Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman - Tale of the Tape: Weight, height, reach, trainer & professional boxing records

We analyse the credentials and statistics of Josh Taylor and Ekow Essuman as Scotland's 'Tartan Tornado' makes his first venture into the welterweight division in Glasgow on Saturday 24th May, 2025.

On Saturday 24th May, the SSE Hydro in Glasgow braces for Josh Taylor 2.0 as the Scotsman makes his welterweight debut.

After years of cutting weight and campaigning at 140lbs, the former undisputed super-lightweight king steps up to the 147lbs division, hoping to secure honours at a second weight class.

But, despite his lofty ambition, at 34 years of age, is time running out?

Ekow 'The Engine' Essuman brings experience and relentless pressure, and will leave no stone unturned in his bid to spoil Taylor's homecoming.

Can he deliver the upset of 2025?

Before we find out, let's take a look at 'The Tale of the Tape'.

Josh Taylor v Ekow Essuman - Tale of the Tape

	Josh Taylor	Ekow Essuman
Age:	34	35
Nickname:	'The Tartan Tornado'	'The Engine'
Height:	5ft 10ins	5ft 10ins
Reach:	69.5ins	70ins
Weight:	Welterweight	Welterweight
Trainer:	Joe McNally	Barrington Brown
Record:	19-2 (13 KOs)	21-1 (8 KOs)
Last Fight:	Lost - (UD) v Jack Catterall (May 2024)	Won - (UD) v Ben Vaughan (November 2024)

Josh Taylor - In Profile

Rediscovering peak form can be one of the biggest hurdles for a boxer who was at one stage one of the best in the world.

When Josh Taylor became undisputed champion at 140lbs in May 2021 he rocketed onto fans’ and media’s pound-for-pound lists.

A move to welterweight looked like it was on the horizon, as well as a potential pay-per-view bout against generational talent Terence Crawford.

But one bad night at the office in February 2022, against Jack Catterall, has pushed Taylor’s career downhill and raised questions about his motivation and whether or not the best of “The Tartan Tornado” has swept past us.

The controversial split decision win against Catterall, being outclassed by Teofimo Lopez and then defeat to Catterall in their rematch has left the Edinburgh native teetering on the edge of irrelevance.

Ekow Essuman is tasked with the job of ruining Taylor’s return to fighting in Scotland after three years away.

In this contest one man is dropping down a few levels while the other is jumping up just as many. If they meet in the middle, Essuman’s style and attitude could cause disaster but Taylor showed flashes of his old self in the defeat to Catterall.

The trademark southpaw jab and ring IQ, hints that his technical brilliance endures.

He may not need to be at 100% to outbox Essuman, but his recent form demands a sharper showing than we’ve seen.

Strengths:	Weaknesses:
Elite boxing IQ	Recent form
Footwork	Hard career
Combination punching	Lost a step
Body punching	Not as sound defensively

Ekow Essuman - In Profile

Ekow Essuman has earned his stripes at the British level, and now, at 35, 'The Engine' faces a defining test against Josh Taylor.

This is his shot to prove he’s a world-class operator - a victory could catapult him into the top 15 at welterweight, while a lopsided defeat might banish him back to domestic obscurity.

It’s a steep leap in competition, but Essuman’s paid his dues, and he’s ready to find out if his best can topple a faded star.

Essuman’s strengths - his relentless work rate and resilience - could be his ticket to an upset.

He’s coming off two hard-fought wins against Owen Cooper and Ben Vaughan, opponents far below Taylor’s pedigree, but those battles showcased his ability to dig deep and outlast.

The danger lies in over-relying on that tenacity; pushing too hard against a technician like Taylor risks exposing his defensive gaps.

It’s skill against will, and Essuman’s path to victory hinges on turning this into a gruelling war, smothering Taylor’s rhythm, dragging him into the trenches, and capitalising on any rust or fatigue.

Strengths:	Weaknesses:
Work-rate	Lack of power
Physicality	Defence
Disrupting rhythm fighters	Mileage
Resilience	Technical boxing

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