Josh Taylor became the first Brit to become a four-belt undisputed champion - he is now among the world's truly elite and major fights against big names could come next
Tuesday 25 May 2021 09:45, UK
As if to underline the gravitas of what Josh Taylor achieved on Saturday night, the undisputed championship fight in the heavyweight division that had been negotiated for months fell apart in the days prior to him claiming his own huge slice of history.
They are a rare sight, genuine fights that crown a division's No 1 with no argument or finger-pointing from outside the ring. Taylor is the best super-lightweight in the world after flooring and outpointing Jose Ramirez, there is no longer a debate about that, but he can be so, so much more after a breakthrough week into the sport's true elite.
Terence Crawford and Manny Pacquiao are the big-name targets the new undisputed king at 140lbs will look towards for the sort of mega-fights that truly define a legacy.
Britain (Scotland, as Taylor would remind you) can now lay claim to one of the best fighters on the planet. It is very difficult to name as many as five boxers more decorated than the man who turned to boxing to dissuade bullies who teased him about the scar on his face, suffered as a child when he was accidentally struck by a golf club.
That remains the most hurtful blow he has sustained before or since.
By draping the Scottish flag over the embarrassment of riches which he now owns in the form of championship belts, with his tartan shorts a proud reminder of where he's from, Taylor can now justifiably be mentioned alongside the likes of Crawford or Pacquiao.
The raw statistics paint an impressive picture - he is unbeaten in 18, the first Brit and only the fifth man to become undisputed during the four-belt era. He is also the World Boxing Super Series winner and came out on top of an unofficial tournament in which every super-lightweight champion entered.
The reality behind those numbers tells a startling story of how treacherous Taylor's path was, and how valiantly he ascended this mountain.
The combined record of Taylor's last six opponents is 136 wins and just one defeat. He is a fighter who routinely takes on undefeated opposition, who enters into make-or-break clashes time and time again and leaves a broken opponent, unsure of where their aura went, in his rear-view mirror.
Consider Ohara Davies, who goaded Taylor to create an intriguing domestic-level scrap. Davies was forced to turn his back to the in-ring onslaught. Ryan Martin? The unbeaten American was rendered ineffective.
Ivan Baranchyk was then dismissed in Taylor's first world title win, before a sensational whirlwind of skill and guts against Regis Prograis went his way.
Taylor has tested the heart of every man in his division and has not found one bigger than his own yet.
Over the past week in Las Vegas, the city that brings a different side out of most of its visitors, Taylor tormented Jose Ramirez unforgivingly in the days before the first punch was thrown.
This was 'Hank' - so-called after the character from Me, Myself & Irene who switches from nice to nasty so quickly. 'Hank' is the alter-ego who will drive Taylor into the mainstream consciousness - it is no gimmick, it is a real side-effect of what makes him so good inside the ropes. It was compelling.
He relentlessly taunted that Ramirez was struggling with a weight-cut. He stared a hole so deep into Ramirez's manager eyes that it must have burned his soul. He caused a fracas by shoving Ramirez when they crossed paths in a corridor.
"There aren't any advantages that I can give him," Ramirez told Sky Sports beforehand. "I'm always the same calm guy so he won't see any differences."
But he was wrong. Taylor's antics threw him off course, drew anger which was unnatural.
The decisive moment, the seventh-round uppercut which caused the second knock-down, was a split-second moment after the referee came between them. Ramirez's instinct was to back away but Taylor's was to punch. Taylor has an innate horribleness inside the ring that serves him well.
Crawford became the undisputed super-lightweight champion four years ago and has since moved up a division to claim the WBO welterweight title.
Like Taylor, he is promoted by Top Rank. Crawford is among the world's pound-for-pound best fighters, undefeated in 32, but without a single standout result on his CV.
The American's route to undisputed was through John Molina, Felix Diaz and Julius Indongo whereas Taylor battled through two 50-50 fights and will feel Prograis and Ramirez make him a worthier champion.
Crawford would be a fascinating fight for Taylor because he can also be one of the nastier fighters in the sport. Their press conference would not be for the faint-hearted, never mind their fight.
Pacquiao, however, is Taylor's hero. He once had a dog named Pacman.
The Filipino, 42 and still going strong, will try and take away the WBC and IBF titles from Errol Spence Jr this summer.
"He's funny, he sings, he puts on a Scottish accent, his fighting style, he's a people's champion, a really nice person, he gives money to feed people," Taylor has previously raved.
"How many people can say they shared a ring with their hero and beat them? Not many."
A more pressing requirement for Taylor may be to fulfil his WBO mandatory against Jack Catterall - the Lancashire contender who is undefeated in 26.
Taylor's dream of a headline fight at Edinburgh Castle may be more tempting if the opponent is from south of the border.
These are the mouth-watering opportunities that suddenly present themselves when a fighter emerges from the jumbled pack to stand alone as the champion. It is rarefied air but Taylor now occupies it, undisputed and on the rise.
