UNDEFEATED boxing world champion Josh Taylor has vowed to put Teófimo López on a stretcher this weekend.

Taylor steps back into the ring for the first time in more than a year when he puts his WBO and The Ring light-welterweight titles on the line at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Former lightweight king López has lost only once in his professional career and will be looking to become a two-weight champion, something Taylor has spoken about achieving himself in the past.

Speaking to Top Rank Boxing, Taylor predicted an enthralling bout.

 

 

He said: “The two styles we have got is going to be the makings of an absolute barnstormer of a fight.

“Fortunately, I’ve got the bigger guns.

“He does everything the same – he still makes the same mistakes he did when he was an amateur.

“It’s a very amateurish style.

“Yes, I give him credit, he beat [Vasiliy] Lomachenko but, in my opinion, Lomachenko is a featherweight.

“I’m a fully fledged light-welterweight and when he comes up against me he comes unstuck and goes out on his back on a stretcher.”

Taylor, who grew up in Prestonpans and now lives in Haddington, first became world champion in May 2019 when he defeated Ivan Baranchyk for the IBF belt.

READ MORE: Josh Taylor wins world title with victory over Ivan Baranchyk

Victory over Regis Prograis in October of that year saw him add the WBA (Super) and The Ring light-welterweight titles to that crown.

He then made history in 2021 by defeating Jose Ramirez to win the WBC and WBO titles to become just the fifth man in history to hold all the world titles in a weight division in the four-belt era.

But Taylor has only fought once since and has vacated three of his titles.

Now, he has vowed to defeat López, who stepped up a weight after losing to George Kambosos Jr two years ago.

READ MORE: 'I've trained my whole life for this': Josh Taylor on unification fight with Jose Ramirez

Taylor said: “He is mentally weak.

“Mentally, he is a mouse.

“He has already got the doubts in his mind and I am going to cement them.

“I’m going to put this guy into retirement after I give him that much of a beating and a schooling.”

The main event ringwalks are expected to get under way at 4am BST on Sunday, with the bout being shown on Sky Sports.