Josh Taylor: What now for dethroned champion after defeat by Teofimo Lopez?
- Published
'Who else in the UK has achieved what I have?'
Josh Taylor was taken aback, slightly indignant even, at the suggestion. Might he consider retiring after losing his WBO light-welterweight crown to the slick American Teofimo Lopez in New York?
"I've only had one defeat," the Scot said when the prospect was put to him. "It's my first since I was 23 years old."
It was Taylor's only loss in 20 professional bouts. Lopez not only took his unbeaten record on a febrile night at Madison Square Garden, but also his status as a world champion.
After vacating the IBF, WBA, and WBC belts won in such fine style against Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas two years ago, the WBO title also slipped from the Edinburgh fighter's grasp.
Taylor talked in the ring immediately afterwards of moving up a division and revisited that notion when speaking to BBC Scotland in the early hours of the morning in New York City.
"I love this game. I need this game in my life. It's been all I've known since I was 14 years old. I've sacrificed my whole life for this. I absolutely need it.
"I'm devastated just now. I'll take a little bit of time; I'm going on my belated honeymoon next week so I'll go away and enjoy that with my wife. We've still got big fights out there on the horizon so, yeah, I'll be back."
Boxing has the capacity, perhaps more than any other sport, to make fools of those trying to pick a winner.
Almost everybody agreed Taylor v Lopez was in the ball park of a 50/50 fight, but when pressed on who might emerge victorious, almost all the pundits tipped the champion to prevail.
There were more than a few signs that pointed to that conclusion. Lopez had looked ordinary in his previous fight, seemed troubled by personal issues, made the 140lbs limit just and no more and was up against the bigger and more seasoned fighter.
All those factors ultimately proved irrelevant. Lopez delivered a performance befitting his superstar status, a return to the form that saw him propelled into the public consciousness with a stunning victory over Vasyl Lomachenko in 2020.
It was Taylor's misfortune to run into a man at the top of his game, but for the second fight running the Scot looked - aside from a good opening few rounds - like a pale imitation of the fighter who became the undisputed 140 king in 2021.
"The better man won on the night, no excuses," Taylor said. "I know I'm better than that. Every warrior loses now and again but it's about how you come back from it that makes you great."
Taylor showed a lot of class in defeat and there was a warm embrace between the two fighters backstage as they put their pre-fight animosity to one side.
The Scot suggested to Lopez that a rematch may be in order, but the reality is that the new WBO champion is likely to go a different road, a more lucrative one with a showdown against one of his American rivals.
Taylor now finds himself without a world title for the first time in four years. And, after a poor display against Jack Catterall that saw him escape with a fortunate points win and now this defeat, he is not in a strong position to be calling out big names.
"It's maybe time for me to move up to welterweight," Taylor said. "That's not an excuse as to why I lost the fight because I made the weight really comfortably, but it is maybe time. I've been making the same weight since I was 21 - I'm now 32."
Taylor's place in the history of Scottish and British boxing was secured long ago, and nothing that has transpired in the last two fights can diminish the momentous feats he has performed in the ring.
Looking at those last two performances, though, you could make a compelling case that the Tartan Tornado's best days are behind him.
But is it throwing the baby out with the bathwater to suggest a man who has just lost his first fight in a decade - amateur and pro - should suddenly call it a day?
Only Taylor and those closest to him will know if he has the desire to push himself back to the top of the game, to start from scratch in a new division and climb to the summit again.
"I've had great run, unbeaten since 2013 in the amateurs. A brilliant run. Who else in the UK has done what I've done, achieved what I've achieved, the run and the way I've done it?
"I am very proud of myself and how I've achieved what I have in the sport. Obviously I'm absolutely devastated right now, but I'll be back."
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- Published14 January
