NOTTINGHAM, England — In a battle of unbeaten light heavyweights, Ezra Taylor found his rhythm early and produced a career-best decision win to beat former English champion Troy Jones, setting up a long-awaited showdown with British and Commonwealth titlist Lewis Edmondson.

While the contest felt far more competitive than the three scorecards will show on this instance — 97-94, 100-90, 99-91 — Taylor (12-0, 8 KOs) won the vacant WBA Continental Gold championship and will feel vindicated after an impressive showing in his first fight under head trainer Malik Scott.

This was the second of three title fights on Queensberry's 12-fight card at Motorpoint Arena in the East Midlands, headlined by Anthony Cacace vs. Leigh Wood televised worldwide on DAZN.

Edmondson (11-0, 3 KOs) was among the interested audience ringside, and during the undercard admitted he was rooting for Taylor.

"There's a lot of hype around him for knocking out a few taxi drivers and I don't see it. For Troy to come and take something from me, when I want to be the man to show everybody he's not that great, I'd be upset.

"I'm very interested to see Ezra in a fight where the guy is throwing punches and actually trying to win. We haven't," he told Dev Sahni.

Well, you can't accuse him of that any longer after this character-building victory.

Taylor stabbed to the body early, Jones (12-1, 6 KOs) fired back with a combination as they exchanged body shots and the younger man drew first blood, stinging him back to the ropes midway through the opening stanza.

Taylor came out swinging with bad intentions to start the second, Jones partially blocking his work on the inside as both successfully attacked downstairs.

"He's tired already," was the cry from Lee Beard in Jones' corner midway through a round where both had their moments, referee Bob Williams pre-emptively separating them at the bell as they exchanged glances a little too long for his liking.

Taylor's uppercuts were working well in the third, his right hand starting to land more frequently, and the 30-year-old's overall shape was better, too. He couldn't afford to play into Jones' tactics, though the former English titleholder gamely fired back at every turn.

Bubbling up nicely through three rounds, Jones was guilty of standing square a little too long and allowed Taylor to tee off in the early part of the fourth. "Back on your jab," was the cry from some of his team ringside, as Taylor swiveled and his comfort level steadily grew, evidenced by an uppercut combination and screw jab followed.

Jones sighed and stretched his jaw again as he trudged back to the corner, no doubt aware he'd be lectured after allowing Taylor ample opportunity to find his rhythm in the previous round, wearing damage across the lower half of his face.

Taylor connected on a beautiful left a minute into the fifth, Jones replying with a series of flurries as both had successful sequences during another bruising round.

They exchanged big shots midway through the sixth, the referee warning Jones for leading with his arm and elbow before Taylor finished the round furiously, connecting on a right that would've sent many into retreat.

Into the seventh they went, Jones' corner unhappy with Taylor engaging in the clinch and smothering the younger man's work — whether intentional or not — was keeping their exchanges at a more steady pace. He even finished the round strong enough to showboat, albeit briefly, on the ropes next to his corner after landing a power combo stirring the crowd.

That was again the case deep in the eighth, Taylor teeing off and wobbling the champion with a powerful sequence before Jones dug down to the body and did the same in his corner. If they were going to engage in a straight shootout as far as power was concerned, Taylor would be the clear favourite and that was playing out as expected here.

He stung Jones in the ninth, then had the Birmingham resident's head snapping back at close range in the final frame as the fight still conceivably hung in the balance. If it was, that jeopardy didn't linger long as Taylor pierced through the 26-year-old's defences again on a night he'll look back at fondly.