Home Boxing News Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall postponed after the champion injured his knee

Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall postponed after the champion injured his knee

Former undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor

Undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh ‘The Tartan Tornado’ Taylor 18-0 (13) has been forced to withdraw from his mandatory title defence against Jack ‘El Gato’ Catterall 26-0 (13) after suffering a knee injury in training.

The WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF 140-pound champion was scheduled to defend all four belts for the first time against undefeated English southpaw Catterall at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland on December 18.

The bout has now been pushed back to February 26 at the same venue.

The fight will be Taylor’s first in his home country since he defeated Ivan Baranchyk in the semi-final of the World Boxing Super Series in May 2019.

“I take my boxing 100 per cent seriously and professionally and I want to make sure that I’m in best shape possible to keep my belts,” the 30-year-old Taylor, also a southpaw, said in a statement.

“I wanted to make sure I was 100 per cent healthy to give my incredible fans the show they deserve.

“This homecoming has been a long time in the making and it will be worth the wait.”

Catterall was disappointed with the delay but to a pragmatic approach to the news.

“Everything happens for a reason!” he said. “I am gutted not just for me but for everyone who had planned to go.

“I will remain professional and continue working for the new date.

“2022, I will be world champion. Obstacles like this are nothing new for me. I will turn frustration into positive energy.”

Taylor shot to stardom by winning the World Boxing Super Series in 2019. He stopped the undefeated Ryan Martin in the quarterfinal, outpointed IBF champ Baranchyk in the semi-final and scored a majority decision victory over previously undefeated American and WBA champion Regis Prograis in the final.

Taylor parlayed that success into a rare four-belt unification bout against WBC and WBO champion Jose Carlos Ramirez 26-1 (17) at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada in May this year.

The fight was evenly contested through the first five rounds before Taylor broke through to drop Ramirez in the sixth and seventh rounds. He came on strong in the back half of the fight although the judges’ scorecard didn’t reflect his dominance. All three judges scored that bout 114-112, meaning it would have be ruled a draw without the knockdowns.

Catterall was Taylor’s WBO mandatory but accepted step aside money to allow the Taylor-Ramirez fight to proceed with a guarantee he would get the first shot at the winner.

Taylor, who has flagged a move up to welterweight after the Catterall fight, expressed his dismay at the fight being delayed on Twitter: “I’m gutted & frustrated that my fight on the December 18th has been postponed. I’ve picked up an injury in training which has forced to put the fight back.

“I take my boxing 100% seriously and professionally and I want to make sure that I’m in best shape possible to keep my belts.”