A PAIR of former world champion boxers have sung the praises of Prestonpans star Josh Taylor.

Taylor successfully defended his Commonwealth super lightweight title with a sixth-round stoppage of South African Warren Joubert at the Meadowbank Arena in Edinburgh last Friday evening

The 26-year-old was watched by former world heavyweight champion David Haye and ex-super featherweight champion Carl Frampton.

Both are signed to the same Cyclone Promotions stable as the former Preston Lodge High School pupil, a 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist.

Former WBA heavyweight champion Haye, who is currently recovering from an Achilles injury he sustained in defeat to Tony Bellew last month, insists the unbeaten East Lothian southpaw, dubbed the Tartan Tornado, is "one of the best British prospects."

Haye said: “The way he controls the ring, the fact he can throw such fast punches with power as well, it might not look like these combinations don’t have much power in them but believe me, I’ve seen him knocking out sparring partners on regular occasions and this guy for me is the main man.

“He can really go on to do great things in the sport.

“That’s what these fights are about, they’re about learning, how do you prepare? How do you prepare mentally and physically for these fights that he is taking on?”

Frampton, meanwhile, hailed Taylor as a "special talent."

He said: "He is a fantastic talent and I genuinely believe that he is the best prospect in British boxing at the minute, one of the biggest prospects in world boxing – this kid is an amazing talent and he can go right to the very top.

“When I do my training I like to get out of the gym and get away from boxing, but he is one of the guys I stay around for when he’s sparring.

"He is so exciting and the way he makes angles when he steps outside the shots, that generates a lot of power.

“I have been singing his praises for a very long time, Josh is someone I know very well. I see him day in day out in the gym and I can see what he can do.”