Taylor determined to top 'amazing' year in 2025

Ezra Taylor said the 24 seconds he needed to extend his unblemished professional record in the ring has made him "hungrier" than ever to try realise his long-held ambitions to become a world champion.

The 30-year-old Nottingham boxer made it 10 wins from 10 bouts as a professional when he took less than half a minute to send Latvia's Kristaps Bulmeistars to the canvas in his most recent fight in November.

Hard-hitting Taylor, who goes by the nickname of 'The Cannon' in the ring, has collected two light heavyweight titles - the WBC International and Commonwealth Silver - this year and said "more belts" are his immediate aim.

"2024 has been an amazing year," he told BBC East Midlands Today. "I’m grateful to God that I’m here with the belts that I have and the achievements and accomplishments.

"But 2025 is the making of Ezra Taylor, I believe. This has been my trial period and now we are paying for the subscription. And you want to get your money's worth."

Ezra Taylor claimed the WBC International light heavyweight title when he beat Carlos Alberto Lamela in July

Loughborough University-based Taylor certainly had the crowd in Birmingham wanting more when he ended his year with a sensationally quick showing against Bulmeistars in defence of his WBC International title.

He laughed when asked if he can even tie his shoelaces in 24 seconds and went on to explain that the win was all down to instincts.

"How to win a fight in 24 seconds is to train so hard that you think you will have a hard 12 rounds," Taylor said.

"That was it. I was so focused and zoned in that I didn't even know what happened myself.

"When muscle memory kicks in and everything is on the line, that is it. It sounds so crazy and so deep, because it is."

In his interview with BBC East Midlands Today's Charlie Slater, Taylor watched back old interviews and of himself talking ambitiously about one day wanting to claim a world title.

He points out that he has lost the "muffin top" hair since then, but said his focus has never wavered.

"What a world champion looked like to me was someone who believes in himself, has determination and has courage - and now I'm all of those things and more," he added.

"I have the arsenal to become world champion. It's not a dream any more, it's more of a reality.

"That gives me even more hunger than I had then."