Round-by-Round: Josh Taylor vs. Ekow Essuman | DAZN - 24 May 2025

[THEBUTCH]

By pure coincidence Shane McGuigan hasn't been in his corner since Prograis either.

[Ruthless-RKO]

CompuBox stats

[Ruthless-RKO]

Another fight live

Yh I listed that on the running order as the float.

[maverick23]

Queensbury have ended Taylor’s career at 147 before it even got started

Who should they have got for Taylor?

Just think after all those heroic wars, for his homecoming fight they should’ve got him one that he could have looked good in for the fans as a 147 launch, instead of an iron chinned punching machine called the engine .. and 12 rounds at a new weight to boot,

Anyway, Doesn’t even matter what the scores are

I see where you’re coming from but also Essuman is British/fringe European title level. It’s a big drop in levels compared to where Taylor has been.

I thought matchmaking wise it was a decent fight for his 147 debut. Probably should have been made for 10 rounds though.

Taylor was an excellent fight who got the most out of himself and deserves a lot of credit. He was pretty big at the weight at 140 and had good stamina too. Now he doesn’t have either of those it seems and perhaps doesn’t have the same drive he once did and we’re seeing the difference against bigger guys.

[handsofstone]

I had it a 114-114 draw but felt an Essuman win was more justified, Taylor began fast, forced the action, put it on Essuman and whipped in the left hands to the head, positive start but middle rounds he just gassed and his workrate dropped significantly, Essuman capatialised, you know he's super fit and he roughed Taylor up , put in on him, backed him up and stunned him a few times with clean head shots, Taylor needed to find something to stem the tide but he just didn't have it in him anymore, even when Essuman dropped off slightly Taylor couldn't get a foothold back in the fight, it was a good scrap I enjoyed it and even though I had it even, Essuman deserved it more

[Controversial]

Hard to see where Taylor can go, he's now 34 and been far too inactive, he's had one fight a year for the last 5 years.

[Ruthless-RKO]

LIAM SMITH: EKOW ESSUMAN IS 'EUROPEAN LEVEL,' JOSH TAYLOR SHOULD GO BACK TO 140 OR RETIRE

GLASGOW, Scotland — Much like Teofimo Lopez said himself a year before inflicting the Scotsman's first pro career defeat, Josh Taylor vowed to produce a new-and-improved version after disappointing displays at world-level of late.

Josh Taylor 2.0 at welterweight was extinguished before he had much chance to show new wrinkles, updates or adaptations after ending a year-long absence with another 12-round decision defeat.

Top Rank chief Bob Arum surprised many by declaring the Edinburgh-born southpaw had been unjustly done with "disgraceful" scorecards in his long-awaited Jack Catterall rematch 12 months ago.

Thankfully, Taylor (19-3, 13 KOs) departed here before there was an opportunity to interview him and ponder what's next after falling short as thousands of adoring home supporters willed him on.

Torn plantar fascia, lingering hand and wrist injuries from his undisputed title win over Jose Carlos Ramirez and a ''minor eye procedure" are just the ailments made public since Taylor scaled the mountaintop at 140 pounds four years ago. As such, this sharp decline should be no surprise.

Former WBO junior middleweight world champion Liam Smith, Taylor's gymmate under head trainer Joe McNally, was among the notable names watching ringside to witness a competitive contest.

Yet he, like many, came away unconvinced about what the future holds after seeing his ambitious agemate outpoint a faded version of a former world champion for a career-best scalp.

"Josh started well, Ekow took over from [round] seven onwards. It was a good fight to watch, but I thought Essuman ran away with it in the end," he told The Ring post-fight.

When it was put to him that Essuman remarked he was "all wrong" as a welcome to welterweight offering for Taylor, Smith made his stance clear.

"Maybe [he was], I think either Josh goes back to 140 or probably retires.

"If Ekow is the wrong opponent at 147 then Taylor's not a 147-pound fighter — no disrespect — he's a great domestic fighter, European level, but Josh is talking [of becoming a] two-weight world champion. If he can't beat Essuman, his future isn't there. Only he will know and make that decision with his family when the time is right."

