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Daily Record
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Josh Taylor backed for boxing Hall of Fame as Carl Frampton demands more recognition for 'unbelievable' era
Frampton ranks Taylor alongside Oleksandr Usyk and Vasily Lomachenko after the Tartan Tornado announced his retirement Carl Frampton insists Josh Taylor deserves to be inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame for his "unbelievable" run as undisputed world champion. The Tartan Tornado announced his retirement from boxing this week on medical grounds following a persistent eye injury. Taylor won silver and gold medals for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games before going on to become the first and only British male fighter to win all four titles in the same weight division. Now former Cyclone stablemate Frampton - himself a two-weight world champ - has called for Taylor to receive more recognition for what he achieved in the ring, ranking him alongside current undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and and former three-weight world champ and fellow Ukrainian Vasily Lomachenko. "Josh should be proud of everything he's done in his career, especially becoming an undisputed champion," said The Jackal. "We see how much of a big deal it is that people make of the undisputed heavyweight champion when Oleksandr Usyk beat Daniel Dubois at the weekend. Josh Taylor was undisputed in 18 fights - that's unbelievable. Hard to fathom, really. "So I think that's what people should remember Josh for. It literally doesn't happen unless you're someone like a Vasiliy Lomachenko or a Usyk or someone like that. That's the calibre of fighter that achieves this . "Josh Taylor becoming undisputed champion in 18 fights in a marquee division, not down at light-flyweight where nobody fights or anything like that, a marquee division, should be recognised as one of the great British sporting feats ever. "Undisputed light-welterweight champion in 18 fights is Hall of Fame behaviour, I think." Frampton says he still gets on well with Taylor, despite going their separate ways when Framptin left Cyclone amid a bitter legal battle with promoter and manager Barry McGuigan. "I was there the whole way, pretty much," Frampton told BBC Scotland. "Josh is a great friend of mine and he's a good person as well. And he does a lot of good things behind the scenes, which people don't see. Josh is just a good fella. "I'm very, very proud that I was able to witness some of his greatness up close and personal."
The Herald Scotland
21-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Josh Taylor should be remembered as one of Britain's greatest boxers
The tone of Taylor's valedictory statement made clear he was doing so reluctantly rather than through his own free will, that stubborn streak that has served him so well throughout a storied career barely yielding, even to the last. This, though, was the correct outcome if not for the reasons Taylor would have wanted. At 34 years old and with a hoped-for second wind at welterweight having faltered at the first hurdle, there was nothing left for the self-styled Tartan Tornado to prove, little value in continuing to plough on gamely and risk further damage to a reputation that has suffered more than a few dents in recent years. Even the greatest warriors need to be told sometimes that it is best to stop rather than plodding on in the forlorn hope that they can defy the ageing process and once more scale previous heights. Taylor's legacy was never in any danger of being tarnished by his determination to keep searching for the next fight but the finality of retirement ensures it is now encased forever, his achievements untouchable, a body of work that deserves to see the Scot recognised as one of the greatest fighters to ever hail from these shores. And what a career it has been. A relatively late convert to the sweet science after a childhood spent in martial arts, his boxing potential was hinted at by the Commonwealth Games silver and then gold medals acquired as an amateur. In between those two milestones, Taylor also pulled on a Team GB vest to box at the London 2012 Olympic Games, still the last Scottish boxer to perform on that stage. That the southpaw from Prestonpans was going to turn over was never in doubt after learning his trade under the careful eye of Terry McCormack at Lochend Boxing Club. It was just the where and when that needed to be settled. The answer was July 2015 under the stewardship of Barry McGuigan and his son, Shane, meaning Taylor heads into retirement after exactly a decade spent in the professional ranks. Riding the tailcoats of Cyclone team-mate Carl Frampton, Taylor's route to the top began in unconventional fashion. While most new pros start out on small hall shows being walked through their debuts by gnarled journeymen, Taylor's first start came in El Paso, Texas just hours before Frampton would go on to win a world title. It meant that from the earliest days, Taylor was immersed in what it takes to reach the very top. Powerful with both fists and tall for the weight class with a lengthy reach, he was soon showcasing that he had what it took to reach that level, too. Taylor claimed the Commonwealth title aged just 25 with a stoppage of Dave Ryan at Meadowbank in just his seventh professional fight and retained the belt against Warren Joubert, at the same venue two bouts later. Having someone as famous and loquacious as McGuigan Sr. in his corner did not harm his