Lightning fast Taylor has the Heart of a lion.
Josh Taylor is mixing it with the elite of World Amateur Boxing and it’s truly a testament to how much hard work and determination he has put in over the years to get to where he is today.
Josh has been a member of Team GB since March 2011 and is now a regular with The British Lionhearts and fights in the 60kg lightweight division, this is their first season in the inaugural World Series Boxing Tournament.
As Josh prepares to travel to Italy for his next fight with the British Lionhearts he took time out to speak to Pro Box Scotland.
Your next WSB fight is on Saturday and is a rematch from the Olympics against Milano Thunder’s Dominico Valentino who was rated No1 in the world, what are your thoughts leading up to this fight? “I can’t wait to get over there and smash him, I’m not going to hold back as much, I’m just going to go at him and he has a very awkward style so I’m just going to keep on top of him with 3 and 4 punch combinations, keep busier than him”.
The fight will be shown live on ESPN on the 2nd of February at 9:45 pm, so there’s going to be Thunder and Lightning in Rome on Saturday. This is a must see fight for any boxing fan; miss it at your pearl.
What do you think about the concept of WSB? “It’s the first season Britain has had a team in it and its getting a lot of attention”.
What advantages does WSB have? “It’s a good eye opener to see what the professional game is like, I get to keep my amateur status, get to go to the European Championships and the Commonwealth games in Glasgow, it’s an introduction to the pro style so I’m getting the best of both worlds”.
Wearing no vest or headgear, how much difference does this make? “Before my first fight I was really nervous but as soon as the bell went I loved it, loved it, loved it, it just felt natural”.
WSB is fought over 5 rounds, what are your thoughts on this? “I am training 3 times a day, six days a week, I spar 9 rounds at a time and I’m looking forward to it like, I feel like I’m adjusting well”.
With Team GB Josh has fantastic sparring sessions with the likes of Sam Maxwell, Tom Stalker and Joe Cordina, there’s quite a few, and everyone at Lochend ABC.
You are rated 4th in Europe and 5th in the World, he told Pro Box Scotland? “I feel very proud, all my hard work is getting recognition; hopefully I will get to be World Amateur Champion and ranked no1 in the world, I’m very happy to be where I am today”.
With Team GB how much difference is the training from previous years? “It’s more technical, running is a lot more specific, 5x3 minute rounds on the track at a fast pace, strength and conditioning, circuits and weights”.
You train at LA boxing club, Lochend ABC and your trainer Terry McCormack won Performance Coach of the Year, what is it like to work with him? “Terry is a really good coach, he has taught me a lot of different techniques in pretty much every aspect of the game, he has spent a lot of time with me and Terry is a professional coach who has taught me in a professional style”.
Who is your toughest opponent to date? “I’ve had a few hard fights, I fought a Mongolian in Serbia 2010/2011, this Mongolian had pace and he could throw every punch in the book, he just kept coming at me, I went on to win the fight 14-10”.
You were the only Scottish member of the Great Britain Olympic Boxing Team, How did you feel about not being able to walk behind the flag in the Opening Ceremony? “I wasn’t too bothered about not being at the Opening Ceremony until I seen the Arctic Monkeys were there, I had to prepare for my first fight, keep my eye on my weight and just wanted to get rest for the fight”.
What was it like to walk into a capacity crowd at the ExCel Arena? “Brilliant, I don’t think I’ll get that feeling again in my whole career, may get it at the Commonwealth Games - that’s going to be amazing”.
Your first fight in the Olympics was against Robson Conceicao, he was favourite to win, did you have a game plan? “I sparred with him 3 or 4 weeks before the Olympics, he felt right strong in sparring, I had hoped to avoid him for the first couple of fights, however, I thought if I get him I would just hit and move” Josh says “It was not physically hard, it was more technical due to his experience, I had to outthink him and outbox him”. In 2011 Robson Conceicao lost by 1 point 18-19 to eventual winner of the World Amateur Boxing Championships, Vasyl Lomachencho, who won the Gold Medal at the Olympics in London 2012 and is the current World No1.
Your next opponent Dominico Valentino, you did not look like the same boxer, what do you think went wrong? “I didn’t feel the same buzz, felt too relaxed because I had boxed him the year before, I was feeling really confident”.
After the loss how long was it before you actually realised what an achievement you had made? “It was a good 5 days, I was really gutted. I had been working so hard to get down to the weight, I was really angry with myself. I remember sitting watching the Olympics at my cousins house in London and it made me realise I had just been on the biggest stage in the world”.
