Josh Taylor humiliates rival Ohara Davies
This post was originally published in July 2017.
Josh Taylor put on a stunning performance on Saturday July 8th as he brutally stopped fellow super lightweight Ohara Davies at Glasgow’s Braehead Arena.
It was billed as a genuine 50/50 contest between two unbeaten prospects, and pundits were split between the power of Davies against the speed of Taylor. Months of tension – initiated by Davies’ online trash-talk – made the event even more fascinating. But, in the end, there was only one winner.
The fight caught fire after a tentative opening round, and the Scot quickly displayed better movement, shot variety and imagination. He also showcased his own punching power, flooring the Hackney man with a jab in the third.
Davies rallied in the fourth, and was willing to exchange throughout the fight, but was ultimately outclassed by Taylor who was in devastating form. As Davies shots were chopping and ponderous, Taylor was lightening quick, landing combinations and retreating before Ohara could respond.
Davies looked increasingly shocked as his main asset – the power of his right hand – was neutralised and the gulf in class between the two fighters became clear. Referee Howard Foster appeared to mock Davies for constant talking in the fifth round, and the Englishman repeatedly shook his head attempting to dismiss Taylor’s power. But no-one in the packed arena was fooled; he was in serious pain.
Taylor continued to punish Davies and floored him for the second time with a thunderous right hook in the seventh. The contest was over soon after as Ohara appeared to quit, dropping his guard and turning, as a ruthless Taylor unleashed a vicious flurry of shots. There was rapturous applause from the Glasgow crowd as Foster intervened to stop further damage.
Taylor’s performance was near faultless and won praise from top professionals Tony Bellew, Kell Brook and US superstar Floyd Mayweather. Social media was filled with international boxing writers complimenting Taylor and billing him as a potential future world champion.
The Tartan Tornado will indeed climb the world rankings after adding the WBC Silver title to his Commonwealth belt. And his next contest may be a mouth-watering clash with former three-weight world champion and fellow Scot, Ricky Burns.
Josh commented: ’I would want [the fight with Burns]. It would be great for Scottish boxing and Scottish fans. I think it would sell out any arena. It would be a massive fight’. And few could argue with those sentiments as a Burns-Taylor fight would surely be one of the biggest domestic clashes in modern Scottish boxing history. A living legend versus one of the country’s most gifted fighters; west versus east coast; Cyclone versus Matchroom: it has everything.
On the undercard, Edinburgh’s Jason Easton was involved in a thrilling toe-to-toe war with Steve Jamoye. It was action-packed from the first bell as the tough Belgian looked aggressive and confident. Jamoye had success with his counters and landed some powerful combinations in the opening rounds. Easton endured a cut to his right eye, and appeared to be in for a tough night ahead.
Yet, sensationally in the fourth, Easton landed a vicious flurry of hooks and stunned Jamoye. He was now settled in the fight and began to win the majority of exchanges. Easton dazed Jamoye again in the fifth, sixth and eighth rounds with sharp combinations, threatening to stop the contest. However, frustratingly for the home support, Easton kept a low guard and was repeatedly tagged by Jamoye.
There were periods of real toe-to-toe action with both men landing heavy blows. But Easton’s superior boxing ability and fitness proved to be the difference. He stopped his opponent in the closing stages of the ninth round after another barrage of punishment; the referee stepping in to save the bruised Jamoye. Easton moved to 10-0 and captured the vacant IBO Intercontinental title. He was thoroughly entertaining live on Spike TV, and there will be demand to see him out again soon.
Cruiserweight Stephen Simmons returned to action for the first time since the birth of his son earlier in the summer. The Edinburgh man was up against tough Polish journeyman Lukasz Rusiewicz in a scheduled six round contest. Simmons looked strong and dominated the Pole with his jab and shots to the body. However, he couldn’t establish any real fluidity as Rusiewicz repeatedly charged with his head, held and spoiled any exchanges. He was so persistently negative that, after two point deductions, the referee finally disqualified Rusiewicz, declaring Simmons the winner.
Simmons is now looking forward to a potential British title fight later in the year. There have been some entertaining back-and-forth exchanges on social media with fellow cruiserweights Matty Askins and Lawrence Okolie in recent days, suggesting there may be some high-profile fights to be made.
Cyclone Promotions’ Chantelle Cameron announced her presence in a flourishing woman’s boxing scene after an impressive victory against Poland’s Bojana Libiszweska. Cameron was magnificent in only her second professional contest. The Shane McGuigan-trained fighter displayed sharp movement, quick hands and skills that would have impressed the most cynical boxing purist. Cameron threw a punishing right hand that failed to miss throughout the contest, as the referee intervened in the fourth to save Libiszweska from further punishment.
Barrhead’s Gary Rae extended his unbeaten record to 5-0 after a deserved points-victory against Luis Espinoza. The Spaniard looked game and competitive in stages, but was ultimately outclassed by Rae. Gary was by far the busier man and threw the cleaner shots; wobbling Espinoza in the fourth with a strong right hand. The likable Rae won 40-36 and is on a fine run of form.
Iain Trotter improved his record to 4-0 after a surprisingly tough challenge against Borislav Zankov. Little was known about the opponent, but Zankov – who entered the ring to the Rocky theme tune – looked strong, crude and resilient. He caught Trotter several times and caused some redness to the Edinburgh man’s face. However, Trotter was the more skilled operator and claimed the rounds with more effective shots and movement. Trotter began to pull away as Zankov tired and eventually won the contest 40-37. It was a tough but useful learning fight for the Billy Nelson-trained fighter who should be out again before the end of the year.
Former British Lionheart Aston Brown continued his successful move into the professional ranks against Konstantin Alexandrov. Brown easily claimed every round of the contest with superior shots and footwork. Alexandrov was largely negative and tried to frustrate Brown, but he remained patient and outclassed his Russian opponent. Brown had an impressive amateur career and has signed a promotional deal with Frank Warren. Fans should keep an eye on the talented Glaswegian who is likely to be fast-tracked into some big domestic clashes.
It was also a successful evening for Gary Murray who opened the card with a points-victory over Gergo Vari. Murray unleashed impressive body shots throughout the fight, and will be raring to go again soon in the super welterweight division.
By Jamie Sokolowski
