Boxing Challenge: Taylor defeats Ramirez

    All four of the championships in the junior welterweight division will reside in Scotland as Josh Taylor retained his WBA and IBF titles and stripped Jose Ramirez of the WBC and WBO versions via a close unanimous decision in Las Vegas.

All three scorecards were 114-112 for Taylor (I had Taylor a 115-111 winner), which means that each judge gave each fighter six rounds, but Taylor's knockdowns of Ramirez in the sixth and seventh-round allowed Taylor to to earn the two-point victory.

Taylor's left hand dropped Ramirez in the sixth and uncorked a left uppercut that sent Ramirez crashing to the canvas in the seventh that had a smidgen of controversy as it appeared that Ramirez had stopped and waited for ref Kenny Bayless to call for a break and relaxed just a bit.

Taylor took advantage and it is always protect yourself at all times, but it was a mistake by Ramirez to relax and give Taylor the open opportunity.

Ramirez was aggressive throughout, but Taylor was able to stand his ground enough to build an early lead on the cards and hold off Ramirez's traditional late charge for the victory.

In the end, it was a really strong contest, but the more versatile fighter that can do everything well had just enough to defeat the stronger fighter that can fight best in only one style.

I would be fine with a rematch, but Taylor has a choice to make for his next fight and neither involves Ramirez.

Taylor would seem to have two big-money choices available with Top Rank as he could move up to welterweight against WBO champion Terence Crawford as Crawford still has one fight remaining on his contract with the company or he could stay at 140 for an all-UK affair against WBO mandatory contender Jack Catterall, who took a step-aside fee to allow Ramirez to face Taylor.

Taylor could also stay at 140 and defend those titles against Teofimo Lopez, who holds three (officially anyway) of the four lightweight belts but should Taylor decide that he wants to keep all four titles at junior welterweight, he will have to face Catterall first as Catterall is not likely to take another check to allow a Taylor-Lopez bout next.

Should Taylor move up to 147 pounds, all four titles are likely to be vacated and I'd think that Jose Ramirez would be involved in the scramble to grab one of the titles as arguably, along with Regis Prograis, who like Ramirez has suffered only one loss and like Ramirez, a close decision loss to Taylor, the best non-Josh Taylor junior welterweight.

Boxing is at its best on nights like Saturday.

Two undefeated young champions giving their all on free television for all to see and at the end of the night- only one will stand tall.

In the co-feature, Jose Zepeda won convincingly but didn't dazzle in winning a unanimous decision over aging veteran Hank Lundy in a junior welterweight ten rounder.

Zepeda is rated first by the WBC and will be in line for an eventual shot at Josh Taylor or more likely involvement for the vacant title should Taylor move up to welterweight.

Zepeda won clearly (98-92 on my card), but Lundy hung tough as a late replacement and deserves credit for doing what he could do against Zepeda.

In the boxing challenge, I earned four points to Ramon Malpica's two to boost my lead to 70-66 in the overall standings.