Josh Taylor admits regret after missing Saudi money era

Former undisputed champion says sport’s richest period arrived after his career ended

Josh Taylor says boxing’s surge in Saudi-backed purses came after he retired. The former undisputed champion reflected on missing the sport’s most lucrative period.

“Now that I’ve retired, all the big money is starting to come into boxing,” said Taylor to talkSport Boxing about missing out on the Saudi money.

Taylor fought for the legacy, unified the belts, and hit that undisputed milestone, but the massive Saudi gold rush really kicked into high gear just as his body started to betray him.

He reached the pinnacle of the sport around 2021/2022, but he was doing it for smaller purses than the ones being handed out by the Saudis to fighters at 140 and 147.

When Taylor beat Jose Ramirez in May 2021 to become undisputed at light welterweight, he was arguably a top 5 pound-for-pound talent, but the financial rewards were nowhere near the $10M+ guarantees being handed out today for non-title super-fights.

By the time the Riyadh Season money started flooding the lighter weight classes, Taylor was already dealing with the retinal tears and the three-fight skid that ended with his loss to Ekow Essuman in May 2025.

Taylor’s laughter when asked about the new money era feels like a classic “you have to laugh so you don’t cry” moment. He sees guys becoming overnight millionaires for fights that don’t carry half the prestige of his undisputed run.

There’s a bitter pill in knowing he paid the ultimate physical price, risking his eyesight with those retinal tears, just before the sport’s biggest financial explosion.

If Taylor, 35, were still at his peak, he’d be the perfect candidate for a massive Saudi-backed unification against Shakur Stevenson. Instead, he’s watching from the sidelines as a pundit while the sport enters its most lucrative phase in decades.

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