Meadowbank was the first boxing club I went to - we used to box in a gym under the stadium, and it's where I first got inspired by training and sparring with Alex Arthur. That was the place which helped get me into boxing in the first place. It was at the Meadowbank Sports Centre in my home city of Edinburgh, and that was special. Taylor: I won my first title in my seventh fight in October 2016, the Commonwealth title, against a good pro in Dave Ryan. I was boxing three or four times a year from then on, getting experience, and I really moved quickly, facing undefeated fighters and fighters who had not been stopped before. I signed a very good deal with Top Rank and my pro debut was on the same bill as Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez - the fourth time they met each other, when Marquez knocked out Pacquiao in December 2012. My professional career started pretty soon after the Olympics. I was only 19 and had only started boxing internationally in 2011 - and we also lacked experience of fighting with the scoring system. but we didn't win a medal on the men's team. Olympic team from 2012, most of us became world champions - Jamel Herring, Errol Spence Jr., Rau'Shee Warren, Claressa Shields, Marcus Browne (interim titlist), Joseph Diaz Jr. I won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and it was a really proud moment for me - to do it in front of my home fans in Glasgow.Īfter that, it was the perfect time for me to strike a pro deal. I'm so competitive in anything I do, so I was always going to carry on after it. I was always going to continue as an amateur after the 2012 Olympics, because I hate losing at anything. I felt really pissed off I had come up short, I really felt I could win a medal. But then I lost to Domenico Valentino of Italy in my next one, on the daft scoring system. I was the first person from Scotland to qualify for the Olympics for such a long time, and I beat Robson Conceicao of Brazil in my first bout. But I just missed out on qualifying for Team GB's spot at 64kg (141 pounds) at the London 2012 Olympics, and then Rob McCracken, the Team GB coach, told me nobody had qualified for 60kg - did I want to go for it? I remember thinking, "I'm never going to make that weight." I made it, but I was weight-drained. I had moved up and left 60 kilograms (132 pounds) behind, as I was really struggling to do the weight. Taylor: The Olympics were a real disappointment. Both fighters told ESPN their story and reflected on what it means to even be in the ring with stakes so high this weekend.Įditor's note: Content has been edited for clarity and brevity. Their destination of this fight is the same, but reaching it included challenges, disappointments and ultimately glory. Ramirez (26-0) last made a statement with a knockout win over Maurice Hooker to unify two of the four belts. Taylor (17-0) earned his path to this fight through a talent-rich World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) junior welterweight tournament, which included Regis Prograis, Ivan Baranchyk and Ryan Martin. Both fighters are 2012 Olympians who turned their failure to win gold into professional careers in which they now own gold of a different kind, in the form of two belts apiece wrapped around their waists. ET, with prelims on ESPN+ starting at 4:45 p.m. Ramirez and Taylor will fight for all four major junior welterweight titles at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas (ESPN and ESPN+, 8 p.m. On Saturday in Las Vegas, one of the two undefeated and unified champions will add another "u" word to his résumé: undisputed. Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor have worked for decades to reach this moment. Ready to be undisputed: Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor reflect on their journey to boxing history You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |