VICTORIOUS Josh Taylor said he was “over the moon” to have added the WBC Silver super lightweight title to his collection on Saturday. 

The Prestonpans star stopped Ohara Davies in the seventh round of their hightly-anticipated clash at the Braehead Arena, Glasgow, and won the WBC belt while also retaining his Commonwealth super lightweight championship.

Taylor, dubbed the Tartan Tornado, appeared to gesture towards Davies’ team as he was declared victorious. East Lothian Courier:

However, he was quick to play that down and insisted: “It was just all the emotion coming out – it has been a long build-up to this fight so it was just pure joy.

“I always knew that I was going to win and I wasn’t surprised that I stopped him.

“I am one step closer to where I want to go, which is to be world champion.”

The two fighters, who both went into the bout with undefeated records, waged a war of words on social media over the last few months. 

And Taylor said he was “super-confident” going into the biggest fight of his career.

He added: “I knew I could beat him. I am usually quite nervous before and I usually can’t control my breathing but I was so calm. 

“Just before the fight I nearly slipped out the tongue to Shane [McGuigan, coach] to say ‘is it normal I’m not nervous here?’ but I didn’t want to say in case he thought I wasn’t switched on.

“I was a bit concerned myself but I knew I was winning that fight.”
The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist also sung the praises of his chief sparring partner Kelvin Fawaz for his role in helping him prepare for the fight.

“He has given me absolute nightmares in the gym,” he said, while adding: “I would like to half-dedicate that fight to him because it was great sparring. It was harder than that fight was at times!”

The Prestonpans star gave his verdict on Davies’ performance and said he thought his opponent ran out of ideas after the first round. 

East Lothian Courier:

Taylor said: “He was catching me with his jab in the first round but I just started using my feet and that was my first line of defence.

“When I did that he didn’t seem to know what to do and he was using the verbals to get me to stand and have a fight.

“I saw the big punches coming and I was very comfortable.

“I think he was shocked at the power I have got and my speed.

“I know I am not a one-punch knockout merchant but I think he was surprised.”

McGuigan (pictured below giving Taylor advice between rounds) said he felt the momentum of the bout swung towards his man as early as round two. 

He said: “[Davies] got knocked down in the third round and that’s when the fight completely changed. He fought every round like it was his last because he knew Taylor would hurt him and he wanted to land one big shot.

“When Josh dropped him that penultimate time, he quit.”

East Lothian Courier:

He also said Fawaz’s inside knowledge of Davies’ techniques stood the East Lothian star in good stead.

“Fawaz learned to box with Davies and he’s been in the gym every day,” he said. “He is more awkward than Davies, quicker than him and we’ve had fantastic preparation for this fight.”