That's a view also shared by his friend and former two-weight world champion-turned-analyst Carl Frampton, who was covering the event for DAZN. Moving back down to junior welterweight, where he boiled his body down throughout his decade-long pro career, seems like wishful thinking at this stage.

Taylor, sharp from the first bell, outlanded Essuman in three of the first four rounds and against lesser opposition could've chained together enough to overwhelm them in a fairytale homecoming finish.

Instead, the subsequent rainfall reinforced a gloomy Glasgow mood as the 34-year-old now needs some hard truths from his inner circle after believing he'd done enough to win another fight where he physically hadn't with any consistency.

Smith (33-5-1, 20 KOs) similarly finds himself in the midst of a two-fight losing streak for the first time in his own career and it felt eerie seeing him, Leigh Wood and recently-retired Sunny Edwards — all former world champions —
on site as spectators here.

While the in-form Anthony Cacace (24-1, 9 KOs) also was in attendance after powerfully proving earlier this month that he's ageing like fine wine into his mid-30s, not everyone can say the same.

"It's hard to explain. I had 19 months out but there wasn't anything wrong with my fitness or durability," Smith said on his performance in defeat by unbeaten contender Aaron McKenna last month.

"I didn't look like a shot fighter, moreso as if I didn't have any gears [to go through] and that makes you look like an old man, couldn't close the ring off quickly enough.

"I'll make a decision in the coming weeks, be back in the gym and if the phone goes where I get something [a fight offer] and think yeah, I'll have one last one. Lose and I'm done, win and I'll see where I'm at. I feel good, happy, regardless of everything — obviously gutted about the result, but injury-free after a horrendous two years."

Taylor had told BS this week that, whatever happens, he could retire tomorrow as a happy man having achieved undisputed status — standing alone as the only British man to do so.

"But I know in six, seven months down the line, I'd be 'I could have done more, got more out of it,' and that would really bug me."

Injury might have been the catalyst, but it seems increasingly clear two former world titleholders from the Rotunda gym have difficult career decisions forthcoming and it's an apt reminder, there's no shame in surrendering to Father Time.

[maverick23]

Hard to see where Taylor can go, he's now 34 and been far too inactive, he's had one fight a year for the last 5 years.

Yep. I think inactivity has been a real killer of careers. Particularly from and since Covid.

It used to be that the real elite fought twice a year whilst other guys would be 3-4 times a year. Now it’s 1 or twice a year for everyone around world title level it seems. Guys need to be fighting a minimum of twice a year and ideally more than that.

[skanksta]

Another fight live

Yh I listed that on the running order as the float.

Ooh NASTY KO !
Wortha watch gents

[Bigdogsnose]

By pure coincidence Shane McGuigan hasn't been in his corner since Prograis either.

Nobody improves after leaving Shane do they. He definitley has a knack of getting the best out of his fighters.

[Coco]

By pure coincidence Shane McGuigan hasn't been in his corner since Prograis either.

Nobody improves after leaving Shane do they. He definitley has a knack of getting the best out of his fighters.

Frampton said that Cacace has since improved

And that while Shane was a good trainer, the hard sparring shortens careers

[Bigdogsnose]

By pure coincidence Shane McGuigan hasn't been in his corner since Prograis either.

Nobody improves after leaving Shane do they. He definitley has a knack of getting the best out of his fighters.

Brampton said that Cacace has since improved

And that while Shane was a good trainer, the hard sparring shortens careers

Its a good shout, i never knew cacace was with him.

[SeanBrennan]

Do you know how to watch picture in picture?

Mate I I don’t even know what that means sorry. I’m from Lincolnshire we’re still getting our head around the opposable thumb

Haha. It's like when you watch YouTube, click on the thing near the top of the screen and the video appears in a small window at the bottom of the screen, so you can watch it while using another web page.

Cheers Keith

[THEBUTCH]

Frampton would say that about Cacace, for obvious reasons.

Cacace isn't anywhere near the fighter Josh Taylor was at his peak. Cacace has had some good wins over higher class domestic opponents, but is yet to prove himself on the world stage for any length of time. Taylor was out there taking on anyone who was in the way of his pursuit for a world title.

