Tonight at York Hall in London, WBA and IBF 140 pound champ Josh Taylor made things short and sweet for visiting challenger Apinun Khongsong of Thailand. Scottish warrior Taylor ended matters in the very first round with a wicked left hand body shot that left the previously unbeaten but untested challenger laid out in agony on the canvas.
The challenger had no chance of getting back up and the short fight was over. Time was 2:41. Taylor is now 17-0(13). Khongsong, who remained on the mat for some time, drops to 16-1(13).
Even before Taylor’s quick destruction job, fans wondered how the Thai fighter was the mandatory challenger for the Scot. Now, tonight’s fight can be viewed as nothing much more than a “warm-up” fight for Taylor, ahead of the big one he and we fans hope he gets with rival light-welter champ Jose Ramirez, who holds the WBC and WBO belts at the weight.
Taylor versus Ramirez is a fight everyone wants to see and now there is no real reason it doesn’t get made. Bob Arum was very vocal ahead of Taylor-Khongsong, stating how fight fans are sick of these meaningless mandatory fights. The Top Rank boss was and is right. Please, no more mismatches the likes of which we were subjected to tonight. Taylor at least got the chance to vent some of his frustration at being made to remain inactive due to the coronavirus, but in truth little else came of tonight’s fight.
Taylor Vs. Ramirez could be looked at as a 50/50 fight, a real pick ’em affair. What is certain is this – we will see a whole lot more action that we got in London. Khongsong might go back home and be able to bounce back, but it seems doubtful he will feature in anything like as big a fight as he appeared in tonight any time soon.
Josh Taylor is at his peak right about now and this special talent should waste no further time in poor fights the likes of which he had to engage in tonight.
