By Ian S Palmer
Last year’s World Boxing Super Series winner and current undefeated WBA World and IBF Super Lightweight Champion Josh Taylor of Scotland will be making a mandatory defence against unbeaten Apinun Khongsong of Thailand in London, England this Saturday, Sept. 26th. The 12-round tilt can be seen live in America on ESPN+ while those in the UK can catch the action on BT Sport. Taylor added the WBA and WBC Diamond titles to his collection last October in the World Boxing super Series finale against Regis Prograis by majority decision while Khongsong last fought in July, 2019 when he stopped Yosmar Kefi in the second round.
The 29-year-old Taylor is a southpaw who beat Ivan Baranchyk by unanimous decision to win the IBF crown in May, 2019. He’ll enter the battle with a perfect mark of 16-0 with 12 Kos. It’s evident he carries better-than-average power with a current knockout ratio of 75 per cent. Taylor turned pro back in 2015 and has just 90 rounds under his belt since then. He stands 5-feet-10-inches tall and has a wingspan of 69.5 inches. His other impressive wins have been over Ryan Martin, Viktor Postol, Winston Campos, Miguel Vazquez and Ohara Davies.
The ‘Tartan Tornado’ Taylor has fought mainly in the UK with a couple of bouts in America. He won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in India in 2010 in the lightweight division and went 1-1 at the 2012 Olympics in London, England. He then won a gold medal at the 2012 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He’s also been the Commonwealth Champion as a pro and Taylor has adapted well to the pro game and has surprised many opponents with his power and polished boxing skills.
Khongsong is just 24-year-old and his current knockout ratio actually exceeds Taylor’s as it stands at 81.3 per cent. He’s 16-0 so far with 13 Kos to his name and has fought just 62 rounds since making his pro debut in 2016. He’s 5-feet-10-inches tall with an unlisted reach which makes him the same height as Taylor. Hailing from Bangkok, Khongsong has fought strictly in his homeland with one bout coming at the famous Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Although, he’s stopped the majority of opponents, Khongsong’s been taking on limited opposition up to now. His opponents have been the likes of Akihiro Kondo, Jason Egera, Eddy Comaro and Yuta Maruoka so he’s taking a huge step up in class with Taylor. Since turning pro, he’s won the vacant IBF Pan Pacific Super Lightweight Title with a first-round stoppage of Maruoka in 2017.
Prediction…
There’s not very much known about Khongsong other than his power, which he apparently has quite a lot of. He has a puncher’s chance but he’d have to land the prefect blow or combination of them to lift Taylor’s title. Still, it’ll be interesting to see just how good he is and this is an ideal opportunity for him to make a name for himself on the world stage.
