Unbeaten Bevan could headline show in Southampton
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has teased that a headline show could happen this year for unbeaten super-middleweight Taylor Bevan.
The 25-year-old from Southampton - who won a silver medal for Wales at the Commonwealth Games - improved his record to 8-0 as a professional on Saturday when he stopped Argentine Martin Ezequiel Bulacio in the second round of their fight.
Bevan has now beaten all eight of his opponents inside the distance, and Hearn wants to reward both him and his loyal fans who have travelled to support him in numbers across the country.
On Saturday around 200 of them were packed into the Copperbox Arena to back their man.
"No matter the time that Taylor's on, those fans travel up from Southampton and it's the same numbers all the time," Hearn told BBC Sport.
"It's about 200-odd coming up on a bus or a train and I think that's unbelievable to support him like that.
"We will be in Southampton and he will headline this year, and those 250-odd fans will be a few thousand."
After a tight opening round, Bevan settled into the contest on Saturday and increased the tempo in the second round.
The shot that called a halt to the fight was a sickening body punch that triggered a delayed reaction from Bulacio as he dropped to the canvas and failed to beat the referee's count.
Bevan's fight was one of the early ones on the bill and Hearn raised a big cheer from his supporters when he offered to buy them some drinks, external in an attempt to get them to stay and watch the rest of the night's action, which was headlined by George Liddard and Tyler Denny.
"It cost me nearly a grand, it seemed like a good idea at the time," Hearn joked.
"We thought we were going to get rounds tonight because that guy went 10 hard rounds with the double Olympic gold medallist (Arlen Lopez) but we only got two.
"When he headlines, it won't be a British title fight yet and it'll only be a few thousand fans to start but that's how you build someone, like we are doing with George Liddard and did with Josh Warrington.
"We'll ram in a few thousand to watch him, then move to British title level where he'll start to sell out big arenas and one day dare I say it, you know what (St Mary's Stadium)."
Bevan 'over the moon' with latest win
Bevan himself labelled the win as his most satisfying to date, external, less than two years into his professional career.
He has boxed 23 out of a possible 54 rounds across his eight fights and is yet to be taken the full distance in a contest.
This was Bevan's first fight in 2026 ,in a year that he hopes will bring some big fights down on the south coast.
"I'm over the moon and that was not what I expected to be honest," Bevan told BBC Sport.
"He's a very tough opponent and he's given some top fighters lots of rounds so that is what I was expecting. I feel I'm getting better as the fights go on.
"The only way is up from here and hopefully I can keep improving, it's brilliant to box on the south coast and I'd love to do it again like when I did in Bournemouth last year.
"A show down in Southampton would be nice, there's some exciting shows in the pipeline this year and it would be amazing to be a part of them, I just want to stay as active as I can."
Taylor Bevan
Re: Unbeaten Bevan could headline show in Southampton
Has Southampton got any venues, maybe BIC would be better
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Re: Unbeaten Bevan could headline show in Southampton
Taylor Bevan never expected stadium bout at home after eight fights
Middleweight prospect Taylor Bevan never thought he’d get to fight in his hometown stadium within his first 10 pro fights.
Bevan, promoted by Matchroom, boxes on the Queensberry Promotions bill at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton on Saturday, when he faces Manchester-based Pole Ryszard Lewicki.
Bevan is 8-0 (8 KOs) and has caught the eye early on in his career. He is managed by popular Irishman Brian Peters, too.
“It’s very exciting to be boxing at home,” Bevan told Boxing Scene. “I haven’t boxed in Southampton for years and it’s a good opportunity for friends and family to come and watch me box because, even in the amateurs, I was flying all over the world to box and people would have to watch me on the live streams and things. But yeah, I can’t wait to be back home. I think it’s going to be a bit of a weird experience, but I’m very excited about it.”
Southampton has not been a hotbed for professional boxing cards for years and it is the first boxing event outdoors in the stadium that is home to Southampton FC.
Top of the bill is local lad Ryan Garner, who meets Michael Magnesi for the vacant WBC interim super-featherweight title, and that has fast-tracked Bevan into a stadium fight he had not expected so soon in his career given it had been a long-term goal.
