Ezra Taylor takes aim at Lewis Edmondson’s British championship

Ezra Taylor believes that the time for learning is almost over. The unbeaten light heavyweight has set his sights on becoming British champion as quickly as possible. 

Taylor, 9-0 (6 KOs), had a brief amateur career and didn’t turn professional until he was 26 but has moved quickly. He made his mark with an impressive stoppage of Joel McIntyre last September and, on Saturday, the 30-year-old makes his third appearance of 2024 against Latvia’s Kristaps Bulmeistars. 

It can be hard to gauge just how good a prospect is from watching them win fights they are supposed to win but the tall, languid Taylor certainly looks to have all the weapons required for a successful career at 175lbs. 

Word has clearly made its way around the circuit that he is a difficult night’s work. Taylor’s light heavyweight rivals speak about him respectfully when they are around him and he is becoming harder and harder to match. Bulmeistars is the latest late notice replacement he has had to face. 

Taylor has no doubts about where he stands in a deep domestic division and his belief was only strengthened after watching Lewis Edmondson outpoint Dan Azeez to become the British champion two weeks ago. 

“I fit in the right place and that’s becoming British champion, first of all. I’m gonna show you what a British champion really looks like because I don’t know what I watched the other day but it wasn’t up to standard. I’m a British fighter and I believe the British Ezra Taylor takes aim at Lewis Edmondson’s British championship deserves a better champion,” Taylor said on the Queensberry feed of today’s press conference. 

“That’s my next stop. I’m not looking past my Latvian opponent who’s a tough test or whatever. He’s a tough test for other people. For me, it’s a different ball game. I’m gonna show you on Saturday why that is.

“I’m here to do a damn job, which I’m gonna do as well. The light heavyweight scene is good right now. I hope someone’s ankle gets better. I hope to see him fight in the future. Right now, my eyes are set on the British title. Lewis Edmondson, I can’t wait to get to you.”

It sounds like Edmondson might not be as difficult to get into the ring as some of Taylor’s past opponents. Although he is now the man at the top of the British tree, Taylor revealed that the new British champion has been the one instigating talks.

Providing things go to plan on Saturday, Taylor will be more than happy to sit down at the table to thrash out the terms for a meeting early in the new year. 

“Nothing’s wrong with him but he kept messaging me over and over again in my DM’s,” Taylor said. “I was thinking, ‘What’s this guy doing?’ I’m not entertaining it. I’m just doing what I’m doing which is always going to be the plan and the focus.

“Now, you have something that I want. You have something that I need and you’re gonna have to give it up to me one way or the other. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. It’s gonna be the hard way because you’re gonna have to fight me at some point soon.”

John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79