Josh Taylor vs Ekow Essuman Betting Odds and Prediction

Josh Taylor vs Ekow Essuman Preview May 24^th, 2025 

Former Undisputed Super Lightweight Champion Josh Taylor of Scotland takes on Ekow Essuman of Botswana in a 10-round welterweight bout this Saturday, May 24^th. The contest from Glasgow, Scotland can be seen live in most nations on DAZN. Taylor last fought in May, 2024 when he dropped a 12-round unanimous decision to Jack Catterall in a rematch for his second straight defeat after losing his WBO title to Teofimo Lopez via a split decision in June, 2026. Taylor was awarded a highly-controversial split decision over Catterall in their first meeting in 2022 to hang onto his belts. Taylor was dropped in the eighth round in that battle and deducted a point in the 11th for punching after the bell while Catterall was deducted a point for holding in the 10th. Taylor then gave up the WBC, WBA and IBF Titles before losing the WBO Belt to Lopez. Essuman’s last fight took place in November when he beat Ben Vaughan by 10-round majority decision to retain his WBO European Welterweight Crown.

Taylor vs Essuman Betting Odds

Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).

• Ekow Essuman +237
• Josh Taylor -325

My Pick

The 34-year-old Taylor is a southpaw who won the IBF Super Lightweight Title in the World Boxing Super Series when he beat Ivan Baranchyk by unanimous decision in May, 2019 after dropping him twice in the sixth round. He added the WBA and WBC Diamond Titles to his collection five months later in the World Boxing Super Series finale against Regis Prograis when he took a majority decision. He then beat Jose Ramirez by unanimous decision in 2021 for the WBC and WBO Belts and dropped him along the way in the sixth and seventh rounds.

Taylor enters the ring with a mark of 19-2 with 13 Ko’s and has boxed 139 rounds since turning pro in 2015. It’s evident Taylor carries decent power around with him as 68.4 per cent of his wins have come by way of stoppage but he’s gone the distance in six of his last seven outings. Taylor stands 5-feet-10-inches tall with a wingspan of 69.5 inches and has also beaten Ryan Martin, Viktor Postol, Winston Campos, Miguel Vazquez and Ohara Davies.

The ‘Tartan Tornado’ Taylor has fought mainly in the UK with a couple of bouts in America. As an amateur, he won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in India in 2010 in the lightweight division and went 1-1 at the 2012 Olympics in London, England. He then won a gold medal at the 2012 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He’s also been the Commonwealth Champion as a pro and has adapted well to the pro game due to his power and polished boxing skills.

The 36-year-old Essuman fights out of Nottingham, England boasts a fine record of 21-1 with 8 Ko’s. He possesses below-average power with 38.1 per cent of his wins coming by stoppage and has halted just one of his past six opponents. He’s boxed 163 rounds since making his pro debut in 2016. Before that he enjoyed a pretty good amateur career in which he reached the English ABAE National Championships Final in 2016 and the 2014 English National Elite 69kg Final He also competed in the World Series of Boxing and faced opponents such as Israil Madrimov, Lewis Ritson, Ted Cheeseman and Serhii Bohachuk.

As a pro, Essuman captured the vacant British Welterweight Title in 2018 when he stopped Andy Keates in the fifth round. He added the vacant IBF European Welterweight Belt in 2020 with a 10-round unanimous decision over Cedrick Peynaud and then won the Commonwealth Welterweight Title the next year when he stopped Chris Jenkins in the eighth round. The WBC International Welterweight Belt came next when he beat Chris Kongo by 12-round majority decision in 2023. Essuman measures 5-feet-10-inches tall with an unlisted reach.

Prediction…

Taylor didn’t look that great in his last few fights against Catterall and Teofimo Lopez and has been relatively inactive as he has fought just once a year since 2020. He hasn’t won since beating Catterall in their first bout in 2022 and he arguably lost that contest as well. Taylor definitely has to prove his few performances weren’t really representative of his skills and he has the chance here against a good 36-year-old European-level boxer. Taylor has definitely faced tougher opposition as a pro and should be out to prove a point here. Essuman is no pushover though and this should be a close contest with Taylor doing just enough to win it.

Taylor is the more polished boxer overall and has more power.

Play Taylor -325 @ BetOnline.ag

Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form.

Ekow Essuman betting • Josh Taylor betting