How long have we been waiting now for the rematch between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall? More to the point, how long has Catterall been made to wait for the rematch? It really does seem an age ago now when underdog Catterall stunned defending four-belt 140 pound champ Taylor in Glasgow, with Catterall doing everything apart from get the decision on the night of February 26, 2022.
Taylor says he had an off-night that night, but the rematch, the chance for both fighters to “put it to bed,” has not come. Now, speaking with Boxing Social, Catterall says that if the fight doesn’t happen in the new year, “then we forget about it.” Using some choice language, Catterall, beaten only by Taylor (officially at least) said that if he doesn’t get Taylor, there will be plenty of other big fights for him coming up in the future. One of these fights, Catterall hopes, will be a shot at Saturday’s winner between defending WBC 140 pound champ Regis Prograis and former lightweight king Devin Haney (Catterall says he is just siding with Haney to get the win).
“The British fight fans, the people are asking for it all the time, and I think that if it doesn’t happen now it’ll never happen,” Catterall said when speaking about the rematch he has long since grown weary of calling for. “We get it on in the new year, or we forget about it. Josh will forever be known as the guy who robbed me of world titles, and I’ll be known as the guy that got robbed. But it’d be nice to put it to bed. It’s become personal. We almost had the fight done last year and he pulled out, he stubbed his toe. Yeah [my career is not defined by that fight or by him], f**k Josh Taylor. I’m here and I’m fighting and there’s gonna be some big fights ahead.”
If ever a fighter was deserving of a rematch with a fighter who so controversially defeated him, it’s Catterall, 28-1(13). However, Taylor, 19-1(13) recently outlined his plans and they are as follows: three fights next year, up at 147, with the Catterall rematch coming towards the end of 2024, this after Taylor has won a belt at welterweight. Will Catterall be willing to wait that long? Should Catterall have to wait that long, and what happens if he does wait, but then Taylor, for whatever reason, doesn’t fight him? Talk about frustrating, for Catterall and for his fans, and for Taylor fans also.
As Catterall says, if this rematch doesn’t happen soon, it very probably will never happen. And what a shame that would be.
