Boxing: Josh Taylor hoping for Madison Square Garden fight

A summer bout with Teofimo Lopez has been confirmed, with the iconic New York City venue among the eye-catching possibilities.

Taylor, who has started his return to training after a serious foot injury, stressed that nothing had been signed and sealed just yet but a fight this summer was a real possibility.

He told Courier Sport: “It is looking like the fight has basically been agreed. We are fighting but nothing has yet been signed or confirmed in terms of when and where.

“It has been all over social media that it is going to be at Madison Square Garden.

“The prospect of the fight being there is unbelievable for me.

“I always said when I was a kid that one day I would be fighting there. It is the Mecca of boxing and another one off the bucket list.

“All the big names have fought there, all the iconic names and all the legends of the sport.

Josh Taylor's bout with Jack Catterall looks to have been put on hold. Image: Steve Welsh/PA Images

“I said to my mum and dad that I was going to be world champion and I was going to box at Madison Square Garden.

“It is brilliant – another ‘pinch-me’ moment.”

Lopez had already won the IBF Lightweight title before he shot to fame with a unanimous decision over the much-praised Vasiliy Lomachenko to add the WBA and WBO titles to his collection in 2020.

But the Brooklyn-born fighter lost his titles to George Kambosos the next year before making the step up to light-welterweight.

Taylor, who grew up in Prestonpans and now lives in Haddington, said he was preparing for “the best version” of Lopez, whose loss to Kambosos is the only defeat of his professional career.

READ MORE: Josh Taylor set to defend WBO title against Teofimo Lopez in New York

He also predicted the American would be “a tougher fight” than his last bout against Jack Catterall, where Taylor took a split decision victory in Glasgow.

He said: “He is very good, a very good fighter. He beat Lomachenko at lightweight for the belts and he is a very, very good fighter.”

Other venues mooted for the bout include the MGM in Las Vegas, while Edinburgh Castle and Hibs’ Easter Road Stadium remain high on Taylor’s wishlist.

Taylor, 32, made his professional debut in the USA, stopping Archibald Weah in the second round in El Paso, Texas.

Josh Taylor is hopeful he could be fighting once again this summer. Image: Steve Welsh/PA Images

He then defeated Evincii Dixon in his sixth bout and Alfonso Olvera at the beginning of 2017.

However, his biggest victory – and biggest achievement in the ring – came in Las Vegas when he defeated Jose Carlos Ramirez to become undisputed light-welterweight champion.

Unfortunately, the bout in May 2021, took place in a near-deserted venue as Covid-19 restrictions were in force.

Taylor said: “There were only 800 people in the venue and no broadcaster picked it up because of all the politics of promoters.

“I could not take any friends, family or fans.

“It was brilliant what I achieved but s*** at the same time that I could not take people with me.

“I would have taken thousands over there with me and it still annoys me and infuriates me, but hopefully we will take thousands over to the US this time.”

Taylor – who remains undefeated but vacated three of his world titles while he awaited a rematch with Catterall, which ultimately has been shelved – has been receiving physiotherapy as he works back to full fitness from a foot injury.

He said: “I cannot really do much on my feet. I’m just doing upper body and strength work.

“I went back to the specialist last week and he said he was really happy with the way it is healing up but still felt a tear in the tendon.

“I have to be careful; I cannot go walking too much or be on my feet for too long.”