Josh Taylor vs. Ekow Essuman and Moses Itauma vs. Mike Balogun weighed in today for their fights this Saturday, May 24th, in Glasgow. The former undisputed light welterweight champion Taylor (19-2, 13 KOs) appeared upbeat, hitting the scales for his debut at 147 against Essuman (21-1, 8 KOs).
Saturday’s event will be shown on DAZN and staged at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. Taylor, 34, appeared nonchalant today, acting as if his victory against Essuman was already assured.
Weights
Josh Taylor – 146.8 vs. Ekow Essuman – 146.4
Moses Itauma 254 vs. Mike Balogun 241
Taylor’s Career on the Line
Josh should be stressed out because he’s coming into the fight with a record that is arguably 0-3 since 2022. Taylor lost his last two fights, and many boxing fans believe he should have lost his first clash against Jack Catterall in 2022. The experts believe Josh’s war against Jose Ramirez in May 2021 took something out of him, leaving him vulnerable for his last three contests. That was Taylor’s downfall.
I hate to say it, but Taylor’s career is on the line on Saturday against Essuman. He can pretend that this is just another fight for him, but his situation is dire. A loss to the domestic-level fighter Essuman is the end of the line for the Scottish lad.
Josh probably won’t retire, but fans and fighters will look at him as a has-been, which he already is. Losing to Catterall showed that Taylor is no longer world-class. That’s a guy that would be food for the top 147-pounders.
Itauma’s Weight and Future Concerns
Heavyweight Moses Itauma (11-0, 9 KOs) came in at 254 lbs for his 10-lb fight against second-tier fighter Mike Balogun (21-1, 16 KOs). The 6’2″ Itauma looked soft at the weight, and appeared to be carrying too much bulk for his height. He’s getting away with it now, but he won’t when he starts taking on contenders. He’ll probably be okay against this tomato can, but if his promoters match him against Martin Bakole, he’ll likely get exposed.
Itauma gets hit too much as it is against the cans he’d been fighting. If he doesn’t trim down and focus on his defense, he’ll lose to the likes of Bakole, Joseph Parker, Agit Kabayel, and Richard Torrez Jr.
Is This Josh Taylor 2.0?
“This is Josh Taylor 2.0. So, this is the start of it, and Ekow stands in the way of it. I’m going to do a good job tomorrow night,” said Taylor at today’s weigh-in for his fight this Saturday against Ekow Essuman in Glasgow, Scotland. “This is going to be a comprehensive win for myself.”
It sounds like wishful thinking by Taylor, believing this is a new start for him. If he could have turned his career around, he would have by now and wouldn’t have lost to Catterall and Teofimo Lopez.
“Josh Taylor has had only one fight per year since 2020. That’s not enough,” said DAZN commentator Ade Oladipo.
“No, it’s not. He’s not been fighting regularly enough, but obviously, he’s not been on the greatest run of form in terms of wins and losses,” said commentator Carl Frampton. “He lost his last two, then going back to Jack Catterall [in their first fight in 2022], and everyone thought he lost that one as well.
“It’s must-win for Josh. I think it suits him now to be out of the division, to be out of light welterweight. He needed to do it a long time ago, and he’s done it now. I imagine we’re going to see a reinvigored Josh Taylor with an extra seven pounds. There’s going to be a lot more energy,” said Frampton.
Last Updated on 05/23/2025
