Josh Taylor's next opponent revealed

[Enlightened-One]

"Josh Taylor's next opponent revealed as he defends WBA and IBF titles"

Prestonpans puncher will put world titles on the line against Thai boxer

Josh Taylor has revealed that his next fight will be against Apinun Khongsong.

The Prestonpans puncher will put his WBA and IBF super-lightweight world titles on the line against the Thai boxer as part of his mandatory defence.

Taylor, 29, hopes that the fight against Khongsong will take place in Scotland before going on to fight either Jose Ramirez - who holds the WBC and WBO belts - or Viktor Postol to unify the division. Ramirez and Postol are due to fight on February 1.

"Ramirez has got the mandatory against Postol, I've got the mandatory against the guy from Thailand," Taylor, who last week signed a multi-fight deal with US promoter Top Rank, revealed.

"I need to get that out of the way and he needs to get Postol out of the way. Even if Postol comes through that, that's the fight I want because he'll have the two other belts.

"That fight has to happen at some point this year. That's my goal, my focus this year - becoming undisputed king, the first [Scottish] guy to do it since Ken Buchanan.

"I'm hoping I'll have a defence in Scotland before I then go Stateside and chase the Ramirez fight.

"I can't see Ramirez coming over here. I'd like to get it here, I'll try to push for it to be here. But if I have to go to America, fair play, I'll go to America and see my name up in bright lights.

Both fighters have 16-0 records in the paid ranks, although the 23-year-old Thai has only fought outside his homeland on one occasion.

Taylor became unified IBF and WBA champion with a victory over Regis Prograis in October and defeated Postol on his way to winning his current titles.

Thoughts?

[Paci]

Nothing against Khongsong, but... Ain't this an easy showcase?

[lazboy]

Taylor deserves a softer opponent after having come from two straight wars.

[Enlightened-One]

Jose Ramirez has a mandatory defence to perform.

The IBF confirmed last October that Josh Taylor would be ordered to face Apinun Khongsong.

Josh Taylor’s last two bouts against Ivan Baranchyk and Regis Prograis were gruelling affairs.

So I’m not against Taylor and Ramirez fulfilling their mandatory defence obligations, because these guys will inevitably engage in a four-belt title unification super-fight at some point during summer.

[DrDuke]

Hopefully Taylor and Ramirez fight against each other after these defences.

[Ruthless-RKO]

65-35 split.

Sampson who now promote Taylor’s opponent, have asked to go straight to purse bid. No more negotiations.

I guess if any negotiations had already taken place, they wanted to lowball his opponent.

[Cent0089]

Im disapointed. But never underestimate unknown undefeated oponent.

[margaret thatcher]

Never heard of the guy. TBH, I am of the mindset that easy fights can be earned through good fights, and I think JT has earned this.

Once he and Rammy deal with their mandatories, let's see them fight each other

[Enlightened-One]

65-35 split.

Sampson who now promote Taylor’s opponent, have asked to go straight to purse bid. No more negotiations.

I guess if any negotiations had already taken place, they wanted to lowball his opponent.

According to the IBF’s rules, the champion receives a 75% split of the total winning purse bid amount, with the challenger receiving the remainder.

Perhaps Apinan Khongsong’s handlers/promoter has some financial backing where they’d like to stage the bout in the challengers home turf?

[Paci]

Im disapointed. But never underestimate unknown undefeated oponent.

Yeah. Kid might have more then we think. Lets see.

[ValMar]

Never heard of the guy. TBH, I am of the mindset that easy fights can be earned through good fights, and I think JT has earned this.

Once he and Rammy deal with their mandatories, let's see them fight each other

Yes !

[Ruthless-RKO]

65-35 split.

Sampson who now promote Taylor’s opponent, have asked to go straight to purse bid. No more negotiations.

I guess if any negotiations had already taken place, they wanted to lowball his opponent.

According to the IBF’s rules, the champion receives a 75% split of the total winning purse bid amount, with the challenger receiving the remainder.

Perhaps Apinan Khongsong’s handlers/promoter has some financial backing where they’d like to stage the bout in the challengers home turf?

I was just quoting a B-Scene article.

[Boxing Prospect]

Thai Chap vs the Japanese tough guy that Lipinets fought

[giacomino]

His opponent is ranked 95th by boxrec and that's probably about where he belongs. The bigger question should be aimed at the IBF for making Sakkreerin anybody's mandatory.

[margaret thatcher]

Thai Chap vs the Japanese tough guy that Lipinets fought

It looks nice on paper that he KO'd a guy who Lippy couldn't, but having watched that Apinun looks pretty mediocre and far more in line with his BoxRec ranking than his IBF one

[Ruthless-RKO]

Sampson Lewkowicz’s Sampson Boxing has secured the rights to Taylor’s unified junior welterweight title defense versus Thailand’s Apinun Khongsong, outbidding Top Rank at Friday’s purse bid hearing at International Boxing Federation (IBF) headquarters in Springfield, New Jersey.

Sampson Boxing put up a massive bid of $1.32 million, just enough to edge out Top Rank’s offer of $1.26 million to gain control of the IBF-ordered mandatory title fight.

Taylor (16-0, 12KOs) will be entitled to 65% of the winning purse amount as the defending champion, which leads his side to split $858,000 for his second overall title defense and first as a unified titlist. Khongsong will collect the remaining 35% ($462,000) as the mandatory challenger.

Interestingly, Taylor’s signing came on the same day that Sampson Boxing inked Khongsong (16-0, 13KOs) to a promotional contract. A mere five days later came a request from Lewkowicz to order an immediate purse bid hearing—and another 10 days later, scoring an upset of sorts in the sanctioning body board room.

“It is what it is,” Carl Moretti, vice president of operations for Top Rank told BS.com of the purse bid outcome.

Boxing Scene

[Stuarty]

Top Rank getting outbid in Taylors first fight doesn't look great. Wonder where it'll be held?

[KiwiRider]

Top Rank getting outbid in Taylors first fight doesn't look great. Wonder where it'll be held?

Interesting.
It would help to know where/who the backing came from.
Bit of a giggle that Taylor's shiny new signing got outbid at the first purse bid. They obviously didn't know of this backer and bid accordingly. Now Taylor could be fighting in Thailand or even China
Fighting in China might be good for him actually.

[Stuarty]

Top Rank getting outbid in Taylors first fight doesn't look great. Wonder where it'll be held?

Interesting.
It would help to know where/who the backing came from.
Bit of a giggle that Taylor's shiny new signing got outbid at the first purse bid. They obviously didn't know of this backer and bid accordingly. Now Taylor could be fighting in Thailand or even China
Fighting in China might be good for him actually.

China will be on complete lockdown by the time this fight is ready to go

Thailand would be a decent jaunt for the Scots fans! Watch the fight then end up ball deep in a ladyboy

[Ruthless-RKO]

Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz defaulted on his winning purse bid for the mandatory fight between unified junior welterweight titist Josh Taylor and mandatory challenger Apinun Khongsong, whom Lewkowicz co-promotes. Lewkowicz missed Friday's IBF deadline to put up a second payment of $132,000, as per terms of the purse bid he won for $1.32 million to beat new Taylor promoter Top Rank, which bid $1.26 million, Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told ESPN. Top Rank, as the underbidder, now takes over control of the bout.

Dan Rafael, ESPN Senior Writer

Wow that’s two fights now where Top Rank didn’t win the bid but eventually got there in the end.