Josh Taylor is “90 percent sure” he’ll be fighting Belarusian Ivan Baranchyk at the SSE Hydro in Saturday 18 May in his WBSS super lightweight semi-final.
Baranchyk’s manager has twice said that his fighter has pulled out of the World Boxing Super Series and wasn’t preparing to fight Taylor, both for a place in the Ali Trophy final and for the IBF world title.
Tickets went on sale this week however, and Taylor is confident it’ll be Baranchyk that faces him across the ring in just over a month’s time.
“I don’t pay any attention to it really,” he told Boxing Social . “I’m just focusing on May 18 and focusing on Baranchyk. If they do change the opponent, which I think is unlikely, then I’ll adapt and go back to my amateur days and change my style.
“I’m mot fussed. I’ll be fighting May 18 and I’m 90 percent sure it’ll be Baranchyk but if it changes, it changes. As long as I get to fight for that title.”
As to who he won’t be fighting, either on May 18 or at any other time, Taylor all but ruled out ever facing former three-division world title holder and fellow Scot Ricky Burns.
“I think so,” he replied when asked if the Baranchyk fight means there’s no chance he’ll face Burns. “That ship has sailed – a while ago now. That fight was probably attractive a couple of years ago.
“When he was coming to the end of his career just after he lost that would’ve been a great time for us to fight. I was coming up and on the rise and calling for the fight.
“But now it’s probably passed and not likely to happen.”
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