“No, definitely not. Not in the first couple of years as a pro,” he smiled. “It’s something you dream of down the line in future. But I’m so happy for the opportunity and grateful for the opportunity from Queensberry and for Matchroom for making it happen. I think boxing in Southampton is getting bigger and bigger. There’s a lot of top lads coming through like Ryan Garner, Louis Edmondson, Royston Barney-Smith, and numerous others. So boxing in Southampton is getting bigger and bigger. There haven’t been big shows there in recent years. Chris Billam-Smith’s done an amazing job bringing boxing down South with these shows that he’s had in Bournemouth. But boxing in Southampton has been very little, to be honest. I think if this show sells well, it’ll be the start of some big nights of boxing in Southampton. Hopefully Matchroom might even be able to have me headline a smaller show towards the end of the year or next year if things go well with my tickets. That’s something I’d hope would be on the cards as well.”
There are no feasible smaller indoor venues in the city, but Bevan mentioned the possibility of boxing at the ground of nearby Eastleigh Football Club, or at the Utilita Bowl, the cricket ground of Hampshire CC. It is there when his amateur boxing club, Poseidon, is situated, which adds to the appeal of a fight there.
After just eight fights, Bevan has made personnel changes to his team. He’s left Welsh stalwart Colin Jones and has moved to the Manchester Gym of Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis, which boasts Chantelle Cameron, Pat Brown, Dave Allen, and Aqib Fiaz.
“A lot of reasons really,” Bevan said, asked about the change. “But Jamie and Nigel are such experienced pro coaches that they have so much to learn off of them. Also, the gym environment, there’s so many top lads in the gym to learn off of and it’s a great gym environment. I don’t think there’s many gyms around the country that have an atmosphere like Jamie and Nigel’s just because there’s so many great, a proper mix of characters in the gym, but so many great characters.”
Bevan comes across as confident in his ability but comparatively shy. That is something he thinks might change being around the likes of Allen and Brown.
“A hundred percent. That’s something I’m sort of trying to lean into is hanging around with Dave Allen more because he’s sort of opposite end of the thing to me,” Bevan explained. “He’s very much out there and it’s opposite end of the chart for me. I’m used to training on my own and having quite a reclusive lifestyle really.
“But now I’m in a gym with amazing, loud characters like that, it’s definitely going to bring me out of myself and also improve my boxing because they’re further down the line than what I am. So I’ve got loads to learn off of them.”
He also believes the fighters in the gym now are closer than he was with many of his old amateur team-mates on the Great Britain squad.
“I think it feels more of a team setting the environment I’m in now because in the amateurs you’re part of a massive team but also you’re training alongside people who are the same weight as you,” he said. “You might have two or three others that are your competitors.
“So you have your cliques with certain people and you’re very close with certain people on the team but as a whole you’re always watching what someone else is doing and thinking I need to one-up them with certain things. In a pro gym you’re not really trying to one-up someone. You’re competitive with them and you want to push each other on in training but you want the best for them. You’re not trying to outdo them in terms of getting selected for a team or something like that. You’re not thinking, ‘Am I the coach’s favourite’ because you don’t really care. You want them to do as well as you do. They're not a competitor of yours. I much prefer the environment I’m in now.”
Bevan is also keeping a close watch on some of his old amateur rivals and their journey in the pros, including Aaron Bowen and Sam Hickey.
“I think everyone’s on their own path. I just take it one fight at a time at the moment,” he said.
“It’s good to compare yourself with people that you’ve been amateur with just to see how you’re doing. But I also want the best for them because I’d say they’re mates of mine as well. But the paths might end up crossing down the line – but I do just take it one fight at a time.”
Middleweight prospect Taylor Bevan never thought he’d get to fight in his hometown stadium within his first 10 pro fights.
Bevan, promoted by Matchroom, boxes on the Queensberry Promotions bill at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton on Saturday, when he faces Manchester-based Pole Ryszard Lewicki.
Bevan is 8-0 (8 KOs) and has caught the eye early on in his career. He is managed by popular Irishman Brian Peters, too.
“It’s very exciting to be boxing at home,” Bevan told Boxing Scene. “I haven’t boxed in Southampton for years and it’s a good opportunity for friends and family to come and watch me box because, even in the amateurs, I was flying all over the world to box and people would have to watch me on the live streams and things. But yeah, I can’t wait to be back home. I think it’s going to be a bit of a weird experience, but I’m very excited about it.”
Southampton has not been a hotbed for professional boxing cards for years and it is the first boxing event outdoors in the stadium that is home to Southampton FC.
Top of the bill is local lad Ryan Garner, who meets Michael Magnesi for the vacant WBC interim super-featherweight title, and that has fast-tracked Bevan into a stadium fight he had not expected so soon in his career given it had been a long-term goal.
