Josh Taylor vs Ivan Baranchyk WBSS semi-final is still on
Despite rumours Ivan Baranchyk had pulled out of the World Boxing Super Series tournament, a recent tweet directed towards his opponent Josh Taylor confirms his intentions of fighting in Scotland on May 18.
Taylor has told IBF champion Ivan Baranchyk he "can't wait to rip the belt off" him after the latter appeared to confirm their world title fight on May 18 would go ahead.
The Belarusian's manager had been quoted as saying the World Boxing Super Series contest at Glasgow's Hydro would not go ahead for financial reasons, but then on May 1 IBF world champion Baranchyk tweeted: "I look forward to fighting Taylor."
His manager David McWater had previously said, “We have adamantly told [tournament owner Comosa AG] that we are no longer in the tournament. Pedro [Diaz] is Ivan’s trainer but he is not involved in the business side of things. It was just a horseshit, a bush-league move by them. All the problems with the tournament, they have brought them on themselves because they don’t do things the right way and this is emblematic of it.”
Despite this, new revelations have revealed the WBSS semi-final is still on course to take place on May 18 still.
"I'm glad Baranchyk is coming Glasgow to fight," the 28-year-old Scot commented on social media, adding, "Can't wait to rip the belt off you and send you homeward to think again."
The bout is the semi-final stage of a tournament to decide the new undisputed world super-lightweight champion and there had been reports that Taylor's compatriot, former world champion Ricky Burns, could be a replacement opponent for the hard-hitting Belarusian.
However, 25-year-old Baranchyk would be stripped of his IBF title if he did not box in Glasgow as scheduled.
Taylor, rated number two in the world, has already knocked out United States' Ryan Martin, while 10th-ranked Baranchyk stopped Sweden's Anthony Yigit last to progress to the penultimate stage of the tournament.
Top-rated American Regis Prograis, the WBC interim champion who defeated Englishman Terry Flanagan in their quarter-final, just recently triumphed over WBA champion Kiryl Relikh in the first of the semi-finals on April 27 in Louisiana and now awaits the winner of Taylor vs Baranchyk.
Taylor insists he is "90 per cent" confident that Ivan Baranchyk will be his opponent for the World Boxing Super Series semi-final in Glasgow this month.
WBC Silver super lightweight champion Taylor responded to the rumours that the fight was off and said: “I don’t pay attention to any of it really, I’m just focussing on May 18 and focussing on Baranchyk but if the opponent does change, which I think is unlikely, then I’ll adapt and change my style but I’m not too fussed.
“I’m focussing on May 18 and I’ll be fighting May 18 and it’s 90 per cent looking like Baranchyk.
“If it changes it changes, as long as I get to fight for that title.”
Taylor, who has won all of his 14 fights, admits the contest cannot come soon enough as the 28-year-old attempts to fulfil a career-long ambition.
Speaking to Boxing Social, he added: “I can’t wait, this is the fight I’ve been dreaming and training for to become world champion.
“That fight is now here and I’m going to grab it with both hands and bring that title back to Prestonpans and make that dream a reality and there is no way anyone is going to be beat me.”
The event has been further boosted by the news that Japanese ‘Monster’ Naoya Inoue and IBF titleholder Emmanuel Rodriguez, who both put their unbeaten records on the line in the bantamweight tournament semi-final on the same show in Glasgow, will now have the coveted Ring Magazine belt on the line.
Inoue, who is rated No. 1 by The Ring Magazine, is one of the finest fighters in the world today in any weight class. Rodriguez, who is rated No. 3, is an unbeaten world titleholder and a terrific fighter.
The No. 1 bantamweight versus the No. 3 bantamweight was certainly a worthwhile proposition for the vacant Ring bantamweight title, which nowseems to go hand in hand with the WBSS series.