cause, either, the Northern Irishman quick to speak about an all-Scots tear-up with then world champion, Ricky Burns, one contest that sadly never materialised. Still, there were other appealing fights to occupy Taylor, most notably an all-British bout with Ohara Davies, the mouthy Englishman who vowed to stop the Tartan Tornado in his tracks. Instead, it was Davies who would be left humiliated after infamously turning his back in the seventh round, unwilling and unable to continue. It was another sign that Taylor was the real deal as he pushed ever closer to world honours. He would be given a massive helping hand on that front by the creation of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS), a tournament that pitted the best of the best from each weight division in knockout – no pun intended – format. It created a clear path for each of the eight participants, with none of the usual prevaricating that often gets in the way of potential big fights becoming a reality. Taylor would take up residency at the Hydro in Glasgow, the venue where he had won Commonwealth Games gold in 2014. Victories over Miguel Vazquez – that one at Ingliston for the WBC silver belt – Winston Campos and Viktor Postol saw the Scot enter the tournament bursting with confidence and determined to fulfil his destiny. The previously unbeaten Ryan Martin was stopped in the quarter-final setting up a meeting with Ivan Baranchyk in May 2019, with the Belarussian's IBF strap on the line. Taylor had caused a brief flutter of anxiety when he weighed in over the limit but the desperate need to quickly boil down to shift those two pounds clearly had no effect on his capabilities as he floored Baranchyk twice on his way to a unanimous points victory. In just his 15th fight, Taylor was a fully-fledged world champion. He wasn't done, there, however. The WBSS final took him next to the O2 in London to fight Regis Prograis, another undefeated American, a clash where the WBA, IBF and Ring titles would all be on the line. It was another close content but Taylor deservedly shaded it to take a majority decision to become unified super-lightweight champion, immediately calling for a fight with the WBC and WBO title holder, Jose Carlos Ramirez. The Prograis victory would prove to be the Scot's final fight with the McGuigans – an acrimonious split took place early in 2020 – with Taylor teaming up with trainer Ben Davison for a first-round stoppage of Apinun Khongsong later that year. By this point the Covid pandemic had descended – Taylor was an outspoken critic of many of the lockdown restrictions as well as a vaccine sceptic – making it tricky to finalise the undisputed bout with Ramirez. Eventually it was set for May 2021 in Las Vegas, with barely a smattering of spectators there to see it. Those fortunate to be present or watching at home on Fite TV – none of the major broadcasters elected to show it – saw history unfold as Taylor followed in the footsteps of his hero, Ken Buchanan, by becoming a Scottish undisputed world champion. Ramirez started on top but Taylor would move into the ascendancy in the middle of the contest, knocking down his opponent in the sixth and seventh rounds on his way to a unanimous decision. In doing so he became just the third fighter in history – after Terence Crawford and Oleksandr Usyk – to hold all four of the major world straps at the same time. What elevated the achievement was the standard of the opposition, rising in difficulty every time and with Taylor also becoming unified and then undisputed champion on the road. The collective record of his opponents from Postol to Ramirez – at the time of fighting each one – was a staggering 136-1. All succumbed to Taylor's power, precision and indefatigable dogged spirit. It would be a source of eternal regret for Taylor that more people were not present to witness his greatest achievement and that none of the major UK broadcasters felt it was worth showing. A feeling endured throughout his career that large swathes of England just couldn't quite take to this cheeky and at times spiky Scotsman, and that he wasn't promoted as well as he could have been by those looking after his interests. This was a talent that shouldn't have gone under the radar. In hindsight, beating Ramirez should have been the catalyst for a step up to welterweight to see whether he could go on to also dominate that division. Instead, what followed was a hugely unsatisfactory final few years in the ring. Taylor had once quipped that taking on Jack Catterall in February 2022 after beating Ramirez was like scaling Everest then returning to saunter up Arthur's Seat. His motivation having dipped, Taylor ought to have lost all his belts that night in Glasgow – a hometown decision undoubtedly went his way – but it would prove to be the start of the end as poor decisions and long periods of inactivity took their toll. Teofimo Lopez claimed his last remaining strap in New York in June 2023 before Catterall got his revenge a year later to settle an often spiteful and bitter relationship between the pair. A match-up with Ekow Essuman in May this year was meant to be start of a new chapter at welterweight but Taylor looked a shadow of himself on his way to a unanimous points defeat. It is a sad way for such a notable career to conclude but shouldn't take away from how bright Taylor's star shone when he was at his peak. His place in the pantheon of Scottish and British boxing greats is assured.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former world champion Taylor announces retirement
