Josh Taylor Earns a World Title Shot:

Josh Taylor Earns a World Title Shot:

Matching Josh Taylor who has had only 12 fights and less than 50 rounds in his professional with someone with the pedigree of Viktor Postol was either going to prove an inspired move or just plain stupid, but last night Taylor justified the faith, but only just.

In one of the best fights seen so far in 2018, Taylor beat Postol by scores of 118-110, 117-110, 119-108, scores which do not do justice to the contribution Postol brought to the contest. The fight at least on my card, was in the balance throughout, and whoever won the 12th and final round would win the fight. I gave that round to Taylor and at the conclusion of a terrific fight, I had it 114-113 for Taylor, 6 rounds each, the knockdown Taylor scored in the 10th being the difference.

Postol got off to a fast start, keeping the Scot at range, controlling the distance with his excellent jab, and constantly countering Taylor, and for me he opened up a big early lead. After 7 rounds I had it 5-2 for the former world champion. Taylor was hurt in the 7th, Postol’s best round, and it looked a case of too much too soon.

Even if the judges were not seeing what the rest of us were seeing, the passionate crowd at the SSE Arena in Glasgow knew, they sensed their man was in danger, and he was.

But after that I only had Taylor losing one more round, and finally he started to get closer, landing the cleaner shots, and despite never going past 9 rounds prior, he finished the fight the stronger fighter, but Postol made him work every second of an absorbing closely fought contest.

Taylor proved he is an elite fighter, and with his trainer Shane McGuigan saying we only saw 70% of the fighter he is, Scotland are on the verge of having another world champion to add the likes of Jim Watt, Ken Buchanan, Ricky Burns and others.

Postol got little credit from the judges for his performance, but practically everyone else saw his performance for what it was, Postol proved he was far from finished, and he gave the rising star a thoroughly uncomfortable evening.

Taylor improves his record to 13-0, Postol drops to 29-2.