Boxing: Taylor ditches Finland plan for Olympic test event

Lochend boxer Josh Taylor’s plan to fly to Finland today have been ditched in favour of some ring action at the venue for next year’s London Olympics.

The light-welterweight had been scheduled to appear in Tampere at the Tammer Tournament but a surprise phone call from British Olympic boxing team coach Robert McCracken means he will now box in the Olympic test event at the ExCel centre, starting on Thursday.

“I am replacing the English guy I defeated last week in the British ABA championships in London, Danny Phillips,” said Taylor.

Meanwhile, Taylor’s Lochend middleweight colleague Tommy Philbin will travel to Tampere after securing time off from his job as a fishmonger.