While the headline story from Queensberry Promotions’ recent Nottingham show may have been Leigh Wood’s unfortunate defeat to Anthony Cacace, in the same arena Ezra Taylor stepped into the spotlight - not just to win, but to announce himself. While it didn’t have the exclamation mark moment, it was a solid performance that marked a quieter moment of transition - a fighter beginning to find his rhythm on the big stage - and in doing so, offering Nottingham a glimpse of his next chapter. LeftLion was fortunate to be in the Taylor camp in the weeks leading up to, and on, fight night...

If you've been keeping up with our sports section lately, you’ll have likely heard the name Ezra Taylor frequently bookmarked by the likes of Leigh Wood and Conor Millward. A latecomer to the sport, but under Ray Ricketts at Bilborough Community ABC - Ezra took the amateur ranks by storm - becoming the first fighter to hold three East Midlands titles at the same time.
Now, aged 30, Ezra has a professional record of 12-0 with 8KOs: a fighter who not only looks the part but talks the talk and walks the walk; now under the tutelage of a world-renowned coach - competing in a division that’s thriving both domestically and at world level.
Yet May 10 marked just the second fight for Ezra in his home city, a long-awaited return after his professional debut back in 2020 at Harvey Hadden Sports Village - his only other bout in Nottingham. Five years later, since securing big promotional backing from Queensberry Promotions and explosive knockout victories. The Harvey Hadden has given way to the Motorpoint Arena, and Ezra’s opponent: Troy Jones was coming into the fight as an unbeaten opponent, the first of Ezra’s career thus far.

Fight Week
On fight week, we spoke with Promoter Frank Warren, who described Ezra as a “great fighter”. In response to our question on the fight being Ezra’s opportunity to announce his presence in Nottingham, Frank said:
“It is! But he’s not got an easy fight, Nottingham versus Birmingham, both guys fancy it, and they both know what's at stake here. Troy’s a great fighter too!”
At the press conference, Ezra made it clear that he wasn’t here to coast through the motions:
“This is my purpose. A lot of people here, they’re just boxing for the sake of boxing – they haven’t got anything else and they’re just doing it. Cruise control. I’m not on cruise control, I’m accelerating. All gas, no brakes!”
And with the prospect of one era dimming, another promised to flicker into life:
“My story is starting right now! I’m the one with the torch and I’m holding it high!” The following day, after the weigh-in at The Albert Hall, we spoke exclusively to Ezra, asking him first about Leigh Wood’s complimentary words and whether he sees himself as Nottingham’s next star.
“I can be, and I am, I know Leigh Wood is holding the torch, but I’ve got my own torch as well, but in the light-heavyweight division. Leigh paved the way, without him we all wouldn’t be here today, so I’ve got to say thank you and big him up all the time. He’s an electrifying fighter himself and I am a very, very good talent but I’m not just talent, I work hard. Forget the talent, think about my work ethic - that’s what’s enabling me to hold the torch right now!”
I always want to remain focused and disciplined because even though I’m here and it's been a long journey I have a longer journey still to go. I’ve got a great team around me as well making it happen. It’s good man, you can enjoy it and I’m excited
If there were any nerves heading into the biggest night of his career, Ezra hid them well. When we asked him how he was feeling with 24 hours to go, his response was clinical - a glimpse into the mindset of a man who’d already done the hard part behind closed doors:
“Nerves have been processed ages ago, you know what it is, my training camp has been harder than this fight will be. There’s been so many things that’ve happened in my training camp that means this fight, to me, is the easy part. This is very easy, I’ve dealt with things that are harder than this. So here I’m just gonna go and enjoy it and be professional. The mantra and the motto that we live by is ‘get it done like a professional’. Yeah, I know Troy, I don’t care that I know him! I’m going in there and doing what I’ve got to do and dealing with what’s in front of me - like a professional!”

