JOSH Taylor insists that his victory over Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas last month will never be topped, no matter where his career takes him next – because it has been the 30-year-old from Prestonpans’ launchpad to superstardom.
The Scot became only the fifth man in history to unify the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts with his Stateside success and is now planning his next move.
Taylor harbours dreams of big fights both at home and abroad, and he is not shy of aiming high – being an undisputed world champion can encourage such feelings – but he reckons his defeat of Ramirez is impossible to eclipse, even if his friends and family weren’t able to take it in for themselves.
“I think that one was the pinnacle because of what I’ve achieved,” he explained. “I’ve still got some big fights to look forward to but that’s the biggest one I’ve ever had and ever will have.
“That’s the biggest scalp of my career and it’s a real shame that no one was there to see it. My friends and my family weren’t even there to see it. It was a bit of a kick in the stones but there are other big, big fights as well. That was my Mount Everest but there are plenty of big fights to come.
“Becoming undisputed champion, being the first person from Britain to do it – it was huge. There weren’t enough people there to watch me do it, which would have been even more special, which is a bit of a sickener. Going back, we’re going to take a travelling support this time and it will be huge. It will be a big fight.”
Taylor doesn’t yet know when that next bout will occur or who his opponent in the ring will be, but he revealed that discussions are already under way.
He said: “I haven’t [had offers of fights] yet because I think I might have to make the mandatory defence [of the WBO belt] against Jack Catterall.
“I’ve spoken to Bob Arum and said we could do the Terence Crawford fight or the Teofimo Lopez one – there are big fights out there but we’ll let my hands heal for a couple of weeks and then get on the phone to get things moving.
“So it might be a big fight at 147lbs next or it might not. I’d like to box at home next.”
Taylor is typically forthright in his ambition to fight in front of a crowd as a hometown hero but his ambition isn’t limited to these shores. The biggest fights and the grandest prizes are on offer in America, and Taylor has every ambition of returning to the United States with a full band of followers in tow before he eventually decides to hang up his gloves.
“I want to do a homecoming fight here and then head back Stateside for a big fight,” he said. “I’ve got a couple more years and I could do a few more big fights.
“I could retire today and I’d be happy with what I’ve achieved. I’ve achieved what I wanted to and more so I could retire and be happy. But I’ve still got that desire to go and achieve even more.
“I could get a second world title in a second weight – that’s another goal now. I’m not standing still, I’m setting goals all the time. Another four or five fights – hopefully they’re big ones – and then I can retire while I’ve got my faculties about me.
“My hands are a bit sore but I’m fine. This is the fittest I’ve ever been and I still feel I’ve got more. Until the day comes where I’m feeling like I maybe don’t have it anymore, or that I don’t have the heart for it anymore – that’s when I’ll hang up my gloves.
“I want big fights in America. That fight there should have been the big one – what a fight to land, an undisputed fight. We should have had loads of fans going over and being in a big arena.
“That’s what’s a wee bit bittersweet about it. It should have been a big, big occasion, a big piece of history being made, and no one could come with me. I couldn’t take my travelling support with me so that was a bit frustrating.”
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