As much as we’d all like to see bitter 140 pound rivals Jack Catterall and Josh Taylor go at it a third time, Catterall, who got his revenge over Taylor in last night’s thriller, is looking at a big fight with Teofimo Lopez. Last night’s UD win for Catterall – not one without controversy, the wide score cards currently being laid into by numerous people; Bob Arum most vocally – proved, as the 30 year old said himself “bittersweet,” as he didn’t become a world champion with the win.
As fans know, Catterall looked to have done enough to have beaten Taylor back in February of 2022, this in a fight that contested all the marbles at 140 pounds, but Taylor was instead awarded the decision. Now, Catterall has his revenge but he holds no belts.
The rubber-match with Taylor will seemingly always be there (and a clear, no arguments winner between these two will perhaps never be there), but southpaw Catterall wants Teofimo Lopez next.
As fans know, Lopez – who defeated Taylor to become WBO champ at 140 pounds – faces Steve Claggett next, in June. It’s fair to say plenty of fans were not at all thrilled when the Lopez-Claggett fight was announced, as Teo was expected to take bigger fights, against far bigger names. Eddie Hearn, speaking after his fighter Catterall’s win over Taylor, went as far as to say the Lopez-Claggett fight is a “f*****g disgrace.”
Should Lopez come through okay on June 29, and it would be a huge upset if he didn’t, it could be Catterall next for “The Takeover.” And for sure, we fans would tune in. If the fight took place in the UK, then even better for Catterall and his army of fans. Hearn is sure Catterall beats Lopez wherever the fight is held:
“This is the guy who Lopez should be fighting,” Hearn said of Catterall. “We believe he’ll beat him all day long.”
That might be a step too far, but again, we fans want to see this fight. And we want to see Catterall, 29-1(13) get another deserved shot at becoming a world champion. Whatever you think about the work done by the three judges last night in Leeds, UK (two of the three, anyway; the 117-111 cards being far more criticised than the 116-113 card) it cannot be denied that Catterall’s performance was superb. As was Taylor’s.