In the community
Two weeks before his co-main event at the Motorpoint Arena, Ezra Taylor stepped away from the spotlight and into the community. As part of Queensberry Promotions’ partnership with BoxWise - a charity that aims to empower disadvantaged young people and reduce youth violence – we joined Ezra in attendance at the event at the Jawaid Khaliq Boxing Academy in Nottingham.
After the event, Ezra told us on how his mindset around giving back had evolved:
“It’s everything, that is everything! And I didn’t realise it was - I’ll be honest, when I started out I didn’t see myself doing something like that. Boxers have to be selfish, but what I’ve realised is that I get a lot of fulfilment out of giving back, helping people out, giving time to others because I can also inspire others, so another Ezra Taylor could be out there - a little Ezra Taylor could be inspired by someone like myself.”
Ezra emphasised that these visits are as inspiring for him as they are for the young athletes:
“it's not just about them, it's about me as well. I go into these amateur boxing clubs and I get inspired by the smell, by the gloves that are beat down, by the kids that are just making it happen...they’ve got an odd set off boots and gloves on... that’s the start, that’s the grind and that’s the stuff that I love. So yeah, it inspires me a lot.”
Finally, we asked Ezra what advice he’d give to the next kid walking into a club like Bilborough. His response was simple, sincere, and arguably the mantra that’s driven his own rise:
“Keep going man. What I’ve realised in life is that the people that make it and the people that don’t, comes down to consistency. It doesn’t matter about your talent, how much you have around you or what you’ve done - it's about your ability to keep going and that on its own is the key and that’s what I hold close to my heart, that’s why I’m here today and its why you’ll see me be successful, prevailing tomorrow and going forth.”
The UK has one of the most promising up and coming fighters not just in Nottingham but in the world and that’s Ezra Taylor. Ezra Taylor has the type of star power that can lead a generation. The way he lives, his beliefs, the way he trains, how consistent his work ethic is!
A coach's dream
A big talking point going into the fight was Ezra Taylor’s decision to part ways with Angel Fernández - a respected coach who had guided him through the first 11 fights of his professional career. In place of Fernández, Ezra joined forces with Malik Scott, a move that raised eyebrows across the industry. While Scott was a familiar face in Boxing - a former heavyweight contender turned coach - his stint training Deontay Wilder was widely criticised following the painful unravelling of the former heavyweight force.
But for Ezra, the switch had little to do with public perception and everything to do with personal growth.
During a break in America, he had spent time visiting gyms simply to learn, observe, and soak up knowledge from different corners of the sport. It was on this trip that he met Malik Scott, and the two quickly formed a bond.
What began as informal sessions soon developed into a deeper trust and understanding - and by the time Ezra returned to the UK, Scott had become the central figure in his team.
We spoke with Malik on the Thursday night of fight week, where he was leading a masterclass training session for the youths at Bilborough Community ABC. He reflected on how his and Ezra’s relationship began and why, his view, Ezra represents one of the most exciting talents he had ever worked with.
“The UK has one of the most promising up and coming fighters not just in Nottingham but in the world and that’s Ezra Taylor. Ezra Taylor has the type of star power that can lead a generation. The way he lives, his beliefs, the way he trains, how consistent his work ethic is!”
On what we can expect of Ezra moving forward:
“You can expect Ezra to be a pure professional. This has been a mantra in our camp the last few months: 'like a professional'. Perform like a professional, when it’s finish time, finish like a professional. What do we mean by that? We mean act like you’ve done this and you’ve been here before when you get a guy hurt, act like you’ve done this when you’re tracking a guy down. Act like you’ve done this when its time to go finish a guy. At times, in the past, Ezra has come up with his chin high, a little anxious and getting a little wild when he wants to get guys out of there, and my job - when I saw and observed - was to drill him when he’s tired, when he’s fatigued and make him be disciplined in order to keep his cool, keep his chin down and still operate at an elite level.”
And what would be one take-away for a young kid here at Bilborough ABC?
“That God and discipline is everything! It's not your talent or technique level… believe in what you do, believe in the craft and you commit yourself and when you leave this gym Boxing is not done but you take Boxing home with you and study it.”

In the fight
From the opening bell Ezra Taylor didn’t settle right away. Trying a little too hard to make a statement, he threw a big right hand in the opening stages as he looked to stamp his authority early. Troy Jones, composed and aggressive, responded by crowding Taylor on the ropes and getting to work on the body. Jones' confidence grew as the round wore on, forcing Taylor into uncomfortable positions.
Jones continued to target the body in the second, landing a clean left as Taylor looked to negotiate his range. While Taylor slipped and weaved, he was yet to stamp his authority on the contest.
By the third, Taylor began to find his jab - a shift that started to change the rhythm. Yet even with flashes of class on the front foot, Jones was having the better success inside the pocket, especially when the two stood toe-to-toe.
In the fourth, Taylor stepped up. A tidy combination punctuated the round and shifted momentum more steadily in his favour. He began to relax, started to find his shots, and - crucially - landed the cleaner work. Jones bled, but refused to back down, continuing to dig in with determination and bursts of pressure.
Taylor’s left hook became a key weapon in the fifth, though Jones remained game, every time he opened up, he was punished by Taylor’s superior timing and hand speed.
Jones continued to press in the middle rounds, covering well and enjoying a strong seventh, where he pushed Taylor onto the ropes and forced him to bite down. Taylor responded in the eighth, landing a sharp combination that shifted momentum back in his favour. The contest remained close, competitive, and full of grit on both sides.
The ninth slowed until the closing seconds, when a flurry of shots from both men lit up the arena. Taylor landed a right hand that stunned Jones, but the bell interrupted what could have developed into something more explosive.
In the tenth and final round, Taylor pressed forward, letting his hands go with increasing fluidity - the combinations flowing as he attempted to close the show.
The final bell ended a compelling scrap, and the judges confirmed a clear victory: 97-94, 99-91, and 100-90, all in Taylor’s favour.
It wasn’t perfect. There were tough moments, patches of pressure, and spells where Troy Jones asked questions. But Ezra proved that even on tricky nights, he can find the answers.
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