A fight between Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez was first talked about a few days (or was it weeks) ago, and now it seems the fight will happen – but not in the UK as was first suggested, but in New York.
As per a story from Mike Coppinger, who put it out that “sources” have told himself and Mark Kriegel that the fight now has a working date of June 10, it’s looking like Madison Square Garden, either at the Theatre or at The Hulu Centre.
This is, of course, a good fight but, at the same time, it’s impossible not to feel as though Jack Catterall – who pushed Taylor harder than hard a year ago, this in a four-belt 140-pound encounter – has really been given the shaft. Catterall will now likely move on to a fight with Regis Prograis.
In the meantime, Taylor, who now holds only the WBO light-welterweight belt, having vacated the three other titles he retained in the Catterall fight, will be heading back to the US; his fight prior to the Catterall controversy taking place in Las Vegas, this when the Scot beat Jose Ramirez in his biggest and most impressive win to date. Taylor, aged 32, is currently 19-0(13).
25-year-old Lopez of Brooklyn, who won the unified lightweight titles by defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko back in October of 2020 and then lost the belts in his first defence, this to George Kambosos Jr, has gone 2-0(1) since moving up in weight to 140 pounds. Lopez has been asking for a fight with Taylor for some time, and now he has seemingly got what he wants.
Lopez’ manager, David McWater, spoke with ESPN about the upcoming fight:
“We’re set on the fight. Teo is set on Josh Taylor like he was set on Lomachenko,” McWater said. “We don’t know yet, but I suspect it’s the big room (at Madison Square Garden). We almost sold out the big room in December for Sandor Martin.”
Lopez, 18-1(13), aims to take all that Taylor has in terms of belts and pound-for-pound stature. Taylor says he will beat Lopez and then give Catterall the rematch we all know he deserves.
But who wins on June 10? Taylor-Lopez, as unfair as this move is as far as Jack Catterall is concerned, is a darn good fight. And a tough one to pick a winner from.