- author, andy burke
- role, Senior Reporter, BBC Sport Scotland
Josh Taylor faces Jack Catterall in Leeds on Saturday in one of the most anticipated rematches in recent British boxing history.
Two years after their highly controversial first fight, both men will finally settle down in a match that will have a huge impact on their careers, even though the belt is not on the line.
BBC Sport Scotland spoke to former two-division champion, former training partner and close friend of both fighters, Carl Frampton, to gain insight into the Taylor vs. Catterall fight.
The story so far
The first fight between the two, which took place in Glasgow in February 2022, saw Taylor, the undisputed champion with four defenses of his light welterweight world title, seemingly outboxed by most observers. It ended in widespread disbelief, being awarded the victory by two of the three judges, despite the appearance. Englishman.
“Jack will feel it's an injustice and it should have been his decision,” Frampton said.
“A lot of people thought Josh could easily win the fight, and I had him as the favorite, but I said, 'You can't beat Jack Catterall.'
“I chose Josh because he’s great in the gym and a lot of fun to watch, but I never thought for a second that it was going to be an easy fight for either of us.
“I think there was probably a little bit of complacency on Josh's part. When the whole world says it's an easy fight, you start to believe it and you might take your eye off the ball a little bit. That's what happened. Maybe.
“As Josh himself admitted, the performance was substandard and far from his best, but Jack was very good on the night.”
“Taylor is one of the best fighters I've ever seen.”
Taylor has come under a barrage of criticism since his controversial night at the Hydro, with many believing he was the beneficiary of the worst call ever seen in a British ring.
His performance in the next two contests and his extended hiatus led many to question whether the 33-year-old's best days were behind him.
“That's the question and I think we'll know the answer after the fight with Jack,” Frampton said. He shared a gym with Taylor when Taylor was coached by Shane McGuigan.
“Really, Josh Taylor is one of the best fighters I've ever seen. I used to train and leave the gym quickly, but whenever Josh was sparring, I used to stay in the gym and watch his sessions because I loved what I saw, but I did the same thing with Jack Catterall.
“I have questions about Josh. He's been in some tough fights, been around for a long time, and age catches up with everyone. I'm not saying that's the case, what I'm saying is, It's just that we'll find out once the battle is over.
“I love Josh Taylor. I love everything about him.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve so sometimes I see what he says online and I think, 'Josh, you don't have to say that, stop saying that.' But that's just who he is, he doesn't care what other people think and there's good in that.
“He says what he wants and I can completely respect that.”
image source, Getty Images
rivalry
In the two years since their first fight, there has been an exchange of abuse between the fighters via traditional and social media.
The rematch was agreed to take place in February 2023, but Taylor withdrew due to injury, after which Catterall agreed to fight Darragh Foley, with Taylor obliged by defending his WBO world title against Lopez.
For a long time, it looked like a second fight between Taylor and Catterall would never happen, but since both men signed on for a rematch, promotional events have been intense.
The stark contrast in personalities is one of the big selling points of the “Hate Runs Deep” brand of matches.
“It's a completely different character,” said Frampton, who trained with Catterall late in his career under Jamie Moore.
“Jack is a little more laid back. Josh is 160 miles an hour. Both Josh and Jack are good people, but there's definitely a lot of animosity.
“I saw the head-to-head they had together, and they both said they don't hate each other. They don't necessarily like each other, but they don't hate each other. I can believe that. I don't know if that's the case, but I think they probably both hate each other a little bit.
“You know what this game is like, it's very personal. It's two guys fighting at the end of the day. Maybe depending on what happens after this fight… Maybe the hatred towards each other will fade a little.
There's a lot going on in Leeds.
Catterall, 30, firmly believes he should have been crowned undisputed champion 27 months ago.
Since then, he has enjoyed wins over Foley and veteran Jorge Linares, but he knows only by defeating Taylor can he propel himself towards the world title shot he covets. There is.
Taylor is adamant that he is not over the top yet, saying he aims to move up to welterweight and become a two-division world champion.
Both players recognize that victory at Leeds is crucial for their future prospects.
“No matter who wins, it's going to be a huge fight,” Frampton said. “I think the options are truly endless.
“Where does the loser go? It could be retirement. I never want to say something like that, but at the stage of both players' careers, it's very possible.”
