Josh Taylor sits in the baking hot sun during his final days of camp.
He looks fit, confident and perhaps a little sunburnt.
“I’ve went from pale blue to lobster red, so hopefully it turns into a little bit of a tan,” he tells ESPN with a beaming smile.
Tan or not, the former undisputed junior welterweight champion does look in supreme condition, thanks in part to his move up to welterweight, where he has a few more pounds to play with.
Taylor (19-2, 13 KOs) insists he had no issues with making 140 pounds in the division he conquered. But, as with any fighter, the time comes when a move up in weight makes sense, and the 34-year-old can feel the difference as he prepares to make his debut at 147 against Ekow Essuman (21-1, 8 KOs) in Glasgow on Saturday [DAZN, 10 p.m. BST].
“I’m basically my natural weight. I’m a couple of pounds over just now which is nothing. I’m eating and I’m full of energy and I’m full of beans,” Taylor says.
There is no worrying about cutting those last few pounds before the weigh-in, which can be a brutal process.
No saunas, no sweat suits, no dehydrating.
Essuman will be a tough enough test for Taylor in what will be just his fourth fight in four years. The Scot wants to become a two-weight world champion and as one of Britain’s best ever fighters, it’s not beyond comprehension. But he needs a convincing victory to prove he can compete with the best in what is now a stacked division.
“Get the win this weekend then I’m in the mix for some big fights at welterweight, but I’m not thinking about that because Ekow’s a very tough test,” he explains.
“He’s tried and tested…he’s Commonwealth and British champion so I’ll have my hands full.”
Jaron “Boots” Ennis, Devin Haney, Mario Barrios and Conor Benn are just a few names Taylor will be dreaming of if he shows he is still at the elite level.
But there are questions that need answering.
Does he still have the hunger?
He has been in some brutal wars and thrives when his fights are at a hectic pace, which must have taken a toll.
How has inactivity affected him? Six of his last seven fights have gone the distance, so how will his body respond to climbing the mountain again?
The other probing question which will follow him until he hangs up his gloves: What about Jack Catterall? The pair have shared two brutal clashes, winning one each.
“It’s one a piece officially. I’m happy to move on and leave it where it is,” Taylor says.
“I was ready to go for a third one but they weren’t interested because they thought he was going to get a world title, but he got beat by [Arnold Barboza Jr.].
“I’m on my own path now. I’m looking to become a two-weight world champion. If the fight comes back around and it’s tasty enough in terms of numbers wise, then I’ll entertain it because it’s one apiece and it would be good to settle the score.”
Source: espn.com