Josh Taylor is all time boxing great but Tartan Tornado has blown himself out in push for summit

Daily Record

25-05-2025

The Met Office describes a tornado as a rapidly forming violent vortex with destructive force that can destroy anything in its path.
But the awesome power dissipates and it eventually fades away.
There's no need for any weather boffins to suggest our very own Tartan Tornado looks to have blown itself out.
Josh Taylor has been a whirlwind in world boxing. The Prestonpans puncher will go down as one of Scotland's greatest ever athletes, never mind boxers, and is up alongside the best ever British fighters.
His legacy is already secured.
Yet it now looks like one of the most punishing climbs to the summit of the global game has caught up with this living legend.
Taylor ran out of puff and power at the Hydro on Saturday.
Ekow Essuman was a dangerous domestic opponent but the kind of fighter the Scot would have swept away a few years ago.
Instead, the 36-year-old from Nottingham – nicknamed the Engine – emerged with a deserved points win over the former undisputed world champ.
Taylor was testing the atmosphere after moving up to a weight division to welterweight with a view to claiming another global strap.
But it's hard to see him hitting those great heights once again.
After three straight defeats on the back of the contentious victory over Jack Catterall, Taylor might feel he's reached a crossroads.
Plenty will tell him it's a dead end.
Taylor is his own man though and he's earned the right to go out on his own terms, if and when the time is right for him.
Getting his hands on another world strap might seem unlikely on recent form, but a British crown? Absolutely.
Whether the drive is still there to do it is another question.
At 34, Taylor isn't getting any younger, but he's not ancient by any stretch.
The trouble is, that ferocious tornado charge to the top has come at a price.
No one – yes, no one – in world boxing came up the hard way like this tough as teak, charismatic lad from east Lothian.
Taylor's rise to undisputed was incredible. In eight consecutive fights, he faced six unbeaten champions, the other two had just one defeat each on their resumes.
Amateur to undisputed in just 18 fights, on the list of pound-for-pound best on the planet and his place among the global greats.
It caught up with him though. And what is also now clear is that the run was as ridiculous as it was impressive.
Taylor has been badly managed, badly advised and badly let down by too many people around him.
Taking on high stakes fights every single time was admirable but lunacy. Taylor never had the luxury of tune ups or simple defences. It was deep end, every single time.
He should have been knocking out the odd bum while appearing on the One Show.
Instead, former boss Barry McGuigan wanted to race him up the rankings and Josh was only happy to oblige and smash opponents out of his way. He had the talent.
But it was physically demanding. It's little wonder he went from two or three fights a year to just four in his last three and a half.
Covid robbed him of a Tartan Army American invasion, injury halted his momentum and poor managerial and trainer decisions sent him in difficult directions.
The original Catterall fight was a no win job that eventually became a loss after a rematch. Being forced to take on top level Teofimo Lopez before then with a nine week camp and a clear injury was promoters Top Rank throwing him to the wolves.
Even this one against Essuman was another mis-step. This was a guy everyone knew was big for the weight and as durable as an old diesel.
Sure enough, after some early slick stuff when Taylor looked like the Taylor of old, eventually the Botswana born Englishman stepped on the gas.
By the end Essuman was stronger and fitter.
Taylor's close pal Carl Frampton knew it going in.
He said: 'You have to give Josh credit for taking the fight.
'Ekow is not the biggest name in the game but boxing people know how tough he is.
'Josh could have been excused for taking an easier fight to dip his toe at welterweight.'
Frampton would admit afterwards – through gritted teeth – that it now looks like the end for his pal.
The Northern Irishman knew the expression on his mate's face after the judges read out the depressing scores – because he's been there too.
He knows when the mind is willing but the body refuses to keep up. He knew when his time was up.
Only Taylor will know if it's the same for him. If it is, then he can hang up his gloves and hold his head high.
The only British undisputed champ in the four belt era is some achievement and it will inevitably earn him a place in boxing's fabled Hall of Fame.
But no one should write him off just yet if he chooses to fight on.
Taylor's future is unclear but the Met office forecast for fellow Scot Nathanial Collins is much brighter.
The 28-year-old is now on the cusp of a world title shot after his fourth round demolition of Tartan rival Lee McGregor.
A year ago Collins was facing a fight for his life with a twisted bowel. Now he's earned a crack at the likes of Steve Fulton and his WBC featherweight crown.
The Glasgow ace is storming up the rankings. It remains to be seen if the trailblazing Tartan Tornado is going to breeze off into the sunset.