Josh Taylor’s fresh start begins on home soil this weekend. Two years removed from losing his undisputed super-lightweight crown, the 34-year-old Scot moves up to 147 lbs, facing Nottingham’s relentless Commonwealth-British champion Ekow Essuman at Glasgow’s Hydro on Saturday night.
Taylor insists the welterweight jump will revive the speed and snap he once showed while unifying at 140. A win, he says, “puts me straight into the mix” for belts held by Jaron “Boots” Ennis, Brian Norman Jr and the Mario Barrios–Manny Pacquiao winner. First, though, he must silence Essuman, a 36-year-old pressure fighter unbeaten until a tight loss to Harry Scarff.
Stylistically it’s intrigue: Taylor’s southpaw timing and body work versus Essuman’s non-stop jab-and-maul attack. The Scot hasn’t tasted victory since his controversial 2022 decision over Jack Catterall, and another slip here would all but end talk of a second world-title run. Essuman, meanwhile, sees the upset as his fast track to global recognition - “You’ll see something special,” he promises.
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