[veriton]

Taylor front loaded his career, he had a crazy run of top tier opposition early on and it doesn't look like there's much left championship wise, even though he looked fantastic the first few rounds against Essuman.

Boxing wise, he's always been beautiful to watch but he's not the most likeable of characters. I hope if he does retire he finds a bit of peace in his life, rather than go down the Scott Harrison route.

[Bigdogsnose]

The 140 wbss either ruined taylor, prograis and ramirez OR they werent as good as we thought at the time. Maybe bit of both.

Dont think taylors completely washed. Does 12, not getting stopped. Still good to watch, he just seems to need more breathers, not the intensity he used to bring.

But he'll never be where he was, so does he really need it

[samwbr]

Cacace knocking people out recently has a whiff of suspicion about it.

[Coco]

The 140 wbss either ruined taylor, prograis and ramirez OR they werent as good as we thought at the time. Maybe bit of both.

Dont think taylors completely washed. Does 12, not getting stopped. Still good to watch, he just seems to need more breathers, not the intensity he used to bring.

But he'll never be where he was, so does he really need it

Depends what his ambitions are.

I think unifying at welter or reunifying at light welter are out of the question.

If a promoter really wanted to invest, he could be found someone to win against for a vacant belt, Conor Benn springs to mind.

Winning British and Euro belts again are still reality

[Bigdogsnose]

The 140 wbss either ruined taylor, prograis and ramirez OR they werent as good as we thought at the time. Maybe bit of both.

Dont think taylors completely washed. Does 12, not getting stopped. Still good to watch, he just seems to need more breathers, not the intensity he used to bring.

But he'll never be where he was, so does he really need it

Depends what his ambitions are.

I think unifying at welter or reunifying at light welter are out of the question.

If a promoter really wanted to invest, he could be found someone to win against for a vacant belt, Conor Benn springs to mind.

Winning British and Euro belts again are still reality

The connor benn fight was the fight i was thinking, but i'd be gutted if he lost.

[margaret thatcher]

taylor might go down as a undisputed world champ not to make the international boxing hall of fame, he really fell apart after the wbss.

but gotta give him credit, he went through the gauntlet and came through a winner. no wonder he was ragged after

[samwbr]

taylor might go down as a undisputed world champ not to make the international boxing hall of fame, he really fell apart after the wbss.

but gotta give him credit, he went through the gauntlet and came through a winner. no wonder he was ragged after

That would incredibly harsh if so, can't see that.

[margaret thatcher]

taylor might go down as a undisputed world champ not to make the international boxing hall of fame, he really fell apart after the wbss.

but gotta give him credit, he went through the gauntlet and came through a winner. no wonder he was ragged after

That would incredibly harsh if so, can't see that.

i can easily see it, his prime was very short and he's had very few fights for someone at that level. hasnt rebounded after losing and the most attention he's got in the last few years was for a robbery

he could easily be 18-4, and if he continues on will prob lose a few more at least. how many hall of famers have a record of something like 21-5?

i remember juan diaz being all over hbo , unifying titles, etc. had fight of the year vs marquez, and he never got in. he ended 42-4. pavlik won a bunch of belts too and was on p4p lists, good wins over then unbeaten edison miranda and leading star of the time jermain taylor. lost to hopkins and martinez, not essuman or jack cat

i wonder if krusher kovalev will get in

[Coco]

taylor might go down as a undisputed world champ not to make the international boxing hall of fame, he really fell apart after the wbss.

but gotta give him credit, he went through the gauntlet and came through a winner. no wonder he was ragged after

That would incredibly harsh if so, can't see that.

Barry McGuigan made it

[margaret thatcher]

taylor might go down as a undisputed world champ not to make the international boxing hall of fame, he really fell apart after the wbss.

but gotta give him credit, he went through the gauntlet and came through a winner. no wonder he was ragged after

That would incredibly harsh if so, can't see that.

Barry McGuigan made it

and loads of world class fighters, unified/multi division champs, guys ranked p4p etc, have not made it

[KiwiRider]

Congrats to Ekow, he truly grafted a win through hard work, and showed that despite his age and slowing down his punch output, he could still come on strong for 12 rounds.
I doubt this win will lead anywhere for him, but a nice touch to a successful domestic career.