The light heavyweight division is incredibly competitive in Britain with Saturday’s headliners, Ben Whittaker, Callum Smith and Anthony Yarde all in the mix, and the winner of Bradley Rea vs Ezra Taylor will take a more prominent position within that group.
Rea is also defending his WBA Inter Continental title, so the victor will move a step closer towards the chance to challenge for a full world title.
Bradley Rea v Ezra Taylor Tips Preview
Saturday’s contest in Manchester is a hometown fight for Stretford-native Bradley Rea and he is the more experienced of the two men with a 22-2 record, while this will be Ezra Taylor’s 15th bout in the paid ranks.
Rea is the title holder and has been involved in British and European title fights previously, but he goes into the clash as a marginal underdog at 10/11 with Taylor the 4/5 favourite.
Rea won his first 16 fights, including an eye-catching win over Lee Cutler, before falling short in his bid to become British middleweight champion in a decision loss to Tyler Denny. He responded with a move up in weight and a seven-fight winning run before suffering a second defeat, losing on points to fellow Mancunian Lyndon Arthur when challenging for the European light heavyweight strap.
Losing to an experienced campaigner such as Arthur, a former IBO world champion, via a majority decision is no disgrace and he has since claimed a convincing win over Liam Cameron via a fourth round stoppage.
Taylor is a more explosive fighter than Rea and his habit of engineering early finishes has aided a quick rise through the ranks. The Cannon won his first five fights inside the distance and had put together a 13-0 record with nine stoppages, including successes over the experienced Steed Woodall and previously unbeaten Troy Jones.
However, his clash with Rea serves as a comeback bout as he suffered a first defeat in his last outing, losing via a wide margin on points to Willy Hutchinson in March.
The Nottingham fighter had been able to rely largely on his power until coming up against a skilled operator in Hutchinson, and Saturday’s return to the ring looks a dangerous challenge against an accomplished technician.
Bradley Rea v Ezra Taylor Tale of the Tape
Bradley Rea | Ezra Taylor | |
Record: | 22-2 | 13-1 |
Age: | 28 | 32 |
Birthplace: | Stretford, UK | Nottingham, UK |
Height: | 6' 4" | 6' 2" |
Stance: | Orthodox | Orthodox |
Last Fight: | Won (TKO) Liam Cameron (May 2026) | Loss (UD) Willy Hutchinson (Mar 2026) |
KO%: | 50 | 69.23 |
Bradley Rea v Ezra Taylor Top Tips
Ezra Taylor heads into the fight looking for a response after a first career defeat but stepping straight into the ring against a slick operator like Bradley Rea could prove to be an error.
Rea has campaigned at a higher level for a longer period, despite being the younger man, and his skillset could prove too big a stumbling block for the Nottingham fighter. The Cannon is a high-volume fighter who throws a lot of shots and carries serious power.
An early finish is potentially Taylor’s best route to victory but Rea is an incredibly durable fighter who has never been stopped or even officially knocked down. If the Mancunian can survive Taylor’s early pressure, he has the quality to come through with a victory.
Taylor has solid fundamentals but there is a little bit more craft and ingenuity to Rea’s approach. Rea has a large arsenal at his disposal with quick footwork, the ability to switch stances, and he often adopts a patient and methodical game plan by picking his shots and working the body.
Taylor was outclassed by Hutchinson and it could be a similar story against another technically superior fighter this weekend.
As the underdog, Rea is worth backing to win by any method but for a bigger price taking a chance on The Sting to win via decision could be the best option. Taylor never looked in any serious trouble against Hutchinson and he perhaps carries a bit more power than Rea so there is a good chance this fight goes the full 10 rounds.
All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
