Josh Taylor returns to the ring from a long one-year layoff in a must-win fight against Ekow Essuman this Saturday, May 24, at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. The former undisputed light welterweight champion Taylor (19-2, 13 KOs) will debut at 147 against #4 WBO, #14 WBA Essuman (21-1, 8 KOs). The event will be shown live on DAZN this Saturday.

Taylor’s Make-or-Break Return

This is a fight that Taylor should win if he’s got anything left because Essuman, 36, is not the cream of the crop.

‘The Tartan Tornado’ Taylor has lost his last two fights, and fans doubt he has anything left at 34. He’s not looked the same fighter he once was since his war with Jose Ramirez in 2021. That contest took a lot out of Taylor, leaving him a shell of his former self in the last three fights he’s had since. Josh’s record in those fights is 1-2, but it should be 0-3. His one win was a controversial 12-round split decision over Jack Catterall in their first fight in 2022.

Taylor comes into the fight with a #11 WBC, #11 WBO ranking at welterweight, but it means nothing. He performed terribly in his rematch with Catterall last year in May, losing a 12-round unanimous decision in Leeds, England. Before that, Taylor was humiliated by Teofimo Lopez, losing his WBO 140-lb belt by a 12-round unanimous decision. Teo made Josh look bad in that fight.

If Taylor is victorious against Essuman, he’s going to be in a position to get some bigger fights at welterweight against Conor Benn, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. It’s doubtful that he’ll get any of those fights. It’ll require that Taylor beat someone decent like Karen Chukhadzhian, Eimantas Stanionis, Shakhram Giyasov, or Rohan Polanco to have a shot at those fighters. However, beating those guys might work in reverse for Taylor, scaring them away. What might be needed is for Turki Alalshikh to take notice of him for those fighters to agree to fight him reluctantly.

“He hasn’t fought in a year. This is a fight for me, where Josh Taylor gets to show against a very strong, natural welterweight, who he probably sparred,” said Gareth A. Davies to talkSport Boxing about the Josh Taylor vs. Ekow Essuman fight on Saturday in Glasgow.

Essuman is the perfect style for Josh to show his old form, because he’s someone that will be there to be hit. Taylor won’t have to go looking for him or chase him around the ring like he did against Cattteral and Teofimo.

Big Fights Still Possible?

“This is an opportunity to show how much he’s got left and how much desire there is. That welterweight division is a murderer’s row right now, and there’s a few golden geese there for some big fights. Conor Benn and Ryan Garcia are the notable two. There are big money fights if you fight those two, and both of them are viable fights for Josh Taylor, given his style,” said Gareth.

Benn and Ryan are out of Taylor’s orbit. Those fighters will be focusing on bigger fights. Taylor has to start from the bottom and work up to 147. He can’t be afraid to take risks against the dangerous contenders because that’s the only way he can get fighters like Haney, Ryan, and Benn to fight him.

“He’s a southpaw. I’m going to pick him on points, because I think he’s very clever. He’s going to engage when Ekow boxes, and box when Ekow fights. I just think Josh Taylor has got to pull out all the stops,” said Gareth. “I think Josh is good enough to show that he can do it at welterweight and have a couple of big fights before he hangs up the gloves. If he hasn’t got it, I think it’s the last of him.”

The version of Josh Taylor that existed from 2017 to 2019 would school Essuman and make him look bad. He hasn’t shone lately. Of course, one of the reasons for that is Taylor fighting the slick fighters, Catterall and Teofimo. Going up against those guys would be tough for anyone.

“Jaron Ennis is #1 in the division right now. Brian Norman is a champion. Devin Haney is in the division. Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney. The division is on fire. So, if Josh Taylor gets a victory on Saturday night and looks rejuvenated. This is a division where he can end up with two massive fights. Josh Taylor against Conor Benn in the UK is a massive,” said Gareth.

Again, Taylor will NOT get any of those big names to fight him, after beating the 36-year-old Essuman. He’s got to do a lot better than this to land those kinds of fights. Whether Taylor can beat the fighters he needs to get the bigger fights is questionable.