As Josh Taylor contemplated his first professional defeat, he chose to forego the car arranged to take him back to his hotel from Madison Square Garden, opting instead to walk through the busy streets of Manhattan in the rain. It’s unclear whether he was coming to terms with his loss to a brilliant fighter, punishing himself for neglecting his game plan, or fearing his decline, as previously suggested by those outside his inner circle. With an impressive run of success since his debut in 2015, he approaches his biggest test yet. Jack Catterall and others may remind him that he has not just lost for the first time. Taylor’s stubbornness, once a strength, may now be a liability. However, if he responds accordingly, the growing fears surrounding his future may prove premature. His 16-month hiatus and a torn plantar fascia will not have helped his preparations for Teofimo Lopez but knowing he was in a good place, unlike ahead of his fight with Catterall, should help. In the days before the fight, Chris Algieri had advised Lopez to earn Taylor’s respect in the opening rounds. The fact that he succeeded may have changed the course of the match, even if Taylor had remained committed to their plan. One of Taylor’s strengths has been bullying his opponents, both physically and psychologically, with a 69 1/2ins reach and 5ft 10ins frame. Lopez, however, seemed unconcerned by Taylor’s aggression, and this proved significant. Taylor’s advantage was most noticeable in the opening round, with a bruising exchange where he landed blows to both the head and body and forced Lopez to fight at a fast pace. In the subsequent rounds, Lopez’s superior quality punching began to tell, even though the fight remained entertaining. Lopez succeeded in reducing the pace to match the distance and tempo he wanted, showcasing their combined quality. Despite his aggression, Taylor abandoned his combination punching and volume of punches and started to load up. By absorbing Taylor’s aggression and hurting him, Lopez had unsettled him and made him neglect many of his strengths. In the end, Lopez won the match. Taylor needed a knockout in the final round but was unable to deliver. With both his eyes reddened by the increasingly one-sided fight, Taylor fought bravely to stay upright. The judges scored the match in favor of Lopez, with Benoit Roussel’s score the most just. However, Taylor didn’t win the final round.
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