Josh Taylor admits he is drawing inspiration from stablemate Carl Frampton as he bids to get his hands on the Commonwealth super-lightweight belt.
The Scottish Commonwealth gold medalist, who has not been taken beyond two rounds after winning his first six pro fights, will battle with seasoned Derby-based campaigner Dave Ryan for the vacant title at Meadowbank on October 21.
Taylor, nicknamed the Tartan Tornado, trains out of Shane McGuigan’s London gym, just like WBA world featherweight champion Frampton, and is promoted by retired boxer Barry McGuigan.
McGuigan senior has high hopes for the East Lothian fighter and reckons the 25-year-old can be just as successful as Frampton.
And Taylor insists the Northern Irishman is the perfect role model.
Taylor said: “It is a huge compliment for Barry to say that. But I take it all in my stride – I don’t take too much from it.
“I am confident in my own ability. Having Carl in the gym and seeing how he is doing drives me on. Like, I want to be there one day. So it is great.
“When we are in camp, we are all in camp at the same time, we are all training, living together.
“It is great to be around a world champion and learn from what he does, what he eats, how he trains, how he lives, and just learn from him – it is brilliant.
“He is very disciplined and it’s an eye opener. I am very disciplined myself but how disciplined he is is still an eye-opener.
“It just gives me that knowledge of what you have to do to get to the top and it’s great to have a world champion there to learn from.”
Fighting talk
Taylor’s lack of lack of 12-round fighting was highlighted by the Ryan camp at yesterday’s press conference and the Englishman’s trainer Clifton Mitchell even said that, ‘we’re coming to smash his face in’.
The Scot acknowledges that he is making a huge step as he bids to make a name for himself, but has vowed to ram those comments back down their throats.
He said: “It is brilliant, I am glad he thinks that is too soon for me bcause he is going to get a surprise, a big surprise.
“He is going to be surprised by how fast and talented I am. He is going to get surprised because he is going to be involved in a real fight.
“It’s a massive step up, it’s my first proper fight that I’ve been involved in but I’m 100 per cent confident I can do the job.
“This guy has a lot of pedigree, he’s been in a few hard 12 round fights and he’s beaten the current British champion, Tyrone Nurse.
“He only lost his last fight due to a back injury. I know I’m involved in a real fight but that’s going to make me train that much harder. There’s no way I’m getting beat in front of my home fans.
“I’m sparring loads of rounds in the gym, I’m going nine, ten rounds already with light middleweights and people like that, and people that are bigger than me.”
Alex Arthur
Former boxer Alex Arthur entertained Scottish boxing fans with fights at Meadowbank, including an epic defeat to Michael Gomez in 2003.
Taylor hopes he can reignite interest in the sport in the capital just like his former hero did.
He added: “Two years ago I fought for the Commonwealth gold in Glasgow in front of 10,000 people. Two years on, I am boxing in my home arena, possibly in front of 4,000 people.
“I used to go to all the Alex Arthur fights. I used to watch him in training when I was a wee laddie on holidays from school.
“The noise his fights used to make in that hall were unbelievable. The following he had was brilliant and if I can bring the interest in boxing back to Edinburgh then I will be a happy fighter.
“The Gomez fight was brilliant and I want to be involved in fights like that, but obviously I want to be involved in fights with the right outcome.
“It will be my first title as a professional and it is the Commonwealth belt, so I don’t need any more motivation than that right there. The title is definitely coming back to Edinburgh, that is for sure.”
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