JOSH TAYLOR still harbours ambitions of becoming a two-weight world champion.
The Scot is next in action on June 10 at the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York against Teofimo Lopez. Their super-lightweight bout will shine a light on a division which could see some star-studded additions in the future.
Following his contentious win over Jack Catterall in February last year Taylor confessed he would be moving to welterweight, admitting to struggles at making the 10 stone limit. Since then, the 32-year-old has changed coaches departing from Ben Davison’s team for Joe McNally in Liverpool. His lengthy time out of the ring included a change of heart over his future deciding to stay at super-lightweight for the attractive Lopez fight. However, June 10 may be the last time we see ‘The Tartan Tornado’ fighting at 140lbs.
“In terms of achievement wise for me there’s nothing left for me to do at 140,” he told Unbox’d.
“The only other belt I can win at 140 that I haven’t won yet is a British Championship belt. But for me that’s going five steps backwards. Maybe at the end of my career when I’m on the way back down I’ll try and win a British. Then I can say I’ve won them all but in terms of achievement wise I’ve got nothing left to do at 140.
“There are still big fights [though]. You’ve got fights with [Regis] Prograis, [Jose Carlos] Ramirez, you’ve got loads of guys there. Devin Haney coming up. Ryan Garcia possibly coming up, Tank [Davis] possibly coming up. So, there’s big fights there but in terms of motivation and achievement for me it’s to become a two-weight world champion and become a welterweight champion.”
Garcia made it clear following his defeat to Davis in April he would be moving up to super-lightweight. Haney, the current lightweight champion, recently made contact with former promoter Eddie Hearn to discuss a potential fight against Regis Prograis. The 34-year-old will fight under the Matchroom banner for the first time on June 17 against Danielito Zorilla in New Orleans.