“No, definitely not. Not in the first couple of years as a pro,” he smiled. “It’s something you dream of down the line in future. But I’m so happy for the opportunity and grateful for the opportunity from Queensberry and for Matchroom for making it happen. I think boxing in Southampton is getting bigger and bigger. There’s a lot of top lads coming through like Ryan Garner, Louis Edmondson, Royston Barney-Smith, and numerous others. So boxing in Southampton is getting bigger and bigger. There haven’t been big shows there in recent years. Chris Billam-Smith’s done an amazing job bringing boxing down South with these shows that he’s had in Bournemouth. But boxing in Southampton has been very little, to be honest. I think if this show sells well, it’ll be the start of some big nights of boxing in Southampton. Hopefully Matchroom might even be able to have me headline a smaller show towards the end of the year or next year if things go well with my tickets. That’s something I’d hope would be on the cards as well.”
There are no feasible smaller indoor venues in the city, but Bevan mentioned the possibility of boxing at the ground of nearby Eastleigh Football Club, or at the Utilita Bowl, the cricket ground of Hampshire CC. It is there when his amateur boxing club, Poseidon, is situated, which adds to the appeal of a fight there.
After just eight fights, Bevan has made personnel changes to his team. He’s left Welsh stalwart Colin Jones and has moved to the Manchester Gym of Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis, which boasts Chantelle Cameron, Pat Brown, Dave Allen, and Aqib Fiaz.
“A lot of reasons really,” Bevan said, asked about the change. “But Jamie and Nigel are such experienced pro coaches that they have so much to learn off of them. Also, the gym environment, there’s so many top lads in the gym to learn off of and it’s a great gym environment. I don’t think there’s many gyms around the country that have an atmosphere like Jamie and Nigel’s just because there’s so many great, a proper mix of characters in the gym, but so many great characters.”
Bevan comes across as confident in his ability but comparatively shy. That is something he thinks might change being around the likes of Allen and Brown.
“A hundred percent. That’s something I’m sort of trying to lean into is hanging around with Dave Allen more because he’s sort of opposite end of the thing to me,” Bevan explained. “He’s very much out there and it’s opposite end of the chart for me. I’m used to training on my own and having quite a reclusive lifestyle really.
“But now I’m in a gym with amazing, loud characters like that, it’s definitely going to bring me out of myself and also improve my boxing because they’re further down the line than what I am. So I’ve got loads to learn off of them.”
He also believes the fighters in the gym now are closer than he was with many of his old amateur team-mates on the Great Britain squad.
“I think it feels more of a team setting the environment I’m in now because in the amateurs you’re part of a massive team but also you’re training alongside people who are the same weight as you,” he said. “You might have two or three others that are your competitors.
“So you have your cliques with certain people and you’re very close with certain people on the team but as a whole you’re always watching what someone else is doing and thinking I need to one-up them with certain things. In a pro gym you’re not really trying to one-up someone. You’re competitive with them and you want to push each other on in training but you want the best for them. You’re not trying to outdo them in terms of getting selected for a team or something like that. You’re not thinking, ‘Am I the coach’s favourite’ because you don’t really care. You want them to do as well as you do. They're not a competitor of yours. I much prefer the environment I’m in now.”
Bevan is also keeping a close watch on some of his old amateur rivals and their journey in the pros, including Aaron Bowen and Sam Hickey.
“I think everyone’s on their own path. I just take it one fight at a time at the moment,” he said.
“It’s good to compare yourself with people that you’ve been amateur with just to see how you’re doing. But I also want the best for them because I’d say they’re mates of mine as well. But the paths might end up crossing down the line – but I do just take it one fight at a time.”
Re: Taylor Bevan
we have some great young fighters at the mo. Barney Smith, Edmondson, Garner, Bevan.....
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Re: Taylor Bevan
HOT BRITISH PROSPECT TAYLOR BEVAN CONTINUES TO EVOLVE
It hasn’t taken long for Taylor Bevan to forge a reputation as one of Britain’s most exciting prospects.
Since he turned professional in November 2024, the 25-year-old Welsh super middleweight has scored a series of eye-catching knockouts.
Bevan (10-0, 9 KOs) made the most of a showcase spot on the undercard of Katie Taylor’s spectacular Croke Park farewell earlier this month. He broke down the previously undefeated Emmet Brennan with a punishing body attack, dropping him four times before finally knocking him out with a ruthless combination.
As an amateur, Bevan won a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games but is clearly made for professional boxing. He has natural power and finishing instincts but he has also spent years working out how to use them.
“I wouldn't say I'm a concussive puncher, I think a lot of my power comes from hard work,” Bevan told The Ring.