Tell me about your Olympic experience? “My hair stood on end watching the first day fights, what an atmosphere, the whole place exploded”.
Josh spoke about his Olympian pal Luke Campbell on Dancing on Ice and feels sorry for him having to wear the lycra outfits but said if he ever got asked he’d be right up for the challenge.
Taylor made Scottish Boxing History being the first Scottish boxer to make the Olympics through a qualifying tournament, how does this make you feel? “Really good, great feeling a mixture of emotions, all my hard work dieting to get down to the weight had paid off big time, when my hand got raised I was laughing and greeting with joy, one of the best feelings ever”.
Josh’s boxing career has also taken him over the pond notably to the Wild Card Gym with Freddie Roach. He told us “It’s a different world over there, the bags are going 24/7, the sparring over there is like competing in an International Tournament, everything is bigger and better, don’t know why America didn’t do so well in the Olympics at boxing, it’s also brilliant training in the warm weather”.
You have won a few Scottish titles, have you a particular favourite? “I equally enjoyed winning every one”.
Josh has competed in many Multi Nation Tournaments bringing home 6 gold medals and 2 bronze, and silver.
What was your Commonwealth Games experience like? “What a buzz in the village, party style all the time, it was great to see people coming from so many countries coming together, it really was a great experience and it was brilliant! They had an amazing party after the games in the village”.
You got Silver Medal at the Commonwealth Games, what happened in the final? You boxed so well in the previous rounds “I gave a good performance but Tom Stalker was just a bit too experienced at that level. This was my first major tournament, only 19 years old, I was really tense instead of relaxing, I learned a lot from that experience”.
Taylor won a bronze at the Youth Commonwealth Games at the tender age of 17, what happened in the semi-finals? “I was winning the fight but the fight got stopped in the 2nd because I had a nose bleed, I was raging so I chucked the gloves at the referee. I have to admit I’m a bad loser and am not getting any better like. As it was a youth tournament they need to protect the boxers although I didn’t understand that at the time, I was just raging”.
How did the Josh Taylor website come about? “My mum’s friend set this up, he’s really into web design, and he thought it would be good to get a page going before the Olympics, he was doing the update but now we just do it ourselves, it’s got 13,053 likes so far.
Who’s your all-time favourite boxer? “I was a right big Ricky Hatton fan but I’d say Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali and Ken Buchanan are my favourites”.
Josh has really busy schedule training at Sheffield with the GB Team and likes to chill out with his family and girlfriend Danielle when he gets the chance.
What do you think of women boxing? “I think it’s really good for women to get the chance to box, the Olympics went really well and the standard of boxing was brilliant”.
What was it like sparring with Ricky Burns? “Brilliant, I was over the moon, I sparred with Ricky three or four times, every time we did between 6 and 7 rounds, I learned so much from him, like the difference between amateur and professional, it was nonstop boxing professional style. It was great sharing the ring with a top class World Champion, you can’t buy that experience. I would like to thank Ricky for the opportunity to spar, it was really nice of him and this prepared me for my 1st fight with the British Lionhearts in the World Series Boxing”.
What’s your favourite Rocky film? “ Rocky 1”.
What made you take up boxing? “Well I done Taekwondo from the age of 5, I went along to Meadowbank ABC when I was 15 years old, I used to watch Alex Arthur when he was Champion with him being from Edinburgh, he trained at Meadowbank where my mum worked and then I started training with you Raymond”.
What does the future hold for Josh Taylor? I want to go to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, see what happens after that, I’m really enjoying this WSB. There’s a new thing starting called the APB ( AIBA Pro Boxing) programme due to commence the end of 2013, it will link closely with WSB and will basically allow professional with up to 12 fights to compete in the Olympic Games”.
The AIBA (The International Boxing Association) have radical new changes to drop the status of amateur in a move towards making the sport more professional providing boxers with a more structured career path that will be the way forward to open up new horizons.
Have you got anything you would like to say to your fans? “I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart for all the support they have given me along the way, it is very much appreciated and hopefully I’ll become a World Champion one day”.
I took Josh to his first Scottish Title and British Finals; it did not take me long before I knew this wee boy from Prestonpans was destined for the top.
I look forward to hearing about your success in Italy Champ.
Everyone at Pro Box Scotland would like to wish you all the very best for Saturday.
