GLASGOW, Scotland — Much like Teofimo Lopez said himself a year before inflicting the Scotsman's first pro career defeat, Josh Taylor vowed to produce a new-and-improved version after disappointing displays at world-level of late.

Josh Taylor 2.0 at welterweight was extinguished before he had much chance to show new wrinkles, updates or adaptations after ending a year-long absence with another 12-round decision defeat.

Top Rank chief Bob Arum surprised many by declaring the Edinburgh-born southpaw had been unjustly done with "disgraceful" scorecards in his long-awaited Jack Catterall rematch 12 months ago.

Thankfully, Taylor (19-3, 13 KOs) departed here before there was an opportunity to interview him and ponder what's next after falling short as thousands of adoring home supporters willed him on.

Torn plantar fascia, lingering hand and wrist injuries from his undisputed title win over Jose Carlos Ramirez and a ''minor eye procedure" are just the ailments made public since Taylor scaled the mountaintop at 140 pounds four years ago. As such, this sharp decline should be no surprise.

Former WBO junior middleweight world champion Liam Smith, Taylor's gymmate under head trainer Joe McNally, was among the notable names watching ringside to witness a competitive contest.

Yet he, like many, came away unconvinced about what the future holds after seeing his ambitious agemate outpoint a faded version of a former world champion for a career-best scalp.

"Josh started well, Ekow took over from [round] seven onwards. It was a good fight to watch, but I thought Essuman ran away with it in the end," he told The Ring post-fight.

When it was put to him that Essuman remarked he was "all wrong" as a welcome to welterweight offering for Taylor, Smith made his stance clear.

"Maybe [he was], I think either Josh goes back to 140 or probably retires.

"If Ekow is the wrong opponent at 147 then Taylor's not a 147-pound fighter — no disrespect — he's a great domestic fighter, European level, but Josh is talking [of becoming a] two-weight world champion. If he can't beat Essuman, his future isn't there. Only he will know and make that decision with his family when the time is right."

That's a view also shared by his friend and former two-weight world champion-turned-analyst Carl Frampton, who was covering the event for DAZN. Moving back down to junior welterweight, where he boiled his body down throughout his decade-long pro career, seems like wishful thinking at this stage.

Taylor, sharp from the first bell, outlanded Essuman in three of the first four rounds and against lesser opposition could've chained together enough to overwhelm them in a fairytale homecoming finish.

Instead, the subsequent rainfall reinforced a gloomy Glasgow mood as the 34-year-old now needs some hard truths from his inner circle after believing he'd done enough to win another fight where he physically hadn't with any consistency.

Smith (33-5-1, 20 KOs) similarly finds himself in the midst of a two-fight losing streak for the first time in his own career and it felt eerie seeing him, Leigh Wood and recently-retired Sunny Edwards — all former world champions —

on site as spectators here.

While the in-form Anthony Cacace (24-1, 9 KOs) also was in attendance after powerfully proving earlier this month that he's ageing like fine wine into his mid-30s, not everyone can say the same.

"It's hard to explain. I had 19 months out but there wasn't anything wrong with my fitness or durability," Smith said on his performance in defeat by unbeaten contender Aaron McKenna last month.

"I didn't look like a shot fighter, moreso as if I didn't have any gears [to go through] and that makes you look like an old man, couldn't close the ring off quickly enough.

"I'll make a decision in the coming weeks, be back in the gym and if the phone goes where I get something [a fight offer] and think yeah, I'll have one last one. Lose and I'm done, win and I'll see where I'm at. I feel good, happy, regardless of everything — obviously gutted about the result, but injury-free after a horrendous two years."

Taylor had told BoxingScene this week that, whatever happens, he could retire tomorrow as a happy man having achieved undisputed status — standing alone as the only British man to do so.

"But I know in six, seven months down the line, I'd be 'I could have done more, got more out of it,' and that would really bug me."

Injury might have been the catalyst, but it seems increasingly clear two former world titleholders from the Rotunda gym have difficult career decisions forthcoming and it's an apt reminder, there's no shame in surrendering to Father Time.