Josh Taylor admits that this time two years ago he wasn’t fully focused on Jack Catterall.
The British southpaw was undefeated and earned his position as the WBO’s mandatory challenger for one of Taylor’s four junior welterweight titles. Upsetting Taylor would’ve changed Catterall’s career because that win would’ve made him boxing’s undisputed 140-pound champion and a sudden star in the United Kingdom.
Taylor conversely conceded that Catterall represented just another opponent he had to get through to secure the types of higher-profile fights he truly wanted, namely a shot at unbeaten WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford. Scotland’s Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs) believes he prepared and performed accordingly against Catterall (28-1, 13 KOs), who just as easily could’ve been declared the winner of a back-and-forth fight Taylor won by split decision in February 2022 at OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.
The 33-year-old Taylor told IFL TV during a recent interview that he’ll take a much more disciplined approach to their rematch, assuming a deal is finalized for the fight Taylor and Catterall both want next.
“I’m already one up, but this time I’ll be prepared,” Taylor said. “And I won’t be making the mistake looking over my opponent this time, which is what I done the last time. That was my mistake I made.”
Catterall came prepared to make history when he challenged Taylor.
He dropped Taylor early in the eighth round, when the English underdog appeared to start taking control. Taylor got up from that knockdown, though, and overcame a point deduction for hitting Catterall after the bell sounded to end the 11th round to win on two scorecards.
Judges Ian-John Lewis (114-111) and Victor Loughlin (113-112) scored Taylor the winner. Judge Howard Foster scored it 113-112 for Catterall, who also had a point deducted by referee Marcus McDonnell for holding during the 10th round.
Taylor and Catterall were scheduled to fight again last March 4. Their rematch was postponed late last January after Taylor sustained a foot injury while training.
Their rematch wasn’t rescheduled last year because the WBO ordered Taylor to fight its mandatory challenger, Teofimo Lopez. Las Vegas’ Lopez upset Taylor by unanimous decision to win the only title Taylor still held entering their June 10 bout in The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Taylor wants another crack at Lopez, too, but not before he faces Catterall again.
“I just wanna settle the score,” Taylor said. “I’m already one up anyway. You know, and I don’t give a f— what anybody says. You know, I thought that I did just enough to win the fight. I’ve said it numerous times, that it could’ve went either way. You know, if it would’ve went to him I would’ve had no complaints. But the judges obviously saw it and went in my direction due to his tactics. You know, due to his spoiling and holding and carrying on. You know, I thought I was in a wrestling match at times. So, I thought I did just enough to win the fight.
“If it would’ve went to Jack, fair enough. I would’ve had no complaints, either, because it was a close fight. But the way he’s carried on after the fight, you know, I’ve never met someone who cried so much and whined so much like that whole team, just unbelievable. You know, I’ll get stick again for this, for saying this, and, ‘Oh, he believes he won the fight.’ But yeah, yeah I do, yeah so you can say what you f——- want. I don’t give a sh!t.”
By Keith Idec