Josh Taylor meets Jack Catterall at First Direct Arena in Leeds, England on Saturday, May 25. The pair squares off in the 12-round rematch at super lightweight. Following an open workout, at the final pre-fight press conference, the old rivals previewed their bout and went face to face.
Their first fight took place in February 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland. Taylor walked away with the win by split decision and retained his undisputed 140-pound title. In the eighth round Catterall secured a knockdown, but was deducted a point in the 10th round for holding. Taylor got a point deducted in the 11th round for punching after the bell. After 12 rounds, the scores were 114-111, 113-112 and 112-113.
Going through the ropes on May 25, Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs) looks to get back in the win column. The 33-year-old southpaw of Edinburgh, Scotland dropped a unanimous decision against Teofimo Lopez and lost world title last June in New York.
“I’m good, I’m enjoying the week, the press conference, all the media, it’s just another fight week and on Saturday it’s just another fight, Josh Taylor said. “I am looking forward to putting all this to bed and moving on with my career and proving that the last time was just an off night.”
“Look at the history of boxing, all the great fighters of the past have taken defeats and come back and won world titles again. Just because you take one defeat, it doesn’t mean you are a finished fighter.”
“I think that’s where boxing has taken a turn for the worse because when a fighter takes a loss everyone says ‘ah he’s finished’, and stuff like that, but in the UFC, there are fighters that have got 20 fights with ten losses but they are still at the top of the game and still fighting, just because you take a loss it doesn’t mean that you are a bad fighter. I still feel that I am at the top of the game and on Saturday, I take care of business and I am back in the picture and winning my titles back.”
“It’s been a long two years since the first fight. We’ve been talking about it, there’s been the delays and injuries, but my health comes first, it’s paramount. I’d like to say thank you to you guys when I said about the postponement, for getting it done nice and quickly and only making it four weeks later. I’m looking forward to it and I can’t wait for Saturday.”
“The last fight was a stinker from both of us. Jack was doing a lot of holding and spoiling, slowing the pace down, I was very poor as well. I believe the two of us can be a lot better and it will be a better fight for the fans. It’s going to be a barnstormer, we were in the arena on Monday and got a bit of a surprise, it’s right on top of you, so it’s going to be a great experience and atmosphere in there.”
Commenting on Catterall’s prediction “to take him out Saturday”, Taylor said: “Good. Let him think that”.
“If he wants to do that great, absolutely fantastic, music to my ears. I don’t care how I win this fight, by points or by stoppage, the way I have been performing in the gym, the shots I’ve been throwing and catching people with, if I catch him with these shots it will be over and devastating for him. But we’ll see what happens, it’s just a win for me. This is must-win, this is for bragging rights, this is to say ‘I told you I am better than you’, so I can’t wait.”
Jack Catterall: I thought I beat him & I thought I did it comfortably
Catterall (28-1, 13 KOs) targets his third straight victory. The British 30-year-old southpaw of Chorley, Lancashire won two of his previous bouts by unanimous decision against Jorge Linares and Darragh Foley last October and May, respectively.
“I’m ready now,” Jack Catterall said. “We’ve had the delays and the setbacks, but it’s fight week, we’re in Leeds, it’s exciting, I’ve done all the hard work and we’re two days away from fighting so it’s very real and I’m very much looking forward to it.”
“We both know what stands in front of us now. We’re fighting on Saturday, all the talking is done, we’ve had the build up and the fight is sold, obviously we don’t see eye to eye, and we’re both ready to make weight and fight now.”
“Like Joe [McNally] said, I watched the first fight and I didn’t rate it that much. I thought I beat him and I thought I did it comfortably. I think I under-performed, maybe Josh did as well, but we’ve prepared for the best version of Josh and I think over the last two years I’ve improved as a fighter, I’ve been in the gym, I’ve not stepped out of it, I’ve been learning and developing, taking myself away for sparring. I expect a better fight on Saturday. Emotions aside, I think I am the better fighter, and I am going to show that on Saturday night.”
“It’s must-win on Saturday and that’s what all my energy is focused on. I don’t want to talk about what is after this. I know you have a great division at 140lbs, there’s a lot of big fights to make and that’s an exciting prospect, but right now all I am thinking about is beating Josh on Saturday. I believe I can take him out on Saturday.”
Among the bouts featured on the Taylor vs Catterall 2 undercard, Irish southpaw Paddy Donovan (13-0, 10 KOs) faces British Lewis Ritson (23-3, 13 KOs) at welterweight. Cheavon Clarke (8-0, 6 KOs) and Ellis Zorro (17-1, 7 KOs) battle it out for the vacant British cruiserweight title. Gary Cully (17-1, 10 KOs) of Ireland and Francesco Patera (29-4, 11 KOs) of Belgium go toe-to-toe at lightweight.