Josh Taylor next defense set for May 2nd

Unified Jr Welterweight Champion, Josh Taylor will make his latest title defense in his own backyard of Scotland coming on the first Saturday of May.

This, according to a report from the Athletic’s boxing Insider, Mike Coppinger, who tweeted late Monday that Taylor has finalized with his mandatory IBF 140 lb. challenger, Apinun Khongsong of Thailand:

Source: Josh Taylor’s first fight since unifying titles has been finalized, a May 2 defense vs. mandatory challenger Apinun Khongsong at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, on an ESPN platform. Taylor, of course, is Scottish. First bout of Taylor’s multi-year deal with Top Rank

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) February 18, 2020

The fight will be the first of a multi-fight promotional deal Taylor signed in January with Top Rank Boxing and promoter Bob Arum. There had been some uncertainty as to whom would be promoting Taylor next fight and where it would be held? This after the IBF held a purse bid last month that was won by Samson Boxing.

However, as we wrote two weeks ago, Samson Boxing, which promotes Khongsong, defaulted after making their initial 10% deposit to the IBF for promoting fight. So Top Rank, which was the only other bidder in the process, stepped back in and obviously secured a date and venue, quickly, for the fight.

Taylor, 16-0, 12 KOs, will be putting up both the IBF and WBA versions of the 140 lb. title that he won last October at London’s O2 Arena in the World Boxing  Super Series finale’ against American Regis Prograis. The two duked it out in a 12-round battle with Taylor scoring the split decision win.

There are many fight fans, especially in the U.S., that would love to see a rematch for Prograis and Taylor sometime later in 2020. But for now, Taylor will fulfill his obligation against the little known Khongsong  in front of his countryman in what will likely be a boisterous, sellout homecoming in Glasgow, Scotland.

Should Taylor win as the heavy favorite, he may also look to fight the winner of the Jose Luis Ramirez- Viktor Postol battle the following weekend? That fight for Ramirez’s WBC/WBO 140 lb. belts had to be moved from China, where it was to have been fought two weeks ago, due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

It’s now scheduled for the Top Rank/ESPN show date of May 9th in Fresno, CA.