Why do they call Josh Taylor the ‘Tartan Tornado’? The story behind the nickname

The former undisputed king of 140lbs, the Scotsman comes into this rematch having lost all of his titles following a stinker against Teofimo Lopez. Now facing a do or die bout against the man who gave him the toughest fight of his life, here’s some interesting background on his career and of course, his nickname.

The Tartan Tornado: What’s the story of Josh Taylor’s nickname?

Josh Taylor is set to take on Jack Catterall this Saturday, and he will be desperate to silence the critics who say that he is washed up. We aretalking 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 a great record of 19-1, the 33-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 Jack Catterall?

In truth, this one is going to be a great fight. Jack Catterall gave Taylor all kinds of trouble the first time around and in the minds of many fight fans, should have walked away with the super lightweight world title. Not afraid to go shot for shot with anyone, he is going to pose a real problem for Taylor. On the other hand, we’ve already covered the fact that Taylor is a former world great. True he looked lackluster against Lopez, but he says that it was a blip, a momentary tiredness from taking the fight on a short camp and he is determined to set the record straight. It would be a mistake to think that he’s not going to bring the heat in this one.