JOSH Taylor insisted last night he is thoroughly nonplussed by the thought of Ricky Burns’ upcoming bout with Anthony Crolla.
Talk of an all-Scottish, East-versus-West, Super Lightweight clash between the fast-rising WBC silver champion from Prestonpans and the former three-weight world champion from Coatbridge reached a crescendo when Taylor defeated Burns’ stablemate Ohara Davies at the Braehead Arena this summer but the 26-year-old feels his November showdown with former World Champion Miguel Vazquez at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston is a more difficult and more rewarding fight than anything Burns could offer as he looks to build up to his own world title shot in the next 12 months.
“I’m not interested,” said Taylor. “I was talking about it around the Ohara [Davies] fight because he was saying he fancied Ohara to win. There was a lot of talk about us fighting and I felt it would have been a good fight for Scotland. We could have sold out any arena.
“But he took the fight with Crolla and I have Vazquez up next, which is a harder – and more rewarding – fight,” the 26-year-old added. “If I come through this and he beats Crolla then I’m sure there will be talk about it again. But it’s irrelevant to me. I am focusing on Vazquez.”
Taylor has top billing these days in Barry McGuigan’s Cyclone Promotions stable after the surprise decision of the Irish fight legend’s countryman Carl Frampton to jump ship to Frank Warren. While the Scot was disappointed to see his friend jump ship, he is delighted with the stewardship McGuigan has offered him throughout his perfect 10-fight career and has no intention of following him out the door. While taking on the former IBF world champion, a man who has never been stopped in any of his 44 fights – two of which came against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez – represents a step up, it is a calculated risk as he closes in on a shot at the big time. McGuigan is on the record about the imperative which boxing promoters have to make matches which offer genuine jeopardy and Taylor for one is a young man in a hurry to reach the big time. His dream is topping the bill like Frampton in Vegas or fighting for world titles at Edinburgh Castle.
“I couldn’t have had a better start to my career,” he said. “Every fight has been a step up. I’ve fought on the under card for five or six world title fights, fought in America a few times already and I’ve topped my own bill three times. I’m really happy with how it’s gone with Barry and hopefully I can repay them.
“As disappointed as I was to see him leave, I don’t think about anything when it comes to where Carl’s going,” he added. “I am focused on my own career. Barry is saying I could be fighting for a world title in the next year to 18 months so I’m getting closer to the dream.”
So intensively has the Scot been hot-housed in the sport by McGuigan that he was grateful for a couple of weeks downtime this Autumn before he was ordered back into camp ahead of the Vazquez bout. The November fight will be his fourth of the year, training right through Christmas ahead of his points win against Alfonso Olvera at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, then taking care of Warren Joubert and Davies.
“It was more a mental break,” Taylor said. “I’d been in camp for seven months solid. I was in right through Christmas and then had a month in Vegas with Carl. I was back for a week then prepared for Joubert. I had another week and it was back to London to prepare for Ohara. So it had been non stop training, and I needed to get away from it for a while.
“But I wasn’t partying or anything. I was just chilling out. I could count on one hand how many times I went to the gym in four weeks. I enjoyed a few pizzas, went to the racing with my dad, caught up with friends and chilled out. I needed it.”
November takes him back to the East Coast, fighting at a venue in Ingliston where he has only previously attended for raves and dance nights. “It will be brilliant being back in Edinburgh,” he said. “It’s a great venue and really accessible for everyone just off the M8. I’m looking forward to fighting in front of a big crowd and hopefully we’ll sell it out. I’ve been to a couple of EH1s and David Guetta at Ingliston before. But it will be great to headline my own show.”
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