Recently crowned undisputed 140-pound champion Josh Taylor understands he doesn’t have too much time to decide what his next move will be.
As great as it is winning four major world titles (in so doing, Taylor making boxing history), with it comes much responsibility – as in mandatory title defence responsibilities. Will Taylor face Jack Catterall, his WBO mandatory next, or will he move up to welterweight?
Taylor spoke with BBC Scotland’s Euros Breakfast Show today, and he said he has “lots of options.”
“I have to decide soon,” the 30 year old Scot said. “The ball’s in my court, but I can’t take too much time because all the sanctioning bodies are going to start ordering me to fight the mandatory challengers.
If I don’t fight them, I’ll get stripped of my titles. I would like to go up and have really big fights against Terence Crawford, Errol Spence, my hero Manny Pacquiao and guys like that.
I have a few good fights at 140 as well. I have my mandatory with Jack Catterall coming up. I’ve got that option too.”
Taylor, perfect at just 18-0(13) – having achieved so much in those 18 pro bouts – is indeed in a great, as well as hard-earned place.
For my two cents, I think we will see Taylor fight Catterall in a big “homecoming” affair that he has more than earned, and then, assuming he wins that one, Taylor will move up to the lucrative 147-pound division.
Crawford, as special as he is, is STILL in need of a big, defining fight, and maybe he will soon look at getting one with a fight with Taylor.
As for “hero” Pacquiao (Manny not only being Taylor’s hero, but hero to so many of us around the world), if Pac Man does pull off a massive win over Spence, chances are the 42 year old living legend would then walk into the sunset after completing a near-perfect ring career.
So Taylor may not get that fight. However, if Spence beats Pacquiao in August, then maybe Taylor could fight Spence in what would be a massive welterweight fight, with potentially three belts on the line.
Taylor scored a brilliant win over Jose Ramirez last month, but he knows the time he has been afforded to celebrate that victory is fast running out.
The sport of boxing sure moves fast these days. More so in the case of some fighters. Taylor does not. It seems, has the luxury of fighting just once a year again and again as some star operators do.