Promoter Eddie Hearn hasn’t given up on a rematch between his boxer Jack ‘El Gato’ Catterall and former undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh ‘The Tartan Tornado’ Taylor 19-1 (13).
In February last year the 30-year-old Lancashire southpaw pushed Scottish lefty Taylor, 32, to the brink of his first defeat when he lost a razor-thin decision for the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF world titles by scores of 113-112, 114-111 and 112-113 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Taylor was cut over the right eye, knocked down in the eighth and deducted one point in the 11th for punching after the bell, while Catterall was docked one point for excessive holding in the 10th.
Efforts to put together a rematch have so far failed. In March a scheduled second fight between the pair fell through when Taylor suffered a foot injury. He was forced to face his WBO mandatory Teofimo ‘The Takeover’ Lopez 19-1 (13) in his next fight once he had recovered from his injury, a bout he lost by unanimous decision at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden in June.
Catterall returned to action on Saturday night with a comfortable 12-round points win over 38-year-old Venezuelan veteran Jorge ‘The Last Samurai’ Linares 47-9 (29) at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England on Saturday night.
After the fight Catterall made it clear he wants the opportunity to avenge his lone professional loss.
“Taylor, where are ya?” Catterall said after the 117-111, 116-112 and 116-112 victory over the former three-weight world champion. “Let’s ‘ave it, you shithouse.”
Catterall has the blessing of his promoter Hearn, who cited the success of recent domestic fights between Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington and Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr as a reason the timing is right for the Taylor rematch to happen now.
“When you look at the success of a Wood-Warrington or Smith-Eubank, the big British fights work and the Jack Catterall vs Josh Taylor rematch works,” the Matchroom Boxing boss told iFL TV.
“In Glasgow or Manchester. And if we can’t get the winner of Devin Haney against Regis Prograis [for Catterall], I think that is the fight to make. I think we can schedule that fight now.
“We’ve already had, not really negotiations with Top Rank, but conversations with them. I think they are up for pursuing that fight. I’m not sure of the other opportunities that Josh Taylor has.”
The five-foot-ten Taylor has long flirted with a move up to welterweight but has yet to make the jump. Hearn suggested meeting the former WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF 140-pound champion at a catchweight.
“It would have to be a catchweight,” Hearn said. “I don’t think Jack would go up to 147. But Josh should be comfortable with that. And next week we’ll start deeper conversations with Top Rank about the possibility of making that fight.
“I don’t want to talk on his behalf but it depends on the number. 142, 143, 144, don’t know. But I think there’s no championship on the line. It’s not an undisputed championship, but you don’t want to give your advantage away because Jack is at 140 pounds.”
Taylor was less than complimentary about Catterall’s performance against the ageing Linares, particularly his inability to knock him out.
“38 year old, lost his last 4 fights, he couldn’t finish Darragh Foley [in his last fight] but, it’s a great win!” Taylor posted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
“Couldn’t finish a Sunday roast.”
