‘A lot of people are writing me off… but I still have fire in my belly!’ Josh Taylor in defiant mood ahead of comeback fight against Ekow Essuman

Josh Taylor has dismissed any suggestion that he could be forced into retirement if he loses his comeback fight against Ekow Essuman in Glasgow to Saturday night.

The Scot has moved up to welterweight and his first fight in the division sees him take on the dangerous Essuman at The Hydro.

Essuman has won titles at British, Commonwealth and European level and there has been a healthy mutual respect between the fighters throughout the week.

But Taylor will start as the red-hot favourite to reignite his career following defeats to Teofimo Lopez and Jack Catterall in his last two fights.

Some critics have suggested that Taylor, 34, may be forced to hang up his gloves if he were to lose, given how his career has lost momentum over recent years.

But the Tartan Tornado, who was undisputed world champion at light-welterweight, insists the thought hasn’t even entered his mind.

Josh Taylor and Ekow Essuman during the official weigh-in ahead of Saturday’s bout

Taylor is confident and insists he hasn’t even considered losing in his comeback fight

Vowing to bounce back in spectacular fashion, Taylor, who looked fit and healthy on the scales on Friday, said: ‘This is a new journey for me, the first fight at a new weight.

‘I haven’t done anything yet. A lot of people are writing me off, saying: “He’s done”, “he’s finished”. No chance, I’m a long way from being finished yet.

‘I’ve got a lot of fire in my belly to prove people wrong again. This is Josh Taylor 2.0 – and it starts on Saturday night with a comprehensive win.

‘If I become a two-time, two-weight world champion, then I can retire a happy man. To be honest, I could retire a happy man right now.

‘I could retire tomorrow and be, like, one in 60 million or whatever population in the UK, the only one to become the undisputed world champion in the four-belt era.

‘I think I can sleep quite easily at night having achieved that. But I know six months down the line, I’d be thinking: “I could have done more, I could have got more out of it”. That would bug me.

‘I ain’t going to be no Tyson Fury having six and seven comebacks. Once I’m finished, I’m finished.

‘But I’ve still got a lot of ambition and I’ve still got a lot of drive left to achieve more. It [retiring] hasn’t even crossed my mind yet to be honest with you

‘I’ve not even comprehended losing, it can’t come into my mind. It can’t happen, it won’t happen.

‘If that does happen and I have to go and climb back down the ladder and fight lesser opponents to get back up to where I am now – no, I’m not doing that. I’m here to be the best.’

This will be Taylor’s first fight in Glasgow since the hugely controversial bout with Catterall back in February 2022, which the Scot won via a split decision.

Taylor was subjected to a campaign of online abuse in the aftermath of that fight and has been an outspoken presence on social media over recent years on a variety of topics.

He admits he maybe hasn’t helped himself at times, but he insists the majority of people don’t know what he is really like away from boxing.

‘I don’t think people really do know what I’m like,’ said the Prestonpans puncher, who is now part of Frank Warren’s Queensberry promotions.

‘I’ve had that a few times where I’ve met people and they’re like: “I can’t believe how down-to-earth you are. How calm and down-to-earth you are. I’m like: “What do you think I’m like?”

‘I don’t know. I maybe don’t come across sometimes in a good light on social media with some things I post, maybe some political stuff or whatever, or my views about COVID and that kind of stuff.

‘Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. I’ve always had, when people meet me, they’re always very pleasantly surprised at how calm and open and welcoming I am to people.

‘But it’s great to be back in Glasgow this weekend. This place has good memories for me from the Commonwealth Games to winning my first world title here.

‘I’m confident of getting the job done with a comprehensive victory. I’m very comfortable at this new weight, no cutting or anything. He’s getting knocked out.’