Josh Taylor left with legacy dreams shattered after world title defeat by Teofimo Lopez

Josh Taylor had the WBO super-lightweight world title ripped from his grasp and his legacy dreams shattered by the brilliance of hometown hero Teofimo Lopez at the Theater inside Madison Square Garden.

On a night when the American former unified lightweight champion outworked his foe with mastery of footwork to earn a thoroughly deserved unanimous decision, the fight ought to have been scored wider than two of the judges marked the bout.

The venue in the heart of Manhattan – a sell-out record gate with over 5,000 fans crammed into the space – generated a bear pit of an atmosphere and a wall of noise within which the home fighter excelled with a prizefighting masterclass, bamboozling Taylor time and again with speed, power and movement. The judges Steve Gray and Joe Pasquale scored the bout 115-113 – seven to five in rounds – while Benoit Roussel marked his card with nine rounds for Lopez to return 117-111. That was closer to the mark. Lopez deserved eight rounds at the very least with Telegraph Sport scoring the contest 116-112 to the American.

Time and again, Lopez made the pair dance to his tune, once he had absorbed the pressure of fighting Taylor in the opening rounds. Once into his rhythm, Lopez found angles for his heavy right hands, and rocked Taylor several times, notably late in the fight, when he came close to stopping the Scotsman in the closing minutes of the contest.

“I’ve got no excuses,” admitted Taylor in the aftermath. “The better man won tonight. I fought to the best of my ability. He was better than me tonight. It is what it is. Congratulations to Teofimo. I thought it was a close fight. I’d love to do it again. I definitely know I’m better than that, and I know I can beat him still. I’d love to do it again. But he’s the champ, so the ball is in his court.”

Taylor, 32, tasted defeat for the first time in his career after a ring absence of more than 15 months. Taylor had not boxed since his controversial 12-round, split-decision triumph over Jack Catterall in Glasgow, Scotland.

“The layoff had nothing to do with it. I’ve got no excuses,” admitted Taylor. “He was the better man tonight. I think I will probably be moving up to welterweight now. But, no excuses. He was the better man tonight.”

No question. This was a study in the very best from Lopez after a tough start for the home fighter from Brooklyn who eased into the fight in the third round showing terrific speed of movement, and heavy hands as he out-thought and out-fought Taylor, setting the pattern for the fight. Lopez had great success with his right-handed attacks, opening his arsenal to more body shots and occasional uppercuts as his dominance grew as the fight wore on. Lopez built his lead, and continued to display his skills. Try as he might, and Taylor gave everything, there was to be no turning the tide on Lopez, whose focus never left him.

Taylor fought back in the 10th, bravely so, but in fairness rarely budged the American throughout the contest, as the home fighter’s fans grew delirious as he weaved, danced and showboated at times, combining toughness, ring savvy and mesmerising skill.

Even after Taylor had tried to rally with that strong 10th stanza, Lopez took ascendancy again powerfully in the 11th and 12th championship rounds. Clearly ahead in the bout, Lopez went for a knockout in the closing minutes of the fight, Taylor clinging on with just his grit and pride, shipping heavy punches to head and body that were clearly denting him as his reserves and strength sapped away.

Lopez, 25 years old, looked supreme in this performance, unlike the fighter who had struggled against Spain’s Sandor Martin, to defeat by split decision last December at Madison Square Garden.

Lopez said afterwards: “It’s been a long time coming. We just beat the No 1 guy. The lineal world champion. The former undisputed world champion.”

Lopez, addressing Taylor directly afterwards – and referring to his comments pre-fght that he wanted “to kill” his opponent – took back his dark words: “I think I let my emotions get the best of me. I do not want to take your life. I want to you to go back to your family. I apologise as a man.

He added: “Josh Taylor is a tough dude. I can see why he beat so many fighters. But you’ve got to counter the counterpuncher. You’ve got to outsmart the man and get in there. And I did that. I think I did enough. This is what it is all about. I questioned myself for a good reason. You guys don’t understand. I’ve always been my worst critic. And you guys got a little glimpse of it. But I’ve just got to ask you one thing, and one thing only. Do I still got it?”

Where Taylor goes from here after his first career defeat in his 20th fight remains to be seen. The Scotsman had been scheduled to face fellow Briton Catterall for a second time, in February and then in March, this year, delayed by injury before the second meeting was cancelled, when this fight with Lopez was ordered by the World Boxing Organisation. Taylor, as he suggested, may now move up a division to welterweight, but will let the dust settle before any firm decisions are made with his promoters, Bob Arum’s Top Rank.

