to promote that fight, slightly more than the bid of $1,260,000 proposed by Arum’s company, Top Rank Inc.
Josh Taylor says he will take his time before selecting new trainer, but despite having had try-outs with both Adam Booth and Ben Davison, he has not ruled out working with an American trainer. The WBA and IBF super-lightweight champion was left without a trainer after his split from Cyclone Promotions, the company run by Barry McGuigan, as he was trained by McGuigan’s son, Shane.
Jose Ramirez has two mandatory title defenses due. Ramirez might have to make those mandated defenses of his WBC and WBO 140-pound championships in back-to-back bouts. The unbeaten, unified champion would prefer, however, to fight undefeated IBF/WBA champ Josh Taylor in his following fight if Ramirez overcomes Viktor Postol.
As BoxingScene.com previously reported, Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing pulled off an upset of his own when he won today’s IBF purse bid for the right to promote Scottish IBF Junior Welterweight Champion Josh Taylor’s mandatory defense against Thailand’s Apinun Khongsong. Taylor also holds the WBA title.
Josh Taylor’s first fight under contract with Top Rank has landed in the hands of another promoter. Sampson Lewkowicz’s Sampson Boxing has secured the rights to Taylor’s unified junior welterweight title defense versus Thailand’s Apinun Khongsong, outbidding Top Rank at Friday’s purse bid hearing at International Boxing Federation (IBF) headquarters in Springfield, New Jersey. Sampson Boxing put up a massive bid of $1.32 million, just enough to edge out Top Rank’s offer of $1.26 million to gain control of the IBF-ordered mandatory title fight.
Trainer Shane McGuigan explained that he was shocked when Josh Taylor decided to split from Cyclone Promotions. McGuigan's father, Barry McGuigan heads up Cyclone, and Taylor had been with the company since turning pro in 2015. But earlier this month, it was officially announced that Taylor had signed a promotional contract with Top Rank.
BoxingScene.com had been advised that the International Boxing Federation has set down the date of January 24th for the official purse bid for Josh Taylor's mandatory defense against Apinun Khongsong. Sampson Boxing, who recently signed Khongsong to a promotional agreement, was no longer willing to participate in negotiations and requested an immediate purse bid pursuant to IBF Rule 10A. Taylor, who holds the IBF and WBA world titles at junior welterweight, recently signed a promotional agreement with Top Rank.
Heavyweight contender Tyson Fury has led the plaudits for his new stablemate Josh Taylor – welcoming the unified super-lightweight champion to the team in typical Fury fashion.