Former RING and undisputed junior welterweight world champion Josh Taylor has today called time on his illustrious career, confirming on social media that advice from his doctors has prompted a decision he didn't want - retire or risk losing his eyesight.

The 34-year-old, who lost a competitive 12-round clash with Ekow Essuman on his welterweight debut May 24, has long struggled with various injuries over the past few years.

Couple that with inactivity and it's easy to see why this decision felt inevitable, although he found solace when reflecting on a '1 in 70 million career,' in reference to becoming Britain's first and only undisputed world titleholder.

In part of his lengthy statement, he wrote: "As has been publicised before, I've had a recurring issue with my eye that unfortunately means I now have to call time on my career or risk losing my eyesight. Whilst the fighter in me always wants to box on, I know I have to listen to the medical professionals and save me from myself. It is certainly not the way I wanted to bow out, but I have to listen to the doctors and those around me."

The Edinburgh-born southpaw made sure to thank Top Rank, Queensberry, his coaches and fans that supported him along the journey from Commonwealth champion to rarefied air that only ten others across all divisions have completed in the sport's four-belt era.

To put that into perspective, six of those eight active boxers are ranked in The Ring's current top-10 pound-for-pound list including undisputed heavyweight titlist Oleksandr Usyk after his 5th-round stoppage win over Daniel Dubois on Saturday night. The two active boxers who don't? Devin Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) and Jermall Charlo (34-0, 23 KOs).

Taylor achieved undisputed status at 140-pounds in May 2021, scoring a 12-round unanimous decision win over then-unified champion Jose Carlos Ramirez in Las Vegas.

The victory was his sixth against a previously-unbeaten opponent and solidified the Scotsman's standing as the division's best fighter at a time where exposure on British shores was in short supply, midway through the coronavirus pandemic worldwide.

He long discussed a potential move up to welterweight, seeking to challenge another divisional great in Terence Crawford - who later became undisputed at 147-pounds - though that aspiration remained a pipe dream as the physical decline of the 'Tartan Tornado' had begun.

Taylor only boxed four times after that triumphant night stateside, going 1-3, and the sole victory was a controversial 12-round split decision during his Glasgow homecoming against Jack Catterall nine months later.

Many felt he was second best against the Chorley man, who belatedly avenged defeat two years later, though others pointed to his hellacious championship run prior that would've aged him faster than most after a seven-year amateur career.

He scored stoppage wins over then-champion Ohara Davies, Miguel Vazquez, Wiston Campos and Ryan Martin as well as a 12-round wide points nod over Viktor Postol before earning his first championship challenge against Belarus' Ivan Berinchyk in May 2019.

We weren't to know it at the time, but two years and three fights - Regis Prograis, Apinun Khansong and Ramirez - later, he had peaked. There's no shame in that.