By Raymond Fraser Buchanan
Josh Taylor is mixing it with the elite of World Amateur Boxing and it’s truly a testament to how much hard work and determination he has put in over the years to get to where he is today.
Josh has been a member of Team GB since March 2011 and is now a regular with The British Lionhearts and fights in the 60kg lightweight division, this is their first season in the inaugural World Series Boxing Tournament.
As Josh prepares to travel to Italy for his next fight with the British Lionhearts he took time out to speak to Pro Box Scotland.
Your next WSB fight is on Saturday and is a rematch from the Olympics against Milano Thunder’s Dominico Valentino who was rated No1 in the world, what are your thoughts leading up to this fight? “I can’t wait to get over there and smash him, I’m not going to hold back as much, I’m just going to go at him and he has a very awkward style so I’m just going to keep on top of him with 3 and 4 punch combinations, keep busier than him”.
The fight will be shown live on ESPN on the 2nd of February at 9:45 pm, so there’s going to be Thunder and Lightning in Rome on Saturday. This is a must see fight for any boxing fan; miss it at your pearl.
What do you think about the concept of WSB? “It’s the first season Britain has had a team in it and its getting a lot of attention”.
What advantages does WSB have? “It’s a good eye opener to see what the professional game is like, I get to keep my amateur status, get to go to the European Championships and the Commonwealth games in Glasgow, it’s an introduction to the pro style so I’m getting the best of both worlds”.
Wearing no vest or headgear, how much difference does this make? “Before my first fight I was really nervous but as soon as the bell went I loved it, loved it, loved it, it just felt natural”.
WSB is fought over 5 rounds, what are your thoughts on this? “I am training 3 times a day, six days a week, I spar 9 rounds at a time and I’m looking forward to it like, I feel like I’m adjusting well”.
With Team GB Josh has fantastic sparring sessions with the likes of Sam Maxwell, Tom Stalker and Joe Cordina, there’s quite a few, and everyone at Lochend ABC.
You are rated 4th in Europe and 5th in the World, he told Pro Box Scotland? “I feel very proud, all my hard work is getting recognition; hopefully I will get to be World Amateur Champion and ranked no1 in the world, I’m very happy to be where I am today”.
With Team GB how much difference is the training from previous years? “It’s more technical, running is a lot more specific, 5x3 minute rounds on the track at a fast pace, strength and conditioning, circuits and weights”.
You train at LA boxing club, Lochend ABC and your trainer Terry McCormack won Performance Coach of the Year, what is it like to work with him? “Terry is a really good coach, he has taught me a lot of different techniques in pretty much every aspect of the game, he has spent a lot of time with me and Terry is a professional coach who has taught me in a professional style”.
Who is your toughest opponent to date? “I’ve had a few hard fights, I fought a Mongolian in Serbia 2010/2011, this Mongolian had pace and he could throw every punch in the book, he just kept coming at me, I went on to win the fight 14-10”.
You were the only Scottish member of the Great Britain Olympic Boxing Team, How did you feel about not being able to walk behind the flag in the Opening Ceremony? “I wasn’t too bothered about not being at the Opening Ceremony until I seen the Arctic Monkeys were there, I had to prepare for my first fight, keep my eye on my weight and just wanted to get rest for the fight”.
What was it like to walk into a capacity crowd at the ExCel Arena? “Brilliant, I don’t think I’ll get that feeling again in my whole career, may get it at the Commonwealth Games - that’s going to be amazing”.
Your first fight in the Olympics was against Robson Conceicao, he was favourite to win, did you have a game plan? “I sparred with him 3 or 4 weeks before the Olympics, he felt right strong in sparring, I had hoped to avoid him for the first couple of fights, however, I thought if I get him I would just hit and move” Josh says “It was not physically hard, it was more technical due to his experience, I had to outthink him and outbox him”. In 2011 Robson Conceicao lost by 1 point 18-19 to eventual winner of the World Amateur Boxing Championships, Vasyl Lomachencho, who won the Gold Medal at the Olympics in London 2012 and is the current World No1.
Your next opponent Dominico Valentino, you did not look like the same boxer, what do you think went wrong? “I didn’t feel the same buzz, felt too relaxed because I had boxed him the year before, I was feeling really confident”.
After the loss how long was it before you actually realised what an achievement you had made? “It was a good 5 days, I was really gutted. I had been working so hard to get down to the weight, I was really angry with myself. I remember sitting watching the Olympics at my cousins house in London and it made me realise I had just been on the biggest stage in the world”.
Tell me about your Olympic experience? “My hair stood on end watching the first day fights, what an atmosphere, the whole place exploded”.
Josh spoke about his Olympian pal Luke Campbell on Dancing on Ice and feels sorry for him having to wear the lycra outfits but said if he ever got asked he’d be right up for the challenge.
Taylor made Scottish Boxing History being the first Scottish boxer to make the Olympics through a qualifying tournament, how does this make you feel? “Really good, great feeling a mixture of emotions, all my hard work dieting to get down to the weight had paid off big time, when my hand got raised I was laughing and greeting with joy, one of the best feelings ever”.
Josh’s boxing career has also taken him over the pond notably to the Wild Card Gym with Freddie Roach. He told us “It’s a different world over there, the bags are going 24/7, the sparring over there is like competing in an International Tournament, everything is bigger and better, don’t know why America didn’t do so well in the Olympics at boxing, it’s also brilliant training in the warm weather”.
You have won a few Scottish titles, have you a particular favourite? “I equally enjoyed winning every one”.
Josh has competed in many Multi Nation Tournaments bringing home 6 gold medals and 2 bronze, and silver.
What was your Commonwealth Games experience like? “What a buzz in the village, party style all the time, it was great to see people coming from so many countries coming together, it really was a great experience and it was brilliant! They had an amazing party after the games in the village”.
You got Silver Medal at the Commonwealth Games, what happened in the final? You boxed so well in the previous rounds “I gave a good performance but Tom Stalker was just a bit too experienced at that level. This was my first major tournament, only 19 years old, I was really tense instead of relaxing, I learned a lot from that experience”.
Taylor won a bronze at the Youth Commonwealth Games at the tender age of 17, what happened in the semi-finals? “I was winning the fight but the fight got stopped in the 2nd because I had a nose bleed, I was raging so I chucked the gloves at the referee. I have to admit I’m a bad loser and am not getting any better like. As it was a youth tournament they need to protect the boxers although I didn’t understand that at the time, I was just raging”.
How did the Josh Taylor website come about? “My mum’s friend set this up, he’s really into web design, and he thought it would be good to get a page going before the Olympics, he was doing the update but now we just do it ourselves, it’s got 13,053 likes so far.
Who’s your all-time favourite boxer? “I was a right big Ricky Hatton fan but I’d say Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali and Ken Buchanan are my favourites”.
Josh has really busy schedule training at Sheffield with the GB Team and likes to chill out with his family and girlfriend Danielle when he gets the chance.
What do you think of women boxing? “I think it’s really good for women to get the chance to box, the Olympics went really well and the standard of boxing was brilliant”.
What was it like sparring with Ricky Burns? “Brilliant, I was over the moon, I sparred with Ricky three or four times, every time we did between 6 and 7 rounds, I learned so much from him, like the difference between amateur and professional, it was nonstop boxing professional style. It was great sharing the ring with a top class World Champion, you can’t buy that experience. I would like to thank Ricky for the opportunity to spar, it was really nice of him and this prepared me for my 1st fight with the British Lionhearts in the World Series Boxing”.
What’s your favourite Rocky film? “ Rocky 1”.
What made you take up boxing? “Well I done Taekwondo from the age of 5, I went along to Meadowbank ABC when I was 15 years old, I used to watch Alex Arthur when he was Champion with him being from Edinburgh, he trained at Meadowbank where my mum worked and then I started training with you Raymond”.
What does the future hold for Josh Taylor? I want to go to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, see what happens after that, I’m really enjoying this WSB. There’s a new thing starting called the APB ( AIBA Pro Boxing) programme due to commence the end of 2013, it will link closely with WSB and will basically allow professional with up to 12 fights to compete in the Olympic Games”.
The AIBA (The International Boxing Association) have radical new changes to drop the status of amateur in a move towards making the sport more professional providing boxers with a more structured career path that will be the way forward to open up new horizons.
Have you got anything you would like to say to your fans? “I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart for all the support they have given me along the way, it is very much appreciated and hopefully I’ll become a World Champion one day”.
I took Josh to his first Scottish Title and British Finals; it did not take me long before I knew this wee boy from Prestonpans was destined for the top.
I look forward to hearing about your success in Italy Champ.
Everyone at Pro Box Scotland would like to wish you all the very best for Saturday.
By Raymond Fraser Buchanan
RSS Feed