Anthony Taylor, known for his diverse combat sports background, prefers to be recognized as a “crossover boxer” rather than an “influencer boxer,” reflecting his commitment to carving out a unique niche in the fight game.
Fresh off a second-round knockout of Samuel Ericsson on Aug. 10 in Miami, Taylor is set to return to the ring in just weeks. He will face Gabriel Silva, son of MMA legend Anderson Silva, in an exhibition match at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.
Taylor, 32, sees these opportunities as a fast track to high-profile bouts in this emerging boxing subculture. Though he is 3-3 (2 KOs) as a pro boxer and 7-5 in MMA, Taylor now headlines crossover cards.
“It’s about building to big fights quickly,” Taylor said. “If I beat Gabriel Silva, maybe I’ll say something wild and get a fight with his dad, Anderson Silva. That’s something I would love to entertain next.”
Despite his unconventional path, Taylor remains grounded in traditional boxing circles, training under Kris “Lightning” Lopez, the father and trainer of blue-chip prospect David Lopez. Taylor brings authenticity to Misfits Boxing cards, where he is often seen as the true “boxing guy” amid the spectacle of personalities coming from other entities.
Lopez recalls his first encounter with Taylor, who walked into his Oakland, Calif., gym in 2013 wearing a leather coat with no shirt.
“I’ve watched that kid knock people out for no good reason for the last 12 years,” Lopez said. “He came into my gym 13 years ago in a leather jacket and no shirt on. He knocked out a kid named AJ, who was pretty good, after AJ was kicking Anthony’s ass, but then Anthony caught him, froze him—had him out. After that, AJ was never the same.”
Taylor’s path to headlining these cards has been anything but ordinary. He suffered a split-decision loss in his pro debut to Dante Stubbs (6-6, 1 KO), a more experienced fighter who later had a journeyman career, facing opponents like Troy Isley and Javier Martinez.
“That fight was close—one judge even had Anthony winning,” Lopez said. “Stubbs had a lot of amateur experience, while Anthony had only one amateur fight. He did really well, just on raw talent alone.”
Navigating through MMA, pro boxing, and now lucrative crossover fights, Taylor has built a loyal fanbase and achieved much of what he set out to do, albeit in an unexpected way.
“I’ve earned enough money to buy a house,” Taylor said.
Embracing his role his charismatic ability and enjoying being the villain, Taylor recently defeated ‘Salt Papi’ Nathaniel Bustamante in May 2023. “I took on the role of the villain,” Taylor said. “If they boo you to the top of their lungs, that means I’ve done my job.”
Looking ahead, Taylor is eyeing a potential clash with Top Rank middleweight Nico Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali. “I’m going to break his jaw like Ken Norton did his grandfather,” Taylor declared.
Lopez doesn’t doubt that such a fight could happen, citing Taylor’s ability to manifest opportunities. “Anthony has a gift for making things happen,” Lopez said. “He got Floyd Mayweather interested in him, maybe even thinking about fighting him one day. That in itself is an art—knowing how to get someone’s attention like that. And Anthony isn’t afraid to step into the spotlight, no matter whose it is.”
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
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