Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall fight again on Saturday. Will it be repeat, “repeat,” revenge, or “revenge”?
A little over two years ago, Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall competed in one of the most controversial fights in recent memory, with Taylor getting split decision scores over Catterall in Glasgow, a decision bad enough — and in a big enough fight — that it sparked genuine disgust and outrage within the boxing world, not just from the outside pundits and fans.
Since then, the rematch has been signed and scheduled only to fall through multiple times. On Saturday, with the idea as cold as it’s been since the decision was read in 2022, the two meet again.
Will Taylor (19-1, 13 KO) repeat the victory, this time with more people agreeing he actually earned it? Or can Catterall (28-1, 13 KO) get the nod this time, and put this issue behind him for good?
Going with my heart over my head here, in part because they’re both a little stupid and the heart might be smarter any given week. I’m one of the vast majority who truly believes Catterall deserved the win over Taylor a couple years ago, but I also kinda chalk that up to Taylor being, like, pretty bad on the night. Catterall didn’t do anything unusually good for him; he never does. He is always exactly Jack Catterall. He doesn’t have off nights, but he also doesn’t seem to have an ability to go to a gear we haven’t seen, whether he’s fighting Tyrone McKenna or Ohara Davies, Abderrazak Houya or Darragh Foley, or Josh Taylor or Jorge Linares
Having that sort of consistency is nothing to sneeze at, though; a lot of fighters would benefit greatly from it. Since that first fight, Catterall has beaten the aforementioned Foley and Linares, while waiting on Taylor to actually show up for a rematch. Taylor has fought just once, losing to Teofimo Lopez about a year ago. He didn’t look good in the Lopez fight, and I get the feeling that at 33 and with several high-level, tough fights behind him, he’s just past his best for good.
I do think Taylor has the higher ceiling, even still. A focused, in-shape, properly-prepared Taylor can and likely will beat Catterall for real on Saturday. But I’m going with Catterall because I want to, basically, and if Taylor really is just past it, then Catterall should win, given what we’ve seen of this matchup before. Catterall UD-12
When I think about this fight I can help but still feel that the best version of Taylor is at least a level above the best version of Catterall. Taylor, of course, has clearly been past his best form in recent outings so naturally there’s going to be a lot of belief that he’s mostly a shot fighter. I do think while Taylor may never be in true vintage form again, I also believe he’s taking Catterall much more seriously this time around and will turn up better than we’ve seen him lately.
Then there’s the question about the injuries which have been piling up on Taylor and how fit he might actually be on Saturday. Those things, for me, are a bit more difficult to predict from the outside looking in. Bottom line is there’s definitely plenty of concern to be had if you’re a Taylor supporter, but when it comes down to it I do think he’s really just the better fighter of the two. Maybe I’m still holding onto the past but I’m taking Taylor to win a points decision here. Taylor UD-12
If Taylor wasn’t very confident that he can make the 140 lb limit and perform despite the weight cut, this fight wouldn’t be happening. And, even whatever diminished version of Josh Taylor exists now should have enough to beat the capable but unexceptional Catterall.
Taylor should be at the top of whatever his game can be these days, as a victory here could quiet the only criticisms he’s capable of putting to rest at this stage of his career. Unless Taylor has somehow fallen all the way down to second-tier domestic level without realizing it, I don’t think Catterall has enough to win (again). Taylor UD-12
I don’t buy the argument that Taylor was overrated at his peak. You don’t overcome challengers as dangerous and varied as Postol, Baranchyk, Prograis, and Ramirez without top-notch skills and mental fortitude. Something definitely broke in him after beating Ramirez, though. Whether it was getting high on his own supply or his issues with the weight cut, that mental fortitude just isn’t there anymore. Even putting aside the first fight with Catterall, the book was out on how to neutralize Teofimo Lopez and Taylor only managed to follow it for two rounds before falling apart in the face of adversity.
Catterall, by contrast, is as dialed-in as you can get. While I don’t put a ton of stock into things like “who wants it more” or who’s gotten into whose head, it’s hard to overlook two years of laser-focused spite, especially when Taylor has done everything in his power to avoid this exact scenario. I’m far more confident in Catterall’s ability to remain focused and execute against Taylor’s style than vice-versa at this stage in their respective careers; if things get chippy again, it’s to Catterall’s benefit. Unless the Lopez loss was the shock to the system that Taylor needed to recapture his earlier form, I like Catterall to once again frustrate Taylor but this time get the cards he deserves. Catterall UD-12
