In an interview with Fight Hype, Josh Taylor talks about his upcoming matchup with Teofimo Lopez and explains why he feels he has the ultimate advantage over his opponent. Taylor, who admits he suffered from a bit of complacency after becoming the undisputed champion, says he has returned to his old habits and is ready to prove himself against Lopez. Check out what he had to say below.
Taylor on how he is feeling ahead of the Lopez fight
“I am absolutely 100%. Just had a few runs, it happens to the best of us, you get injured, you get this and that. Look, that last one was a pretty serious injury, but the others were a bit of a nuisance. Now I am fully recovered, I have dealt with my injury really well, I have some good specialists around me to help me heal and change my training camp to get fit. You know, running, replacing it with different treadmills instead of hard surfaces. So I changed my training and I’m in great shape.
“I think the reason I had these injuries before was because I was out of the gym, after the Ramirez fight, I was out of the gym not living life. I’ve never seen the inside of a boxing gym in months. I ate tasty, bad food and drank a little too much. So a bit of complacency crept in and I jump back into camp out of shape, too heavy, and I try to push it to get in shape, and that’s when injuries come.
About how he perceives the duel of styles between Lopez and himself
“There are fireworks everywhere. He can go out and try to box and move and be slippery, but if he does, great, it’s perfect for me. But if he comes out and tries to try and try to knock me out, even better because he leaves wide open. I will knock him out if he tries to fight. So it’s gonna be great either way. I am completely convinced of the victory.
“I’m not too picky about what he has. I’m not worried about what he has, I don’t think he’ll have anything I’ve never dealt with before. So I’m not worried about what he has, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to have a big surprise when he gets in the ring with me.
About whether he believes he is mentally stronger
“I am mentally stronger than all my opponents. I am a mental fortress. I’m mentally stronger than anyone I know, and all my opponents too… (Lopez) has doubts, he has doubts about himself, but of course he showed it publicly, to the whole world. Now he presents it as some kind of reverse psychology, and I don’t think he’s smart enough to do that. He was talking about emotions there. So he definitely has these huge doubts and seems a little mentally fragile. But take this with a grain of salt, I’m gearing up for the best version of Teofimo Lopez, who is a dangerous guy. So I’m fully on here. “
