Taylor stops Khongsong in one round
Josh Taylor only needed one round to make a statement Saturday night against mandatory challenger Apinun Khongsong to retain his WBA and IBF titles at super lightweight.
2:41 seconds was the official time the fight lasted, and for Taylor, it was short work to remain undefeated (17-0, 13 KOs) as he turned out the lights on the broadcast that took place from the BT Sport Studio in London that aired on BT Sport and ESPN+ in the United States.
The fight for Khongsong (16-1, 13 KO) was a huge leap in competition for him going in, and Taylor reminded of that with a nasty liver shiver that sent him down thriving in pain for several minutes long past the mandatory ten count. Khongsong ended up having to roll out of the ring thru the bottom rope onto a stretcher, more than likely the effect of the rib that needs some immediate medical attention.
In case you need the replays, because it really was THAT fast. Just wow. @JoshTaylorBoxer x #AndStill ?? pic.twitter.com/kcDPHx2nRY
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) September 26, 2020
“I felt it sinking in straight away,” Taylor said to BT Sport about the body shot that he used to send down Khongsong. “I knew from watching him on videos, he swings on the break when he’s in close on the clench. I have seen it coming and pressed him up against the ropes. As he threw the right rand, I hit him with a left hook that I felt sinking in.
Taylor said, “One hundred percent, I want Ramirez next. He’s a very good champion, unbeaten like myself, hungry, on top of his game. I thought the {Viktor} Postol fight, it wasn’t a very good performance at all. I do feel he can perform better than that given the circumstances. Again, I wasn’t impressed with what I’ve seen from him. Again, I want that fight now. I believe I’ll whoop his ass all day long.
The knockout was impressive not only in the time of it but also ends any question of ring rust as this was Taylor’s first in-ring action of 2020. While the next step for Khongsong is the hospital, the next step for Taylor is hopefully the bout for all of the straps at 140 against Jose Ramirez. We’ll see how soon that fight takes place in 2021 as Ramirez has a mandatory still looming against Jack Catterall that may push this back.
Marquis Johns is a unknown humorist and avid boxing fan. His love for the sweet science goes back to when matches were 15 rounds and has been covering fights since closed-circuit pay-per-views. Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth is not only a quote by Mike Tyson, it's also a pretty good reminder to keep your guard up.
