27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Who is Ezra Taylor? Light heavyweight making Nottingham homecoming this weekend
Leigh Wood is the hometown hero headlining the card at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham tomorrow evening live on DAZN, with the super featherweight after Anthony Cacace's IBO world title.
However, Nottingham has another fighter in action on Saturday, with light-heavyweight Ezra Taylor fighting in his own backyard for the first time since his professional debut.
Nicknamed 'the Cannon', Taylor is emerging as a contender in a division filled with competitive boxers in the United Kingdom, including his opponent, English champion Troy Jones.
With the two set to go head-to-head for the WBA continental gold light heavyweight strap in Nottingham, we look at the A side of the co-main event.
Ezra Taylor's strong amateur career translate into confident start to professional life
Nottingham-born Ezra Taylor took the amateur ranks by storm, becoming the first fighter to hold five separate regional titles at the same time.
Harbouring ambitions of making the Team GB squad for the 2020 Olympics, Taylor was unable to emulate the exploits of fellow Notts fighter Carl Froch by winning the England amateur championships. He finished his amateur career with a respectable 15-3 record at the age of 24.
In 2020 he would make his professional debut against Latvian journeyman Jevgenijs Andrejevs, stopping his opponent via technical knockout in the second of four rounds.
Ezra Taylor set to take on friend Troy Jones
Already possessing the Commonwealth silver and WBC international light heavyweight titles with an undefeated record of 11-0 (8), Taylor hopes to add the WBA's continental belt to his collection when he faces Troy Jones. The pair have previously sparred against each other in Dubai.
In fact, the duo have described one another as friends, adding a layer of intrigue to the bout between two unbeaten fighters.
Taylor was quoted by Queensbury Promotions' media as saying: 'It sounds mad, but he's my boy. I know him, and he's cool. Because since I am cool with him, and I am friends with him, I'm gonna have to deal with him like a professional.'
He added: 'So, Saturday, you're going to see I've got no emotion in this game. I'm going to go in there and do my job.'
Rivalry with Lewie Edmondson simmering away in the background
Whilst Ezra Taylor has been focused on fighting Troy Jones, he has been locked into a war of words with another unbeaten British fighter.
Southampton's Lewie Edmondson currently holds both the Commonwealth and British titles. The pair have exchanged insults over the last few months, culminating in Edmondson getting involved at the press conference for Taylor's bout with Jones.
Both fighters seem very keen on meeting up later this year, with Edmondson hoping that Taylor comes through unscathed at the weekend in order to set up a clash with the Cannon for himself.
Ezra Taylor record
Nationality: British
Age: 30
Height: 6' 7"
Reach: N/A
Total fights: 11
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