Josh Taylor is SIX POUNDS lighter than Teofimo Lopez before their Madison Square showdown and insists his American opponent is up against the ‘King of the Division’
- Josh Taylor looked in great shape as he weighed in ahead of Saturday’s title fight
- The Scot weighed six pounds less than American Teofimo Lopez
- Taylor warned Lopez he faced a huge challenge at the Madison Square arena
Josh Taylor weighed six pounds less than death-threatening world title challenger Teofimo Lopez, who weighed in exactly at the lightweight 140-pound limit.
Tartan Tornado’s chances of a huge victory were further reduced with this proof of his hard training and peak physical condition.
Lopez, who is moving up a division to seek a world title at a second-weight, looked less finely tuned and may have had more difficulty making weight.
The hostility between the two was still evident on this battle eve at the Hulu Theater in the legendary Madison Square arena.
Saturday’s title fight marks Taylor’s first return to the ring since his controversial win over England’s Jack Catterall nearly 16 months ago.
Josh Taylor looked in fine form ahead of Saturday’s title showdown at Madison Square Arena
American Teofimo Lopez was scaled exactly at the lightweight limit of 140 pounds on Friday in New York
Taylor acknowledged he fell below his usual standards that night in Glasgow, but pledged to make his mark against Lopez in America this weekend.
“We could both go on with our previous performances and say ‘you’re only as good as your last fight’ but I think that’s a lot of bullshit,” Taylor said.
“I prepped c*** for the last fight so I played c***. I believe he was the same (in his split decision win over Sandor Martin last December). He looked away from the ball and he also did some c***.
“Here, we both have the bit between our teeth. He is against the king of the division. I know he’s a good fighter. The version that beat (Vasyl) Lomachenko (in October 2020) is a very good fighter and this is the version I am preparing for.
Taylor (pictured) admitted he wasn’t at his best in his latest win over Jack Catterall
“It all depends on your preparation. This time I prepared diligently and to the best of my abilities, and you will see the best of me on Saturday night.
Taylor admits he’s living a childhood dream headlining the Garden.
“I’ve been here 10-12 days now,” he said of his preparations in New York. “I arrived early to get used to the heat.
“I was expecting heat but it didn’t get that hot. It was good for me to be Scottish, used to the cold, so I didn’t have to adapt too much.
