Bad blood proves too bad for Davies as Josh Taylor shines. 

Glasgow, Scotland played host to another superb domestic battle as two, young undefeated fighters. Josh Taylor (9-0) & Ohara Davies (15-0), delighted the crowd for seven rounds in a war for the unified Commonwealth super-lightweight title and WBC silver super-lightweight title. 

In the end, Josh Taylor, backed by a partisan Scottish crowd, impressed and scored the slight upset victory with a devastating seventh round TKO. His combination of smart boxing, power shots and pressure fighting troubled Davies, who I thought started well but seemed to be thrown off his game by Taylor’s pressure, movement and power. 

The fight really caught fire in the third, where both fighters refused to take a back step and came to swinging. But Davies I thought was loading up a bit too much on power shots. Taylor’s movement and body shots began to trouble him and made him look ragged and off balanced.

Taylor then stated to catch Davies and staggered him to the point where Davies was forced to take a knee at the end of the round. For me, from there on it was all Taylor. Though Davies still had his big punch and there were some lively exchanges throughout the fight. 

Although Davies had a good fifth round, I never thought he looked particularly comfortable and for me, his timing looked off, where as Taylor looked confident. This was fully  demonstrated in that fifth, while Davies was having his best round. All of sudden, Taylor caught him with a superb right hook and stiffened Davies’ legs. 

That further established Taylor’s edge on the fight, going into the 6th, which again had some very lively exchanges. But although it was close. Taylor once again had the better moment, was more accurate and came out the better. 

The seventh is where the fight ended. Taylor started the round slow, Davies, who must have known he was behind on points, started to push the pace. As Davies backed Taylor up into the ropes, Taylor caught Davies with lovely short right hook, that landed across and grazed the nose of Davies to send him to the canvas.

Davies, on the seat of his trunks, shaking his head, must have been in pain with a suspected broken nose. On the canvas for a second time in the fight, must have been thinking the end was near. As he got up to the count of eight. Taylor rushed in delivering more blows, Davies in obvious pain, shook his head and turned his back to quit, forcing the referee to stop the fight. 

It was another top quality bout in a good recent string of exciting domestic battles, that has certainly not disappointed. If the build up was exciting and thrilling, the actual fight lived up to the build up. Both fighters showed complete disdain to each other during the build up and certainly fought like it. 

Though Ohara Davies must have been disappointed with his performance and how the fight ended. You have to give credit to a superb performance by Josh Taylor who not many expected him to come away with a stoppage victory. 

I must say, it was the first time I had a chance to really watch and analyse Josh Taylor, against an opponent who could push him all the way and ask him questions. For me it was as almost punch perfect performance. Against the so called heavier puncher, his work up close was impressive and his movement and accuracy for someone in only their 10th fight, was signs of a possible special talent. 

Ohara Davies on the other had slightly disappointed me. Although he had done very well to self promote and push him into this position. I felt, which was probably expected, his inexperience showed as for me he demonstrated an inability to handle such a partizan crowd. 

Especially after talking so much trash beforehand. Then again it may have been a case of his mouth writing a cheque his boxing couldn’t cash, as he looked out of his game, couldn’t get his jab going and was only loading up and relying on power shots which ultimately allowed Taylor to move and pick his own shots. 

Nevertheless. It was Josh Taylor’s night. But not only Josh Taylor. It was a great night for the Commonwealth and a fitting fight to retain his Commonwealth title, which doesn’t get as much recognition, although Davies’s WBC silver title was also on the line. But ultimately, it was a tremendous night for great British domestic boxing. Long may it continue.