Josh Taylor anticipating exciting future after impressing in first title defence
ByPA Sport
Published 25/03/2017 at 19:18 GMT
Josh Taylor believes he issued a "good statement" of intent with an impressive first defence of his Commonwealth super-lightweight title against Warren Joubert on Friday night.
Josh Taylor makes statement of intent in Commonwealth title defence
Image credit: PA Sport
The 26-year-old from Prestonpans suffered a cut above the eye against the experienced South African early in the first round but took it in his stride at Edinburgh's Meadowbank Sports Centre.
The one-sided contest was ended after one minute and 27 seconds of the sixth round by referee Victor Loughlin after the 35-year-old challenger struggled after getting up from a vicious left hook which put him on the canvas.
The exciting Scot, managed by former world champion Barry McGuigan, extended his professional record to 9-0 with eight finishing inside the distance, and he was pleased to take another step up the boxing ladder.
"It is a good statement," he said. "I hadn't see much of him at all.
"I had only seen a couple of rounds of him fighting against another guy in South Africa.
"So I never really had a game plan other than to go out and have a look at him and make sure I was boxing how I like to box; nice and quick and hitting him with the jab and then building on it and that's what I did.
"I just took my time and eventually started to get my rhythm and started to catch him as he came in and the last shot was a peach.
"It was the first time I have had a cut as a pro and I overcame that as well.
"He came in at me, I ducked down and he came up and clashed the heads. I seen the blood dripping straight away
"I didn't even ask how it was in the corner, I just left it. I seen it in the mirror and it was quite a bad one.
"But I felt nice and calm. I learned a lot about myself between rounds. I was nice and calm and it didn't faze me one bit.
"I know when it gets rough and tough it is not going to faze me, I can keep my cool.
"I am impressed with that performance."
Taylor believes he is now "scaring a few folk" but will focus on maintaining an upward trajectory in his career.
The 2014 Commonwealth gold medal winner said: "I will keep going the way I am going and the big fights and the titles will come.
"I don't think I will be able to fight (in May) with that cut, we will see how it goes.
"But exciting times ahead, definitely."
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