Ekow Essuman went on the road to Glasgow and dealt Josh Taylor a third straight defeat, winning by unanimous decision in an upset.
Taylor (19-3, 13 KO) was the A-side and home fighter, and was hoping to get his career back on track at age 34 with a move to welterweight. The Scotsman looked sharp in the early rounds, but as the bout wore on, Essuman’s “Engine” nickname was earned, as he kept up a pace that saw him out-work and out-hustle Taylor, and simply take over the fight.
Judges scored the bout 115-113, 116-113, and 116-112. Bad Left Hook unofficially scored the fight 115-113 for Essuman (22-1, 8 KO), who says he’s now looking for world title fights.
“He’s an amazing boxer, I’ve always respected him,” Essuman said of Taylor. “I’ve gone as the B-side, I’ve gone in the away corner, come to the lion’s den, I’ve done what I’ve done. I remember stuff from a long time ago when we sparred, and I put that into action.”
“I want world titles. I got what I wanted, they gave me a former undisputed champion, and I’ve come through, I’ve proved I’m world class. So put me on the world scene,” Essuman added.
Taylor will have a lot to think about as far as his future in boxing, and left the ring before he could do a post-fight interview. The former 140 lb undisputed champion seems to have simply hit a wall. He’s losing to good fighters, but the fact is he’s losing, and he hasn’t really looked like himself in four years now.
Top heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma had a game opponent in Mike Balogun, and that gameness got Balogun knocked out in the second round.
Itauma (12-0, 10 KO) continues to impress as a young pro, and the hype is only going to grow as long as he’s looking this sharp. Balogun (21-2, 16 KO) is very limited, but you can see obvious and genuine quality in the 20-year-old Itauma, this isn’t just hype for hype’s sake.
Nathaniel Collins remained undefeated by overwhelming Lee McGregor with three knockdowns in the fourth round, scoring the TKO-4 victory and improving his standing as a featherweight contender with the WBC.
Collins (17-0, 8 KO) looked really sharp, and McGregor (15-2-1, 11 KO), once a top prospect at bantamweight, just looks like a fighter who’s lost something vital over the last few years, with his corner throwing the towel after the knockdowns.
Aloys Junior scored the biggest win of his career and picked up his 10th straight victory, ninth by stoppage, with a third round TKO win over David Jamieson.
The victory gives Aloys (10-1, 9 KO) the Commonwealth cruiserweight title. Jamieson falls to 13-4 (10 KO) in defeat.
