Ekow Essuman handed Josh Taylor his third official defeat in a row, though many believe Taylor has actually lost his last four fights, causing many to speculate whether retirement is on the cards.
‘The Tartan Tornado’ Josh Taylor has had a whirlwind of a career. After going undisputed against Jose Ramirez, Taylor won his most controversial fight and has slipped downhill since.
His last three fights have seen him lose to Teofimo Lopez, Jack Catterall, and, most recently, Ekow Essuman. His fight before those three is still considered a loss by many, as he outpointed Catterall in their first fight.
Essuman picked up in the second half of the fight, picking up every round past the halfway point, and has since revealed what he said to his foe after the victory.
Ekow Essuman had nothing but praise for Josh Taylor after their war
In an interview in the ring with BoxNation, Essuman, who has moved up to 22-1 and proved himself to be worthy of a title shot, spoke on his brief conversation with Taylor after their fight.
He said: “We didn’t really speak that much, I just said to him it was a really good fight, he’s a really good fighter, and I really respect him, because I do. I’ve always respected him, we just happened to box each other.”
Taylor, who beat Regis Prograis, seemed unhappy with the decision, which derailed his homecoming show and his chance at salvaging his career, but Essuman had only kind words to say about his opponent.
With three official losses in a row, and four in the court of public opinion, it is unclear if Taylor will hang up the gloves, though for Essuman, it seems a world title shot may be on the cards.
Taylor apologized to fans after leaving the ring without a word.
Ekow Essuman called out a world champion for his next fight
After the career-defining win, Essuman called out just one name, the WBO welterweight world champion – Brian Norman Jr.
Norman won the title by KO against Giovani Santillan, though it was an interim title then, and has since defeated Derrieck Cuevas in a full title bout.
He is set to face Jin Sasaki in Japan next month, though Essuman wants first dibs on the winner of that fight.