Unbeaten Scotsman Josh Taylor and former WBC junior welterweight titleholder Viktor Postol came face to face for the first time on Monday ahead of their eagerly anticipated 12-round bout which takes place on June 23 at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.

Both men were in good spirits as they spoke before a packed house at the Hilton Grosvenor Hotel in Glasgow, with members of both camps expressing their confidence ahead of this official WBC eliminator.

“It’s great to be fighting in Glasgow,” said Taylor, who is rated No. 6 by THE RING at 140 pounds. “Every time I’ve been here since the Commonwealth Games the reception has been unbelievable. This is definitely the biggest fight of my career to date, and the atmosphere on fight night should give me the extra 10 percent I need.

“Viktor is someone I have a lot of respect for and he’s shared a ring with some top opposition, but I won’t waste this chance to fight for a world title. I don’t know exactly how the fight is going to unfold, but I know that it’ll be a Josh Taylor win. There’s no way I’m losing this fight in front of those fans.”

Postol, who is rated No. 2 by THE RING, won the vacant WBC junior welterweight title by knocking out feared power-puncher Lucas Matthysse in October 2015. However, nine months later, the sharp-punching Ukrainian ran out of luck when he met pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford in a unification bout and was soundly outpointed.

“It’s a big pleasure to be here,” said Postol, who has won one bout since his first and only setback. “I know that Josh Taylor is confident, otherwise he would not have taken this fight. He is a good boxer, he has a lot of knockouts and I know how dangerous he is. It’s a hard fight to predict, but I know that we both want to win by KO. I hope that everybody watches, and I think I can take a big step towards becoming a world champion once again.”

Promoter Barry McGuigan said, “This is the most important fight of Josh’s career. It’s the final hurdle before we get to fight for the world title, and it’s against a very dangerous opponent. It’s going to be a fantastic night of boxing, and I really think Josh will show us what he’s got. He’ll be magnificent, and there’s no doubt about that. Viktor Postol is someone we have a great deal of respect for, and he’s definitely the best fighter to travel to Scotland since Terence Crawford (who outpointed Ricky Burns in March 2014). This is a major fight for world boxing, and we’re very excited about it.”

TICKETS FOR JOSH TAYLOR vs VIKTOR POSTOL ARE NOW ON SALE – PRICED £40, £60, £80 AND VIP INNER RINGSIDE AT £150 + BOOKING FEES, AND ARE AVAILABLE FROM WWW.TICKETMASTER.CO.UK OR CALL 0844 844 0444.

Information courtesy of a press release issued by Cyclone Promotions

Tom Gray is Associate Editor for THE RING. Follow him on Twitter: @Tom_Gray_Boxing

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