Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall to Settle All in February Rematch!
World-ranked junior welterweight Jack Catterall (26-1, 13 KOs) has desperately sought a rematch with ex-undisputed champion Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs). Well, it looks like he will soon get his wish. According to ESPN, the two men have agreed to fight each other once again. February 4, 2023, is the targeted date, with the contest taking place in the UK.
Their first battle was one of the more talked about matches of this year. On February 26, 2022, Taylor defended the undisputed titles with a highly disputed split decision. Fighting on Taylor’s home turf of Glasgow, Scotland, Catterall complained that the champ was the beneficiary of a hometown gift.
Immediately after the bout, Taylor strongly suggested that it was his last fight at 140 and that he was moving up to the welterweight division. But days later, the 31-year-old announced that he would stay at junior welter for one more bout to fight Catterall again.
In the months following, Taylor has since vacated WBA, WBC, and IBF belts. As a result, Taylor – Catterall II will be for the WBO junior welterweight title. The champ also parted ways with trainer Ben Davidson and is now working with new trainer Joe McNally. Catterall has signed a multi-fight deal with BOXXER/Sky Sports.
RECAPPING THEIR PREVIOUS BATTLE
Catterall got off to an excellent start during their fight in February. He used his jab and subtle movement to confuse and frustrate Taylor to control the first half of the contest. In round eight, Catterall put Taylor down on the deck. “The Tartan Tornado” got up and rallied in the championship rounds, but many pundits felt that Catterall did enough earn the verdict.
Will a new voice in his corner help Taylor perform better the second time around? Can Catterall produce a more definitive result this time around? We will all find out in February 2023.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
