WBA/IBF World Junior Welterweight Champion Josh Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs) crushed previously undefeated mandatory challenger Apinun Khongsong (16-1, 13 KOs) in one round.
Taylor landed a big shot to the body and Khongsong went down in pain for the full count. He was down well after the fight was officially stopped.
The fight was the first for Taylor with new trainer Ben Davison and the first under his new promotional deal with Top Rank.
Taylor was last in action back in 2019 when he clinched the entire World Boxing Super Series junior welterweight tournament in London, where he defeated the previously unbeaten Regis Prograis to add the WBA title to his own IBF version, while also claiming the WBSS trophy.
Taylor became IBF world champion during the WBSS series when he defeated the then-unbeaten Ivan Baranchyk via unanimous decision in Glasgow, Scotland.
Khongsong from Bangkok, worked his way into mandatory position by winning the IBF Pan Pacific and IBF Asia titles. Coming in to this fight, he had knocked out his last six foes, including former world title challenger Akihiro Kondo last February.
Taylor now moves forward with a potential 2021 unification with undefeated WBC, WBO world champion Jose Ramirez, who is also promoted under Top Rank.
–boxingscene.com
