Ekow Essuman stuns Josh Taylor by unanimous decision in welterweight bout

BBC News

25-05-2025

Update:
Date: 22:48 BST
Title: That's all folks
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Josh Taylor's first foray into the welterweight division ended in a shock defeat by Ekow Essuman in Glasgow, leaving serious questions surrounding the former undisputed world champion's future in the sport.
But the story of the night is The Enging Essuman. A determined and persistent performance, a terrific professional.
116-113, 116-112, 115-113, the final judge's scores - hard to argue with them.
Read the report here.
Update:
Date: 22:44 BST
Title: Will we see Taylor again?
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Carl Frampton reckons that may be the last fight we see from Josh Taylor.
"It's up to him, but I don't think so," he tells DAZN
"He was the elite of the elite, a superstar, and it's clear he's not the fighter that he once was."
Update:
Date: 22:38 BST
Title: Crestfallen Taylor
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Update:
Date: 22:35 BST
Title: What now for our victor?
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Pre-fight, the chat was dominated by questions of what is next for Taylor should he win.
Well, what now for Essuman?
He says it's time to "take the engine on tour on the engine tour bus".
Time for an even bigger bout in America? He certainly seems open to it.
Update:
Date: 22:32 BST
Title: Essuman won 'in the lions' den'
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
The triumphant Ekow Essuman tells DAZN: "I'd like to first of all say a big well done to Josh Taylor, I've always respected him, he's a great fighter.
"I've gone into the away corner in the lions' den. Thank you so much to everyone for having me.
"I remember things from a long time ago, and we sparred a lot a GB, I put a lot of those things into this fight.
"I adjusted [from the early rounds] and did what I had to do".
Update:
Date: 22:28 BST
Title: Ekow Essuman beats Josh Taylor
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
116-113, 116-112, 115-113.
A unanimous decision from the judges.
Update:
Date: 22:27 BST
Title: Almost time for the scores
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Before we get to scores, let's put on record how entertaining that was.
Josh Taylor's early energy and Ekow Essuman's persistence throughout. A great match-up.
Both fighters showed a great deal of respect as the final bell dinged, and rightly so. It was a thoroughly compelling fight to watch.
Update:
Date: 22:26 BST
Title: We go to the scorecards
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Andy BurkeBBC Sport Scotland at The Hydro
This will be close.
A draw is not out of the question here.
Update:
Date: 22:25 BST
Title: Round 12
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
"Take this round for yourself," Taylor's corner tells him as he gets ready for the final round. A legacy-shaping round for Taylor, regardless of what way it ends now.
The home favourite is unable to reply back with the intent of the early rounds, while Essuman remains light on his feet and happy to remain coy and ready to spring.
And spring he does. He takes Taylor back to the ropes multiple times, the Scot looks like he needs to hear the bell immediately.
Taylor tries to muster a response and fight back into the middle of the ring, but it may be too little, too late now.
It will go to the judges.
Update:
Date: 22:21 BST
Title: Round 11
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Taylor spent a fair bit of that fight making sure he was simply never within Essuman's reach.
Not as dominant a round from Essuman, but he probably did enough to edge it. Carl Frampton, speaking on DAZN, reckons he is probably now ahead, too.
A different type of fight from the opening four or five rounds, that's for sure.
It goes to the last.
Update:
Date: 22:17 BST
Title: Taylor tiring
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Andy BurkeBBC Sport Scotland at The Hydro
Josh Taylor looks like he's tiring and Ekow Essuman is finding success with that time and again.
After one failed attack, Taylor shook his head in exasperation.
He's in deep waters here.
Update:
Date: 22:17 BST
Title: Round 10
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Oh my. Essuman comes out looking determined and powerful.
Taylor is on the ropes for a lot of the tenth round. Essuman produces a few stinging combinations into Taylor's body.
But here comes Taylor. Out of nowhere, he leads Essuman into the middle of the ring and fires off a fast right hook, followed by a powerful left to the body. He shifted his feet well there to create the angle.
Essuman breaks clean and bounces on his toes and lands a well-placed right as the round heads to the bell. A left hook is squeezed in there, too.
Essuman is on top now it seems. Does Taylor have enough left in the tank to reply?
Update:
Date: 22:14 BST
Title: Round 9
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Again, a closely-fought.
Taylor is looking leggy now, and Essuman looks sharp.
Not much of note there, a bit of a breather that whole round for both fighters in all honesty.
A big three-round stretch to come... unless someone decides to stop it all earlier.
Update:
Date: 22:11 BST
Title: Post
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
93 - 67 punches landed so far in favour of Taylor.
Does not tell the whole story of the fight, mind you. Essuman has landed a fair few significant blows.
Update:
Date: 22:09 BST
Title: Round 8
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Essuman has found a second wind. Wow.
He has an answer for anything from Taylor, and took the fight to him.
A short right jab breaks through and gives Taylor a wee wobble, nothing too troubling though.
Taylor does well as the round draws to a close, a theme of this evening.
Close. Very, very close.
Update:
Date: 22:06 BST
Title: Post
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Replays show the clash of heads was a bit more forceful than first thought.
Aye, pretty sure that has caused the cut just above Taylor's left eye.
Update:
Date: 22:05 BST
Title: Taylor cut
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Andy BurkeBBC Sport Scotland at The Hydro
Taylor has a nasty looking cut above the left eye.
That will be a concern for the Scot
Update:
Date: 22:05 BST
Title: Round 7
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Quite a bit slower now. The referee steps in to tell the fighters to separate as they tangle up for a few seconds too many.
Taylor has a cut above his eye now. There was a clash of heads in there, so it may not even have been a punch that caused it.
That was a lot closer than rounds one through six. Are they beginning to tire?
Update:
Date: 22:02 BST
Title: The Engine not going anywhere
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Andy BurkeBBC Sport Scotland at The Hydro
The fight has tightened up a little after that frantic fourth round.
Essuman looks comfortable in there though, and as his nickname "The Engine" suggests, he's happy to go the distance.
Does Josh Taylor have another gear?
Update:
Date: 22:00 BST
Title: Round 6
Content: Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman
Halfway point... if it goes the distance.
A few body shots, but this round felt notably slower compared to the previous rounds. Then again, we had five explosive rounds up until now, so that's hardly a surprise.
That will probably be Essuman's round. A swift right hook caught Taylor in there amidst a glut of dips and dodges.