Former undisputed super-lightweight champion Josh Taylor announced his retirement on Monday.

Taylor, who ends his career with a record of 19-3-0 (13 KOs), shared the news on Instagram, citing a recurring eye injury as the reason for stepping away from the sport.  Medical advice played a key role in his decision to call it a day.

Beyond the injury, Taylor’s form had dipped. At 34, the timing feels right to hang up the gloves.

Taylor achieved a great deal in a short space of time, though inactivity began to stall his momentum. He fought just once a year after 2019.

As an amateur, he won silver at the 2010 Commonwealth games and competed at the 2012 Olympics, exiting in the round of 16.

Taylor turned pro after winning Commonwealth Games gold at 64kg in 2014, opting not to wait for the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

‘I’d done everything I wanted to do as an amateur,’ Taylor told The Scotsman.

‘I’d boxed all over the world, won Commonwealth gold, and I was ready to move on.’

He signed with Barry McGuigan’s Cyclone Promotions with Shane McGuigan, Barry’s son, as trainer.

His pro debut came on 18 July 2015 in El Paso, Texas, on the undercard of then-stablemate Carl Frampton, beating Weah Archibald.

The Cyclone partnership paid off early, with Taylor claiming the Commonwealth super-lightweight title in just his seventh fight, stopping Dave Ryan in the fifth round.  Taylor quickly built a reputation as a southpaw pressure fighter. He was relentless, cut off the ring well, worked the body, and could switch stances comfortably.

His breakout win came in 2017 against Ohara Davies, live on Channel 5. Davies, ever the antagonist, labelled Taylor and his team ‘bums’ and promised an early knockout. He was dropped in the third and seventh rounds before turning his back in the final minute of round seven, prompting the referee to wave it off.

The terrestrial coverage boosted Taylor’s profile. What followed also boosted his bank balance.

The World Boxing Super Series (WBSS), launched in 2017, aimed to reshape boxing with a tournament format.

Taylor entered at the perfect time.

Wins over Ryan Martin, Ivan Baranchyk and Regis Prograis earned him the Muhammad Ali Trophy and a sizeable cheque, reportedly in the low millions.

The tournament elevated his marketability. Along the way, he picked up the IBF title by beating Baranchyk and the WBA title by beating Prograis.

In 2021, Taylor became undisputed super-lightweight champion in just his 19th professional fight, defeating Jose Ramirez by unanimous decision.

This was his peak.

Shortly after the WBSS, Taylor split from Cyclone Promotions and Shane McGuigan. The timing was difficult, coming just months after Shane lost his sister, Danika, to cancer.

It was a messy break.

Though Taylor won the undisputed title after the split, many argue he was never quite the same without Shane in his corner.

He signed with Top Rank, led by Bob Arum, joining a stable that included Terence Crawford, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Artur Beterbiev and Naoya Inoue. Taylor was a priority, but only briefly.

His controversial split decision win over Jack Catterall in February 2022, with all four belts on the line, soured public opinion. Most felt Catterall had done more than enough. Sympathy for Catterall surged.

The backlash dented Taylor’s image and stalled his momentum. He fought just once in 2022 and once in 2023, losing to Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden.

He then lost a rematch to Catterall before moving up to welterweight earlier this year, where he was beaten by Ekow Essuman under Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.

Few fighters get to bow out on a high.

Despite the final stretch, Taylor had a stellar career.

At his best, he became only the second Scotsman to be an undisputed champion, after Ken Buchanan. He was the first Brit to do so in the four-belt era, and just the fifth man overall, joining Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, Terence Crawford and Oleksandr Usyk.

Some accolade.

Images: Getty