Taylor: Lopez wants to kill me but I will retire him in his own backyard

Josh Taylor is no stranger to a fractious pre-fight atmosphere but the Scotsman’s experience for the most important fight of his career has been more than attritional because his opponent wants to kill him.

From accusations of “gym spying” to countless statements of wanting to end Taylor’s life, Brooklyn-based Teofimo Lopez has not held back ahead of their WBO light-welterweight title bout at Madison Square Garden in the Big Apple on Saturday night.

But despite the back and forths over microphones following endless weeks of trash talk, Taylor is on a mission to make the American “pay for his words” inside the ring.

“It’s a legacy moment for me fighting here in New York,” 32-year-old Taylor told Telegraph Sport yesterday, looking razor sharp in workouts, extremely lean physically, and ready for battle. Taylor will need to be at his best as he breaks a 16-month absence from the ring after defending his belts in a controversial fight last year against Jack Catterall.

But the biggest – and ugliest – talking point all week has been Lopez shooting from the hip that he wants “to kill” Taylor in the ring. “I said it like it is... I want to kill Josh Taylor,” Lopez said in a podcast interview last month. Nor was it the first time he had said it, either. In a link-up by video between the pair for a television programme ‘Trash Talk’ a week earlier, in which I had been involved as an interviewer, Lopez had clearly said he wanted to end Taylor’s life.

At Thursday’s news conference, Lopez was at it again. “People are like, ‘get back to boxing.’ Well... that is boxing. This is what we sign up for,” said Lopez. Firstly quoting former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, Lopez then reiterated his references to life-ending damage. “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face, shoutout to Mike Tyson,” said Lopez. “I have a quote of my own – I just made it up yesterday. It says, ‘Aim for death, for that’s where life begins.’”

Taylor looked bemused, and simply replied “no comment” at the news conference. Speaking with Telegraph Sport, Taylor outlined his views on the distasteful comments. “All this talk does for me is give me more fire in my belly, more desire to give him a real doing, a real pasting and really hurt him. I feel I’m going to knock him out or retire him.

“It really motivates me to put some pain on him and punish him for what he’s been saying. I really don’t need motivation for this fight, but with him saying things like that, it gives you that little bit extra. He’s going to pay for those words.”

Taylor has an alter-ego himself – a character known as ‘Hank’ – who materialises just days before he steps into the ring and who homes in with vitriol on his rival. ‘Hank’ emerged briefly at the news conference. Taylor exchanged words with Lopez as they prepared for the face-off photo opportunity, but Taylor found himself held back by a New York City police officer who had been drafted in to maintain decorum during the proceedings.

“Look, I would not have put my hands on Lopez because I wouldn’t want a 500 grand fine,” explained Taylor. “But I got close enough to see his eyes and that there are nerves in him. I’m relishing the first bell now, and putting an end to all the talk.”

Taylor aims to dedicate his performance to the late, great Ken Buchanan, a childhood hero for the boxer from Prestonpans, close to Buchanan’s birthplace. Buchanan passed away last month. Taylor, the first Scotsman to claim an undisputed championship since Buchanan 50 years ago, will be making his debut at Madison Square Garden, where Buchanan fought five times, the most memorable the defeat of Ismael Laguna in a stirring triumph in 1971.

“This is regarded as “the mecca of boxing”, and it’s a legacy moment for me in my career,” explained Taylor. “I won the undisputed title in Las Vegas, and I’m fighting in big contests away from home like Ken did. Now I’m going back to Madison Square Garden where he won most of his big fights, so when I win it’ll be one to tell the grandkids about – following in the footsteps of one of Scotland’s greatest.” Taylor’s shorts on the night will bear a sartorial tribute to Buchanan. “I’ve done it as that I couldn’t make his funeral and I wanted to pay him respect. He has been an inspiration for me since I was a boy.”

Taylor, acclimatising in Manhattan for the last two weeks, has had a secretive camp with astute trainer Joe McNally in the gym being used in New York, with no visitors. “Lopez is from just over the water in Brooklyn, so we’ve kept cameras away from doing interviews there. It’s one of those things where you trust no one. They’ve been very accommodating, welcomed us with open arms, but we just don’t trust anyone and we’ve kept the doors closed.”

“Everything has gone to plan. This is a very proud moment for me and a very special moment for me. I’m preparing for the guy who beat [Vasiliy] Lomachenko, the best version of Lopez, but my plan is to win, and if it’s there, to stop him and retire him on his stool,”

Taylor told me, with steely eyes. “I’m in the Lion’s Den. I know that. This is basically Lopez’s backyard, but I’m going to kick his backside, put his tail between his legs and send him home to think again.”