GLASGOW – In a result that’s sent tremors through British boxing, Nottingham’s Ekow “The Engine” Essuman derailed the comeback hopes of Scotland’s Josh Taylor with a unanimous decision win at the OVO Hydro, signalling a potential end to the storied career of the former undisputed champion.

Fighting in front of a fervent home crowd, Taylor entered the ring to the roars of thousands, eager to turn the page after back-to-back losses at 140 lbs. But the 34-year-old’s first step into welterweight territory turned treacherous fast, as Essuman proved every bit as durable, determined, and dangerous as his moniker implies.

Taylor opened proceedings with the aggression fans hoped for—finding early success with crisp combinations and sharp footwork that had the Englishman briefly on the back foot. But Essuman weathered the early storm and began planting his flag by the third round, landing a clean right hand that snapped Taylor’s head back and sent a message: this wasn’t going to be a coronation.

The fourth frame provided fireworks, as Taylor buckled Essuman with a vicious shot only to be stunned seconds later by a right hand that had him stumbling back toward the wrong corner at the bell. From there, the tide shifted definitively.

Essuman’s superior engine began to hum through the middle rounds. A gash opened above Taylor’s eye in the seventh—perhaps from a clash of heads—and the sight of blood only fuelled Essuman’s attack. His volume punching, sharp counters, and ability to control the pace left Taylor reacting more than leading.

Despite a brief resurgence in the ninth, Taylor appeared winded in the championship rounds, where Essuman’s consistent combinations and pressure outshone Taylor’s sporadic single shots. With the crowd urging their man to dig deep, it was Essuman who surged to the finish, taking the final exchanges and, ultimately, all three judges’ cards: 116-113, 116-112, and 115-113.

Now riding a wave of momentum, Essuman (22-1, 8 KOs) has reinvigorated his career with this statement win and the WBO Global title in hand. Meanwhile, Taylor (19-3, 13 KOs) faces a hard reckoning. Once the pride of Scotland and the undisputed ruler at 140 lbs, he’s now dropped three straight—and the boxing world is left wondering if the curtain has quietly fallen on one of Britain’s most decorated champions.

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Under the shimmering lights of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Josh Taylor etched his name into the annals of boxing history with a masterclass in grit, timing, and championship pedigree. In a 12-round battle for junior welterweight supremacy, the undefeated Scotsman toppled fellow unbeaten champion José Ramírez by unanimous decision (114-112 across all cards), unifying the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO titles in a fight that lived up to its billing — and then some.

Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs), now the first British fighter to hold all four major belts in a weight class during the four-belt era, executed a high-stakes game plan with poise under fire. The action began with Ramírez (26-1, 17 KOs) pressing early, outworking Taylor in the first third of the fight, showing urgency with compact combinations, especially in close quarters. But boxing is about moments — and Taylor seized his.

The turning point came in round six. A perfectly timed counter hook from Taylor sent Ramírez crashing to the canvas. The Californian answered the count swiftly, but Taylor smelled blood. In round seven, he followed up with a blistering uppercut that dropped Ramírez again, this time leaving him visibly shaken. Though Ramírez fought back valiantly, those two knockdowns shifted momentum and, crucially, tilted the scorecards in Taylor’s favour.

Despite a cut near Taylor’s eye and a relentless body attack from Ramírez, the Edinburgh fighter remained composed, using his jab, angles, and defensive awareness to outland his opponent 145 to 134 in total punches. A staggering 279 of the 313 landed punches were power shots — evidence of the high-octane nature of this world title collision.

From Commonwealth Games gold to undisputed champion of the world, Taylor now stands among legends. He joins Terence Crawford and Oleksandr Usyk as modern-era four-belt kings, and becomes only the second Scotsman in history — after Ken Buchanan — to achieve undisputed glory.

With victory sealed, talk of future mega-fights looms. But on this night, Taylor didn’t just win a bout — he claimed a legacy. A classic, a war, and a crowning all in one: the undisputed light welterweight king has a new name — Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor.

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