Who could step in as Josh Taylor’s new head trainer?
Josh Taylor explains that he signed with Top Rank because it’s the biggest platform in boxing, which will give him the best chance to elevate his career. (0:52)
Josh Taylor recently signed a multifight deal with Top Rank, leaving his former promoter, Barry McGuigan’s Cyclone Promotions. The move means Taylor will no longer work with his current trainer, Shane McGuigan, who is Barry’s son.
With “The Tartan Tornado” in the market for a new trainer, who are some of the more logical candidates to work his corner moving forward? Steve Kim and Nick Parkinson weigh in.
Freddie Roach: When you think of southpaw whirlwinds, you immediately think of Manny Pacquiao, whom Roach developed from a rather one-dimensional left-handed fighter to one of the most lethal offensive machines the sport has ever seen. Roach understands how fighters such as Taylor can utilize angles out of a lefty stance to create openings that don’t exist with orthodox fighters.
Roach has been a marquee trainer for years. He’s no stranger to big events and momentous fights. There is no situation in a fight that Roach has not experienced. With his Wild Card Boxing Club located in Los Angeles, procuring elite sparring partners for Taylor would not be an issue. The downstairs portion of the gym is made private and provides seclusion for world-class boxers who are preparing for battle. — Steve Kim
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Danny Vaughan: If Taylor wants to stay close to home and avoid trips south of the border to train, he could opt to base himself at Vaughan’s gym in Scotland. Vaughan, from Liverpool in England, is head of boxing in Scotland for MTK Global. He has trained Jamie Conlan, Paddy Barnes, Derry Matthews and Paul Smith, to name a few. The MTK Global Scotland gym is based between Glasgow and Taylor’s home in Edinburgh. Vaughan will not have as many star boxers to focus on as Booth or Moore and thus could dedicate more time to Taylor. — Nick Parkinson
Joe Goossen: Goossen has had an array of world champions in his career, but he’ll tell you that he is a bit of a specialist in training portsiders (see Michael Nunn and Joel Casamayor). The reality is that despite having just 16 bouts under his belt, Taylor is for the most part a finished product. All he needs is someone who can fine-tune him a bit and be a watchful eye in his corner.
If Taylor craves a certain amount of attention, Goossen has always preferred to have a small stable of boxers under his watch. His belief is that for him to leave an impression on any boxer, he has to concentrate on them almost exclusively.
Goossen still works out of the storied Ten Goose Boxing in Van Nuys, California, where he developed Gabriel and Rafael Ruelas, Nunn, Casamayor, Sergey Lipinets and Chris Arreola. — Steve Kim
Adam Booth: If Taylor wants a trainer with experience at world-title level, he might be tempted to join Booth’s growing stable in south London. Booth, 51, first steered David Haye to world-title glory at cruiserweight and then at heavyweight. He was also in the corner when Andy Lee lifted a version of the middleweight title in 2014 and when Ryan Burnett unified two versions of the bantamweight title in 2017. He currently trains welterweight Josh Kelly, featherweight Michael Conlan and heavyweight Joe Joyce, and last year, he announced a deal with MTK, which has signed an advisory deal with Taylor. — Nick Parkinson
Ismael Salas: A veteran of the sport, Salas is a highly respected teacher who helped develop boxers for the vaunted Cuban national team for years. He was named the head coach of that squad in 1983 and has taught the sport around the world. When you think of Cuban boxers, one of the first thoughts is that many of them are well-schooled, technically sound left-handers who move well around the ring while taking a minimum amount of physical damage through good defense. The talented Guillermo Rigondeaux certainly comes to mind, and he is someone Salas has prepared in the gym.
Salas has also been associated with Yuriorkis Gamboa, Danny Green, David Haye, Beibut Shumenov, Jessie Vargas, Rances Barthelemy and Nonito Donaire. Currently, he has undertaken the task of rehabilitating Felix Verdejo. — Steve Kim
Jamie Moore: The former British and European super welterweight champion, 41, seems like a good fit for Taylor and has a thriving gym in Greater Manchester. Carl Frampton, the former world junior featherweight and featherweight world titleholder, moved to Moore’s stable two years ago after he also split from the McGuigans. Moore trains Rocky Fielding, Martin Murray, Jack Catterall and Chantelle Cameron. Moore has strong links with MTK Global. — Nick Parkinson