Junior welterweight contender Jack ‘El Gato’ Catterall 26-1 (13) has effectively given up hope of ever securing a rematch with Josh ‘The Tartan Tornado’ Taylor 19-0 (13).
The oft-postponed second go round seems further away than ever after the WBO ordered their champion Taylor to commence negotiations for a fight with number one contender Teofimo Lopez 18-1 (13).
England’s Catterall, 29, lost a contentious split decision to the 32-year-old Taylor in an all-southpaw battle for the Scotsman’s WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF junior welterweight titles one year ago.
Taylor relinquished all of his titles bar the WBO belt to pursue a rematch with Catterall, but their most recent date fell through when he suffered a torn plantar fascia tendon in his heel.
Catterall opted to take a stay-busy in the interim and the WBO swiftly moved to order the Taylor-Lopez fight, a decision that has left Catterall frustrated once again.
“[Taylor] talked about sacrificing so much to make the fight happen. I believe the fight with Josh is big enough to happen without a world title,” Catterall told Sky Sports.
“If he’s that confident of beating me and then moving up to 147-pounds, fight me without a title. I’d be all open for that. But all of a sudden he’s staying at 140-pounds, he’s fighting Lopez for the WBO.
“It doesn’t make any sense to me. If he’s that confident of beating me and then moving up, let’s do it with no world title. I can’t put any more energy into Josh Taylor.
“I’ve lost all confidence in him now. Numerous times he’s pulled out the fight and this time was the cherry on top, pulling out the fight and then a week later announcing negotiations with another fighter at 140-pounds.
“I don’t like the sound of it so it’s time to focus on me. I’ve got a family to feed and I want to go and win world titles.”
The new target for Catterall is recently minted WBC champion Regis Prograis 28-1 (24), who has gone undefeated in four fights since his lone loss to Taylor via majority decision in October 2019.
“The talks are ongoing now. We’ve had communication with his team. I believe we’re not too far off,” Catterall said.
“As long as Regis is happy and accepts the fight I don’t think we’re a million miles away now. That fight between me and Prograis is a massive fight, WBC world title and it’s one that I want to get my hands on. So this is a message to Prograis: let’s get it on. I’m not ducking anyone, I’m coming directly to you.
“In an ideal world I beat Regis, Josh beats Lopez and we can get that fight on. That fight’s always going to be there with Josh. In an ideal world that is what we would like. But I’m not overconfident.
“I do think Lopez beats him. [In his last fight against Sandor Martin] Lopez didn’t look great but I’m backing Lopez to beat him.”
