GIVEN Josh Taylor’s injury record and several signs of regression in recent performances, Ekow Essuman should, if nothing else, enter the ring this Saturday as a tenaciously live dog.
The pair will square off at the OVO Hydro Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, with Taylor, 19-2 (13 KOs), not only claiming a home advantage but also representing a sizable favourite.
He has, after all, competed at a much higher level, as his performance against Jose Ramirez, in particular, is among the very best of those produced by a British fighter on away soil.
That version of the 34-year-old, however, is seemingly a far cry from the man who now comes off a unanimous decision defeat to Jack Catterall.
Back in 2021, there was no doubt over his supremacy at 140lbs, or even his pound-for-pound status, during a time in which he was, quite simply, a force to be reckoned with.
But since then, ‘The Tartan Tornado’ has gradually crept into the twilight years of his decorated career, made only worse by the fact that he hardly boasts a clean bill of health.
Prior to the maiden defence of his undisputed crown, Taylor suffered a knee injury that prolonged Catterall’s wait for his shot at world honours.
Then, following the pair’s first encounter – marred by controversy – in 2022, the Scot was forced to pull out of their scheduled rematch after tearing his plantar fascia.
Yet despite not fully recovering, Taylor nonetheless entered a clash with Teofimo Lopez just a few months later and struggled to perform his typically seamless manoeuvres.
After that, his rematch with Catterall finally materialised but was then delayed – before taking place last year – due to an eye injury that Taylor had sustained.
So while a move up to welterweight should, more than anything else, allow the southpaw to rediscover an element of his former self, there is also a reality that, based mainly on his last outing, the once ferocious technician is no longer that same animal.
Essuman, 21-1 (8 KOs), of course, is no spring chicken, either. But when putting his age to one side, it could be said that the 36-year-old represents the fresher operator.
Like his moniker suggests, ‘The Engine’ possesses a tremendous gas tank which, at no point in his career, has ever looked to be hampered by a history of frequent injuries.
Rather, Essuman remains in fine fettle – at least from an outside perspective – ahead of what could be a career-best victory on points.
It goes without saying that, in their primes, Taylor would emerge victorious every day of the week and twice on a Sunday. But again, his prime now appears to be little more than a distant memory, presenting Essuman with a golden opportunity to capitalise.
