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Josh Taylor vs. Ekow Essuman full card results, highlights as 'Tartan Tornado' suffers upset in Glasgow

Joe Wright

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Josh Taylor vs. Ekow Essuman full card results, highlights as 'Tartan Tornado' suffers upset in Glasgow image

Former undisputed super lightweight champion Josh Taylor saw his new era at welterweight get off to an inauspicious start as he suffered a unanimous-decision defeat to Ekow Essuman in Glasgow.

Judges scored comfortably in favour of the former British and Commonwealth champion, who seemed to have too much power for Taylor throughout much of an entertaining dogfight.

Taylor (19-3, 13 KOs) has spent a year out of the ring since suffering a defeat to Jack Catterall in a rematch of their first bout, which ended in a highly controversial split-decision victory for the Scot in February 2022. The 'Tartan Tornado' had hoped that his return at a higher weight, in front of a vociferous home crowd in Scotland, would help him to reignite his career.

Twelve rounds later, it's hard to shake the feeling that the end is near.

Taylor started strongly against Essuman (22-1, 8 KOs) and was up on the cards across the opening two rounds, but Essuman's power began to take effect. It was to both fighters' credit that they exchanged brutal blows during the middle rounds as each sensed the importance of establishing a clear advantage.

As the action wore on, Essuman was the one doing the busy work as Taylor began to look like he was switching to survival mode. A ferocious 10th round saw both men come out swinging in a bid to sway the judges, but it was clear that Essuman was in control and landing the more decisive punches.

Taylor displayed some gallantry in the final moments, but even as the exhausted combatants eyed each other across the canvas following the bell, there was a sense of resignation among the Glasgow crowd. Taylor looked deeply perturbed, but the scores of 116-113, 116-112, 115-113 in Essuman's favour elicited few other complaints.

The 36-year-old's career-best victory could now pave the way for a major welterweight title shot. For Taylor, the next step is anyone's guess, but it's unlikely to be a significant one forwards.

Josh Taylor vs. Ekow Essuman full card results

  • Josh Taylor def. by Ekow Essuman (UD 12); Welterweights
  • Nathaniel Collins def. Lee McGregor (TKO 4); Featherweights
  • Moses Itauma def. Mike Balogun (TKO 2); Heavyweights
  • Aloys Youmbi def. David Jamieson (TKO 3); Cruiserweights
  • Aston Brown def. Reece Porter (TKO 1); Middleweights
  • Luke McCormack def. Samir Cuentas (TKO 2); Super Lightweights
  • Alex Arthur def. Robbie Chapman (PTS 4); Light Heavyweights
  • Lee Welsh def. Tony Morton (TKO 1); Lightweights
  • Drew Limond def. Ezequiel Gregores (PTS 4); Super Welterweights
  • Luke Bibby def. Cesar Ignacio Paredes (PTS 4); Lightweights
  • Reese Lynch def. Jonatas Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira (KO 2); Super Lightweights

Where to watch Josh Taylor vs. Ekow Essuman

Josh Taylor vs. Ekow Essuman is available on DAZN worldwide.

A DAZN monthly subscription costs £9.99 in the UK on a 12-month contract or £19.99 month-to-month. An annual subscription will cost £99.99.

Senior Editor

Joe Wright

Joe Wright is a Senior Editor at Sporting News, overseeing global soccer and multisport. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform news service, covering major global sports news, data analytics, features and video content. Joe has extensive experience covering some of the biggest events in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup, which included the final in Moscow.