A long-awaited rematch between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall will finally commence on Saturday once the bitter rivals square off at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, United Kingdom.
In 2022, then-undisputed super lightweight champion Taylor sneaked by with a split-decision victory against Catterall.
Catterall outlanded Taylor 120 to 73, leading many to believe he won.
An immediate sequel wasn’t in the cards, however, as Taylor dropped his share of titles and pivoted away from a planned February 2023 rematch that never materialized because he suffered a torn plantar fascia.
Instead of moving forward with Catterall (28-1, 13 KOs), Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs) fought and lost his WBO 140-pound crown to Teofimo Lopez Jr. in June.
Taylor finally refocused on Catterall this year, and the fight was announced for April 27. But on March 14, it was revealed that Taylor suffered an eye injury that required a procedure.
Alas, both fighters appear to be ready for their May 25 showdown.
“It's a big fight in the UK. I am motivated for this fight, and I don't particularly like the guy. I want to shut his mouth and put him back under his rock and move on with my career,” Taylor told BoxingScene.
“I want to close the negativity and the cloud of doubt that is hanging over me. I want to shut it down and put it to bed and move on.
“[The first fight] was a terrible performance, and that's being generous. It was crap. I need to improve on everything from that fight. That Josh Taylor will never show up as long as I box. I am going to destroy Jack Caterall in absolutely every single department.
“If he comes to engage a little bit more, then I can't see nothing else but a win for myself. I'm looking forward to it.
“I’m grinding my teeth to say that I am still here as one of the top dogs.”
“The Tartan Tornado” Taylor, 33, looked like a shell of himself against Lopez during his unanimous decision loss last summer.
The southpaw slugger is looking to have a dominant performance against Caterall to set himself up for a rematch against Lopez as well.
“That's a fight I would like to do again in the future because I believe that the best of me is beating Teofimo Lopez,” said Taylor. “I've been in there with better fighters. I've been in there with guys that are more clever than him and whack harder than him as well. Me fighting on all cylinders, I beat the guy.
“The first three rounds were going my way and then the old legs went and I was tired. I didn't get a second wind. He was better than me on the night. The better man won. I always fancied fighting Teofimo Lopez, and at the Madison Square Garden against another top fighter for a world title. So it was a dream ticked off in the bucket list. It didn't go my way, but it was still a good experience in my life and career.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
