Fired-up Josh determined to prove the doubters wrong
Taylor gets ready to fight Catterall again
JOSH Taylor has vowed to make his critics eat their words when he finally steps back into the ring later this month.
The former undisputed lightwelterweight champion is gearing up for a long-awaited rematch with Jack Catterall.
The fight, which takes place in Leeds, was due to take place last month but was pushed back as Taylor recovers from an eye injury.
Now, the countdown is officially on to the bout on May 25.
Taylor has been backed by a partisan home crowd in a number of his big fights but this will also be the fourth time he has fought south of the Border.
He stopped Lyes Chaibi in Manchester before winning the World
Boxing Super Series by defeating Regis Prograis in London.
His first bout as a two-belt champion also took place in London but in front of a meagre crowd due to Covid-19 restrictions against Apinun Khongsong.
Taylor said: “I think it is going to be a bit of a mixture of hostile and support.
“It is going to be quite good. “There are a lot of people – even Scots – who have turned their back on me on one performance.
“I have got the bit between my teeth and to say ‘ **** you’.
“I am going there to win and say ‘there’s my middle fingers to you’.”
Thirty-three-year-old Taylor took time out from his preparations for the fight to speak to Courier Sport.
The first bout against Catterall, which took place in February 2022, saw Taylor defending his IBF,
WBA, WBC and WBO titles – which he no longer holds – for the first time since defeating Jose Ramirez to unify the division the previous year.
A close contest in Glasgow came down to the judges’ scorecards, with Taylor taking a split decision after the scores came back 112-113, 114-111, 113-112 in his favour.
There has been plenty of bad blood between the two fighters since then but Taylor was now looking forward to the rematch at the First Direct Arena.
Taylor – who suffered his first loss as a professional to Teofimo Lopez in his most recent fight last June – said: “I am feeling great.
“I am feeling really good, fit and sharp, and now we are really zoning in. We have got a couple of good sparring partners from abroad and it is going really good.”
The fight was delayed by four weeks after Taylor, who grew up in Prestonpans before moving to Haddington, underwent surgery on his eye.
The former Commonwealth Games gold medal winner revealed it was an issue that had been “a bit of a problem” for four or five years.
He stressed that pushing back the fight was the right decision and his health was the most important thing.
Taylor said: “What’s the point in boxing all this time, for the next couple of fights, earning good fights, good money and not being able to enjoy it?
“If I cannot see or I have not got good health to enjoy it – your health is wealth.
“With something as precious as your eyesight, I was definitely taking the advice of professionals.”