The 28 year old from Upminster has been a
fighter from a young age. Having earned his karate black belt at 10, Taylor
ditched the white robe for a pair of gloves after “getting aggressive and
disqualified a couple of times” in contests as his output started to reflect
his personality.
Taylor joined Newham Amateur Boxing Club at
12 and went on to box for Haringey, Leeds and in New York. In total he had 78 contests,
winning national and area titles and boxed for England. Unsurprisingly a lot of
his victories came via stoppage given his combative persona, hence earning the
nickname ‘Crash Bang’ from long-time friend and mentor Frank Greaves.
When asked about his standout moment in the
unpaid ranks, Taylor’s answer of “just fighting and beating good boys” highlighted
his modesty and the fighter inside him. It was the ability to perform his craft
which gave him greatest satisfaction, as opposed to any external recognition.
Taylor’s time in the New York Golden Gloves
is also an example of this. Inspired by the documentary ‘On The Ropes’ which
was set around the tournament, the Londoner packed his bags at the age of 20 and
made the trip with the help of a local friend,
“You had to be a New York resident to box
in the tournament, but my pal who lived in the Bronx signed all my papers and I
got in. I was there for six months and trained by former world champion Aaron
Davis. I fought a big name out
there and it was known I was an Englishman from my medical card and I went out
there to knock him out. It was such a good fight but they gave him the decision
and I got a round of applause. It was a great experience.”
The professional game seemed the natural
progression thereafter but the subsequent years brought great frustration. Taylor
drew his debut on a Matchroom promotions card after head butting his opponent as
the aggressor within got the better of him again. Looking back at this moment,
Taylor commented how it was a “disaster” but cheekily acknowledged, “if I was
calm and relaxed I would probably have boxed and moved a lot more but I’m not
and just go for it.”
An unbeaten run then followed before a troubled
2013 saw him suffer 3 defeats in 4 outings. This prompted Taylor to take up full
time employment whilst continuing his boxing career in
parallel, accepting that he was “capable of so much more” in life.
Since this transition, Taylor has endured further
ups and down in his boxing career including more defeats and a 9 month layoff due
to an eye injury. The enforced break brought a period of reflection though. He
admits to being “angry at a few decisions” made throughout his career but refused
to blame anyone apart from himself, nonchalantly accepting that “the more you
love it the more it hates you.”
Taylor made his return from injury this
October with a stoppage victory in Bolton. Whilst many might question his
motivation to continue in the “hurt business”, Taylor’s summation of boxing
being his “life” put our whole conversation into context. He is a warrior who
embodies the purity of the sport in the ring, and channels his pugilistic
spirit in areas of his own personal development at work. Taylor’s career must therefore
be commended as an example of drive and determination to others, as he now
looks to kick on in the next phase of his fighting life.
Article courtesy of Neel Khagram @BehindTheFight
www.behindthefight.com
