Just weeks after his surprise retirement, Josh Taylor has opened up about the abrupt end to his career. The former undisputed super lightweight champion revealed that a routine eye check led to the discovery of six retinal tears - an injury that forced him into retirement at 33 and left him grateful to still have his vision.
“It’s been quite sh$t,” Taylor admitted. “I knew I was coming to the end, but to have it ripped away like that is tough. If I hadn’t gone in when I did, one more big blow could have blinded me. I can say I’m lucky.”
Taylor exited after a run of three straight defeats, most recently to Ekow Essuman in May. Yet he emphasized that injuries, including plantar fasciitis before his 2023 loss to Teofimo Lopez, played a major role in his late struggles. “I still think I had more to give,” he said, pointing to the controversial Jack Catterall fights as unfinished business, but acknowledged the risk of continuing was too great.
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The Scot reflected with frustration on how COVID stalled his momentum after the high of beating Regis Prograis in 2019. “It killed all my momentum. I was just getting going, and it all got shut down,” he said, noting that he never had the chance to celebrate his undisputed triumph over José Ramirez in front of a full home crowd.
Despite the disappointment, Taylor looked back on his career with pride. “I achieved more than I set out to achieve. I wanted to be a world champion - and I went on to become an undisputed world champion. The Hall of Fame will come calling.”
Though the ending was abrupt, Taylor’s resume cements his place as one of Britain’s finest modern champions. Now retired, he’s weighing opportunities outside the ropes, with punditry an obvious next step. “The future is bright,” Taylor said. “A few opportunities have already come knocking.”
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