Josh Taylor hits out at ‘Mickey Mouse’ WBA super-lightweight title fight in Atlanta

Josh Taylor, the undisputed super light-weight world champion, with his fiancee Danielle Murphy during a press conference at the new Sports Direct flagship store on Oxford Street, London. Picture: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire

Josh Taylor has hit out at the WBA’s decision to schedule a title fight this weekend in his weight division.

Taylor’s win against Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas last month saw him crowned undisputed world champion in the super-lightweight division.

The unanimous points victory over the Mexican-American saw him add Ramirez’s WBO and WBC titles to his own WBA and IBF belts.

It is only the fifth time that a boxer has held all four main world title belts simultaneously.

However, a fight on Saturday night between Gervonta Davis and Mario Barrios in Atlanta is being billed as a WBA super-lightweight championship contest. Both Americans are unbeaten but Taylor is unimpressed.

“Mickey Mouse title,” he tweeted. “There’s only 1 champion at Light welterweight!”

Speaking at a press conference in London on Tuesday morning, he added: “How can there be a world title fight on Saturday in this division that doesn’t include me? Whoever wins on Saturday night can’t call themselves a world champion.”