Why do they call Josh Taylor the ‘Tartan Tornado’? The story behind the nickname
As the Scottish prize fighter prepares to take on the heavily hyped American, we’re taking a look at exactly what the story is behind his patriotic nickname.
Among the best boxers in the world today, the Scotsman comes into this massive bout following a rather controversial fight against Jack Catrell by split decision. Now facing perhaps the toughest challenge of his career so far, here’s some interesting background on his career and of course, his nickname.
Follow live the clash between Josh Taylor & Teófimo López
The Tartan Tornado: What’s the story of Josh Taylor’s nickname?
Currently, the light-welterweight world champion, Josh Taylor is set to take on Teofimo Lopez this Saturday, and by the looks of things he’s going to have hands full. On the other hand, we’re talking about a fighter who has got pedigree and then some. Having previously held the unified WBA (Super), WBC, and IBF titles between 2019 and 2022, Taylor is also a former Commonwealth light-welterweight champion (held from 2016 to 2017). Even as an amateur, it was clear that he was destined for greatness after winning the lightweight silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and light-welterweight gold at the 2014 edition.
So, what’s the deal with the Scotsman’s nickname: ‘The Tartan Tornado’? On an undefeated record of 19-0, the 32-year-old is by far one of Scotland’s best offerings to the world of boxing in the modern era. With that in mind, his country is very much behind him and that’s something he not only appreciates but openly promotes which is what brings us to his moniker. If you didn’t know, Tartan refers to the criss-cross pattern on woolen cloth, which the Scots are famous for wearing as kilts. It’s worth noting that each tartan is in fact unique as they are a representation of the clan from which they come. For each of his fights, Taylor has sports trunks with the pattern of his clan. As for the ‘tornado’ part of his nickname, it refers to his fighting style. Indeed, the Scotsman is known for a stand-and-trade approach to boxing i.e., he loves to land a flurry of blows on his opponents.
What to expect from Josh Taylor against Teofimo Lopez?
In truth, this one is going to be epic. Though Lopez does not appear to be the same fighter that shocked the world when he defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020, at 25-years old the American is in his prime and hungry to return to the top. A fighter who has demonstrated a high fight IQ, he is going to pose a real problem for Taylor. On the other hand, we’ve already covered the fact that Taylor is not only a champion but undefeated. True it is that his last fight was less than convincing, but it would be a mistake to think that he’s not going to bring the heat in this one.