Former undisputed world champion Josh Taylor has announced he is to retire from boxing with immediate effect. The 34-year-old Scot underwent eye surgery in February last year and, in the wake of his defeat by Ekow Essuman in May, has been advised by specialists that to continue boxing would put his eyesight at risk. The Tartan Tornado is one of Scotland's greatest ever boxers, having won Commonwealth Games gold at Glasgow 2014 and embarked on an extraordinary run in the professional ranks that led to him becoming world champion in just his 15th fight, unified champion in his 16th and undisputed light-welterweight champion in only his 18th bout. He was the first - and remains the only - male fighter from the UK to capture all four belts in a single division. More to follow. Boxing schedule and results 2025 Watch every Born to Brawl episode More boxing from the BBC Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport
Daily Record
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Josh Taylor retires aged 34 as undisputed Scottish boxing hero told by doctors his career is over
The Tartan Tornado has called time on 10-year professional career as he created boxing history. Legendary Scottish boxer Josh Taylor has called time on his illustrious boxing career after doctors urged him to retire due to a serious eye injury. The Tartan Tornado thrilled fans during his 10-year career as he became the country's first ever undisputed champion after he unified the light welterweight division with stunning wins over Regis Prograis and Jose Ramirez. But Taylor's career has been blighted by setbacks in recent times as he controversially earned the nod over English rival Jack Catterall in 2022 before losing to Teofimo Lopez and Catterall in consecutive fights. And the former Commonwealth Games 2014 Gold medalist lost to unheralded Ekow Essuman in May before doctors stepped in to urge him to walk away. Taylor, in an emotional statement, said: "Right folks, this isn't an easy post for me to write, but on the advice of my doctors, it's sadly a necessary one. "As has been published before, I've had a recurring issue with my eye that unfortunately means I now have to call time on my career or risk losing my eyesight. Whilst the fighter in me always wants to box on, I know I have to listen to the medical professionals and save me from myself. It is certainly not the way I wanted to bow out, but I have to listen to the doctors and those around me. "I am just a kid from the Pans who scaled the very top of the sport but I could not have done it without those who have supported me, through thick and thin. "First and foremost, I cannot thank you, the fans, enough. You always gave me your all, spending your hard earned money to come and watch me fight. Especially the thousands that travelled to watch me box at Madison Square Garden. Your support has always meant the world to me and I have never taken it for granted. "To Top Rank (Bob, Carl, Brad, Jeremy and Mel T), you helped turn my dreams into a reality in becoming undisputed world champion and boxing me in Vegas and MSG. "More recently, I want to thank Frank and George Warren at Queensberry for giving me the opportunity to headline at the Hydro once more in front of the fans that I love. "I know that British boxing, and Scottish boxing in particular, is in an exciting place with the focus that you have on bringing through the next generation of world champions. "A massive thank you to all of my sponsors over the years, and in particular, Ross at Seconds Out Fight Store who's supported me from the very start when I competed at the Commonwealth Games. "To my lawyer, Tom Grant, aka Jerry Maguire, aka Big Tam, thank you for navigating this mad sport with me and always having my back. I only wish we'd met 10 years earlier. "To my coaches over the years - Terry McCormack, Shane McGuigan, Ben Davison, and most recently Joe McNally - thank you for all the time, energy, and guidance you've invested in me, taking me to the very heights of the sport. "And finally, my family and my beautiful wife, Danielle, who's been by my side every step of the way. Words will never do justice to what your unwavering love and support means to me. "It's now time for me to reflect on a 1 in 70 million career and look forward to what's coming next. Thank you once again, and God bless. Josh Taylor, Undisputed Champion of the World." You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Celtic page, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.
The National
21-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
Josh Taylor announces boxing retirement & explains decision
The 34-year-old Scottish hero, known as the Tartan Tornado, confirmed the news on his social media this afternoon, saying he had taken the decision on the advice of doctors. A recurring issue with his eye meant that, had he carried on competing, he would risk losing his eyesite. This forced him to take what he admits is a difficult decision. Taylor thanked fans and his family in a lengthy statement, along with coaches and other key figures in boxing who have helped him have a successful career. Read more: The former undisputed light-welterweight champion wrote alongside it: "End of an era. I have lived my dream for the last 10 years & conquered Mount Everest. "Thank you to every single one of you for the support through what has been this mad rollercoaster of a journey. "Boxing is all I've ever known but now let's see what life has to offer on the other side of the ropes."
