Former undisputed light welterweight champion Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall will meet for their long-overdue rematch in the 140-lb division on April 27th on DAZN in Leeds, England.
ESPN reports that the Taylor vs. Catterall fight is done for April 27th, finally giving their fans a chance to see the rematch. Some would argue that it’s too late to have a second fight between the two. UK fans might want to see this fight, but it’s clearly past its sell-by-date, and it is a foolish idea to stage it now.
The 33-year-old Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs) looked old and washed, losing his last fight against Teofimo Lopez last June in a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision defeat at the Hula Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. Taylor made Teofimo look like an elite fighter, which is hard to do, losing by the scores 115-113, 115-113, and 117-111.
Grudge Match Fueled by Controversy
Taylor defeated then- #1 WBO Catterall by a controversial twelve-round split decision in February 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland. Many boxing fans felt that Catterall had done more than enough, and there was a call for a rematch.
Had Catterall (28-1, 13 KOs) won, he’d have been the undisputed 140-lb champion, making a ton of money as the four-belt champion. Instead, Catterall is still belt-less, two years older, and no longer ranked #1.
Indeed, Catterall has been passed up by the likes of Arnold Barboza Jr., Richardson Hitchins, Sandor Martin, and Jose Ramirez in the WBO’s rankings. The window that Catterall had to make something happen with his career has now closed completely, and the only thing he can hope for is redemption against the washed Taylor.
Righting the Wrong?
Catterall is ranked #4 IBF, #4 WBC, #5 WBO, and #6 WBA and has the chance for redemption against #7 IBF Taylor. However, this fight won’t prove much in the eyes of fans because Taylor was beaten soundly by Teofimo Lopez.
The only thing this fight will do for Catterall’s career is give him a payday, keep him busy, and push up the rankings a little at 140. If Catterall wanted to do something that would help his career in a real way, he’d face one of these fighters:
– Richardson Hitchins
– Jose Ramirez
– Gary Antuanne Russell
– Arnold Barboza Jr.
– Kenneth Sims
– Regis Prograis
– Liam Paro
It’s unlikely that promoter Eddie Hearn would chance it by putting Catterall in with those guys, as his chances of losing would be high.