Josh Taylor vs Apinun Khongsong: Analysis and Prediction

On this Saturday’s fight card, the WBA (Super), IBF, and Ring magazine light-welterweight titleholder Josh Taylor will look to defend his titles against Apinun Khongsong. In a big night of fights, this will be the headliner of the event.

Josh Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs) is coming off a victory over Regis Prograis via majority decision. The bout took place in December 2019. His opponent Khongsong is also undefeated with 16 wins (13 KOs).

Taylor is the defending champion and a well-known fighter. Hence, he is the favorite for this bout. Khongsong, although challenging for the belts, is a local Thai boxer and is relatively unknown in international boxing circles.

This bout is seen by most as just a stepping stone for Taylor, who is aiming to unify his light-welterweight titles against the WBC and WBO champion, Jose Ramirez. Ramirez is coming off a majority decision win over Viktor Postol.

What can we expect from Josh Taylor vs Apinun Khongsong?

Taylor will not expect much of a challenge from his opponent, as he has faced better competition before, although not as good as the fans want to see him face.

For Khongsong, however, this will be a huge step-up in competition, as he has till now faced boxers from his own region. Going up against Taylor might prove to be an overwhelming experience, as he will perform on such a massive platform for the first time in his pro career.

Besides that, the pressure of representing his Asian heritage at such a high level and fighting for the titles might be too much for him.

Considering this is an easy match-up for Taylor, he should be careful to not go in overconfident. He is by far the higher caliber fighter and has the experience of performing at the big stage. He will look to go in and put Khongsong away early in the fight.

Taylor will target shots to the head and the body to tire Khongsong out and make him cover-up. The latter might survive the early offense and even look to throw some shots of his own. However, as the rounds progress, he will not be able to match Taylor’s level of skill and efficiency.

Prediction: Josh Taylor via TKO (Round 6)

Also Read: “It’s Very Dangerous” – Josh Taylor Weighs in on His Upcoming Fight