“From young, I've always really pushed myself in the gym and been super fit. I've always tried to punch hard. I think, more than anything, it is technique but obviously genetics has a lot to play in it. I think it's something you can train but a lot of it is either you've got it or you haven't.
“I wouldn't say [power] is one thing, it's probably a mix of everything. You've obviously got to have timing and speed. Speed is more important than strength and power itself. If you don't see a punch coming, it's more likely it's knocked you out.”
Rather than getting carried away by his early career success, allowing results and plaudits to distract him, Bevan acknowledged a need to temper his all-action style to achieve all of his goals.
Earlier this year, he left trainer Colin Jones and joined Jamie Moore’s gym on the outskirts of Manchester.
In June, the partnership was given a very early stress test when the tough, underrated Ryszard Lewicki became the first man to take Bevan the distance. He fought hard, refused to fold and made Bevan work hard for a 10-round majority decision.
Going to a successful gym full of championship-level fighters should help Bevan learn what it takes to reach the top, but he has also looked to shake himself out of some old habits, slowing things down.
The recent fight against Brennan gave Bevan the chance to show what he had learned.
He grabbed hold of the fight from the very start, but rather than rushing his work or trying to bring matters to an end as quickly as possible he patiently chipped away until the chance to end matters presented itself.
“I think I am a technical fighter as well but that hard work has been instilled in me from young. My dad's always had me pushing,” he said.
“Something I'm sort of drilling out in myself a little bit now is the fact you don't need to be working for 90 seconds of a round because you can't do that for 10 or 12 rounds in the pros. It’s completely different.
“My dad's always instilled that hard work mentality from young, taking me out doing hill sprints and going out before school training. He'd be screaming at me in the rounds at the end to just work, work, work [faster, pushing the pace], but that’s something I'm trying to take out of my game a little bit now and settle into the longer rounds.”
It hasn’t taken long for Taylor Bevan to forge a reputation as one of Britain’s most exciting prospects.
Since he turned professional in November 2024, the 25-year-old Welsh super middleweight has scored a series of eye-catching knockouts.
Bevan (10-0, 9 KOs) made the most of a showcase spot on the undercard of Katie Taylor’s spectacular Croke Park farewell earlier this month. He broke down the previously undefeated Emmet Brennan with a punishing body attack, dropping him four times before finally knocking him out with a ruthless combination.
As an amateur, Bevan won a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games but is clearly made for professional boxing. He has natural power and finishing instincts but he has also spent years working out how to use them.
“I wouldn't say I'm a concussive puncher, I think a lot of my power comes from hard work,” Bevan told The Ring.
“From young, I've always really pushed myself in the gym and been super fit. I've always tried to punch hard. I think, more than anything, it is technique but obviously genetics has a lot to play in it. I think it's something you can train but a lot of it is either you've got it or you haven't.
“I wouldn't say [power] is one thing, it's probably a mix of everything. You've obviously got to have timing and speed. Speed is more important than strength and power itself. If you don't see a punch coming, it's more likely it's knocked you out.”
Rather than getting carried away by his early career success, allowing results and plaudits to distract him, Bevan acknowledged a need to temper his all-action style to achieve all of his goals.
Earlier this year, he left trainer Colin Jones and joined Jamie Moore’s gym on the outskirts of Manchester.
In June, the partnership was given a very early stress test when the tough, underrated Ryszard Lewicki became the first man to take Bevan the distance. He fought hard, refused to fold and made Bevan work hard for a 10-round majority decision.
Going to a successful gym full of championship-level fighters should help Bevan learn what it takes to reach the top, but he has also looked to shake himself out of some old habits, slowing things down.
The recent fight against Brennan gave Bevan the chance to show what he had learned.
He grabbed hold of the fight from the very start, but rather than rushing his work or trying to bring matters to an end as quickly as possible he patiently chipped away until the chance to end matters presented itself.
“I think I am a technical fighter as well but that hard work has been instilled in me from young. My dad's always had me pushing,” he said.
“Something I'm sort of drilling out in myself a little bit now is the fact you don't need to be working for 90 seconds of a round because you can't do that for 10 or 12 rounds in the pros. It’s completely different.
“My dad's always instilled that hard work mentality from young, taking me out doing hill sprints and going out before school training. He'd be screaming at me in the rounds at the end to just work, work, work [faster, pushing the pace], but that’s something I'm trying to take out of my game a little bit now and settle into the longer rounds.”
Re: Taylor Bevan
I love it when you get a crop of decent fighters come through from the same area. Especially if it's not a traditional hotbed of boxing.
Good luck to them all.