IT was on, it was off, then it was back on again. After a fraught few hours of high drama on either side of the pond, it was confirmed yesterday that Josh Taylor would indeed have his maiden world title shot. His World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) semi-final against the big-hitting reigning IBF world super lightweight champion Ivan Baranchyk of Belarus was announced for May 18, on his home terrain of the SSE Hydro in Glasgow. Demand is expected to be high for the first bona fide world title bout since Ricky Burns surrendered his WBA belt at this weight class to Julius Indongo in April 2017.

Yet just after midnight last night, all bets seemed to be off. Reports from the USA, featuring quotes from a member of the Belarusian’s entourage Dave McWater, said that his fighter was withdrawing from the competition. He cited ‘financial issues’, including late payment of his purse for his seventh-round knockout of Sweden’s Anthony Yigit in the quarter final, the bout which saw him claim the vacant IBF title in the first place. “We are definitely pulling out,” McWater was quoted as saying. “Ivan was supposed to fight Taylor in Glasgow in late May. That was what I was hearing but they haven’t spoken to any of us, not me, not [co-promoter] Lou [DiBella].”

A couple of swift and furious lawyers’ letters later, and WBSS were announcing the fight. While there were noticeably no quotes from Baranchyk himself the 26-year-old, who has fought all but three of his perfect 19 bouts in the USA rather than Belarus wouldn’t be the first world champion in history making waves about being forced to defend his title at the home of his challenger. “We saw the statement from his manager but we have received nothing from the fighter or his promoter about taking him out of the tournament,” Kalle Sauerland, the chief operating officer of Comosa AG, told the Herald. TThe contracts are water-tight.”

With a date and venue for the other semi-final, which sees Regis Prograis of the USA taking on Kiryl Relikh of Belarus to follow, Sauerland is delighted to be taking the fight back to Glasgow. With both men well capable of winning within the distance, it already has the look of one of the fights of the year. “I can’t think of a bigger fight in Scotland for a long time,” said Sauerland. “He [Baranchyk] is called the Beast and that is the way he fights. He puts it all on the line. He will be coming there to fight, a very big right hand, all action. Josh has his work cut out for him but he has shown how sleek and quick he is. People say it is the boxer against the fighter but Josh can bang a bit as well. It has fight of the year potential.”

“It is a childhood dream to become a world champion,” said Taylor. “Hopefully I can get the title in front of my family, friends and fans - that would be brilliant. I feel unbeatable in there.”