Why was Josh Taylor arrested in 2019? Looking at the Scottish boxer's nightclub debacle in Edinburgh

Josh Taylor is poised to square off against Jack Catterall in a non-title rematch. The highly anticipated 12-round showdown is scheduled to take place this Saturday at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England.

The first meeting between the two boxers took place in February 2022 in Glasgow, where Taylor defended his undisputed super lightweight title. The fight ended amid controversy, with 'The Tartan Tornado' being declared the winner via a split decision, despite suffering a knockdown in the eighth round. Many fans believed that Catterall had displayed a superior performance that night.

While Taylor is widely recognized as one of the most esteemed Scottish boxers, it's lesser-known that the 33-year-old from Prestonpans pleaded guilty to racially abusing an Asian nightclub bouncer in December 2019.

The former unified champion was arrested by Edinburgh police after launching a drunken, profanity-filled tirade at a nightclub doorman. Reportedly, Taylor insulted the bouncer with derogatory terms, calling him "a gay-looking c*nt" after being removed from the Shanghai club following an altercation.

Taylor pleaded guilty to charges of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner in Edinburgh Sheriff Court and was fined £350 (approximately $444). He also faced accusations of possessing the Class A drug cocaine at an Edinburgh police station but pleaded not guilty to these charges.

'The Tartan Tornado' held the undisputed super lightweight titles from May 2021 until May 2022. Taylor the IBF title by defeating Ivan Baranchyk in 2019. He further solidified his status by unifying the division later that year with a victory over WBA champion Regis Prograis.

In 2021, Taylor's impressive journey continued as he outpointed Jose Ramirez to claim the WBC and WBO belts, cementing his status as the undisputed four-belt champion.

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What prompted Josh Taylor to vacate his undisputed titles?

Josh Taylor relinquished his IBF, WBA, and WBC belts following his contentious bout against Jack Catterall.

'The Tartan Tornado' chose not to engage with WBA mandatory challenger Alberto Puello and WBC mandatory contender Jose Zepeda, prioritizing higher-profile matchups instead. Additionally, he expressed dissatisfaction with the financial strain of paying the sanctioning fees required for defending multiple titles.

Last June, Taylor lost his WBO and The Ring super lightweight titles to Teofimo Lopez via a unanimous decision.