Last Chance or a New Challenge: Taylor to Face Essuman

On May 24 at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, a bout for the vacant WBO International welterweight title (up to 66.7 kg) will take place between Brits Josh Taylor (19-2, 13 KOs) and Ekow Essuman (21-1, 8 KOs). A last chance for the former undisputed champion or a new beginning? Here’s a statistical preview from Ready to Fight.

Taylor Makes His Debut at Welterweight. He’s Been Talking About It Since 2022

In 2022, Josh Taylor first faced Jack Catterall. He won by decision—a verdict many saw as controversial. Since then, Taylor has repeatedly talked about moving up to welterweight.

Taylor was aiming for a mega-fight — a clash with Terence Crawford in a battle of two reigning undisputed champions. But the matchup never materialized, and Josh gradually lost all of his titles except the WBO. Eventually, that belt was taken by Teofimo Lopez.

The fight against Essuman will be Taylor’s first at welterweight. He hasn’t won since 2022 — losing first to Lopez, then again in the rematch with Catterall. Whether weight was the key issue is one of the main questions heading into Josh’s next fight.

Essuman Has Beaten Two Prospects in a Row. Facing Taylor Is a Huge Opportunity

Owen Cooper and Ben Vaughan were Essuman’s latest victims. He stopped the first and outpointed the second. Both were under 30 at the time and both suffered their first career loss.

But the biggest challenge lies ahead. Defeating the man widely seen as Scotland’s greatest boxer at the top level would be a major statement.

Essuman Is Undersized and Less Experienced

And despite all this, Ekow will have a tough task. First, he gives up physical size. Second, Taylor is vastly experienced and has been through nearly every type of professional challenge.

Victory in this fight will earn the winner the WBO International title — a key step toward full championship status.

5 Key Stats About the Fight

– Of Taylor’s 90.5% career win rate, 68.4% came by stoppage.

– Of Essuman’s 95.5% win rate, 38.1% were inside the distance.

– Taylor’s last stoppage win came in 2020; Essuman last scored a KO in 2024.

– Taylor’s recent fights average 9.8 rounds, compared to 11.2 rounds for Essuman.

– Combined record of Taylor’s last opponents: 114-2. Essuman’s: 60-4.

A detailed breakdown of this bout from Ready to Fight, including all stats and non-boxing factors, is available at the link.