Brad Rea has warned that Ezra Taylor could be at his most dangerous when they meet on the Buatsi vs Hutchinson 2 undercard this Saturday, insisting the March defeat to Willy Hutchinson may have changed the British light-heavyweight.
Rea is no stranger to the pressure that comes with a meaningful fight. He stopped Liam Cameron in the fourth round in Manchester in May, but he later admitted he was mixed in his emotions because he respected Cameron. That kind of mindset is part of why he is not taking Taylor lightly now, even if Taylor is coming in off a wide points loss.
Why Rea sees a different Ezra Taylor
Rea believes the timing of this fight matters. Taylor lost by wide points to Willy Hutchinson in March, and Rea thinks that kind of setback can force a boxer to go away and make serious changes. That is why he is not assuming he will face the same version of Taylor that has appeared before.
“I feel like this is a dangerous time to fight him, because I know how he’s feeling – I know how I was after my first loss; I know how I was after the Lyndon fight,” Rea said.
He added that fighters often spend far more time analysing a defeat than they do a win, which is why he is preparing for a different challenge.
“You go back and dissect your performance to an extent that you don’t really do when you win, so I can’t watch old Ezra Taylor fights and think that’s the version I’m going to get. For all I know, I’m going to get a completely different fighter on fight night,” he said.
Rea: the switch is easy to flick
Rea has also spoken openly about the divide between his normal personality and his mindset inside the ring. The 28-year-old said he does not enjoy doing harm, but that once the fight starts, he can switch instantly.
“I’m a nice kid – I don’t want to do harm to anyone – but when I get in that ring on fight night, I find it very easy to flick the switch,” he said.
He was even more direct when describing his job on the night.
“I’ve just got a job to do at the end of the day. Whoever’s in front of me, I’m trying to knock them unconscious. I might feel a little bit guilty afterwards, but so be it,” Rea said.
That clarity is part of what makes him sound so comfortable heading into this one. He does not need the theatre of dislike to be effective. For Rea, the focus is simple: perform, apply pressure and get the result.
Training away from home
Rea also used the build-up to break up his routine, spending a week training in Spain before returning home for the fight. He described the change of scenery as refreshing after repetitive camp life.
“It was nice to just break the camp up. I love my training, I love being in the gym, I love what I do … but it’s very repetitive sometimes, so it was nice to run down the beach instead of in the wind and rain over here,” he said.
The heat caught him out at first, but he felt the benefit by the end of the week.
“It was really hot out there as well, so the first session was a bit of a shock to the system. But I got used to it as the week went on and felt fitter than ever coming back home,” Rea said.
That may be the final detail that matters here. Rea believes he is in a good place physically, Taylor is coming in after a painful defeat, and both men know the stakes are real on a busy card this Saturday. If Taylor has reset himself, the fight could be far tougher than some expect. If not, Rea has made clear he thinks he can finish the job with little hesitation.
