SUMMARY
- Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall 1 was a highly anticipated bout for the undisputed light-welterweight championship.
- Josh Taylor won the bout controversially via split decision.
Josh Taylor faced Jack Catterall in February 2022 for the undisputed light-welterweight championship. Catterall was instated as the number one challenger by WBO in 2019 to WBO champion Maurice Hooker. However, Catterall waited his turn long enough to fight for the big prize all at once.
The WBC and WBO champion José Ramírez faced Josh Taylor, the WBA (Super), IBF, and The Ring champion, in May 2021 after Catterall agreed to a “step-aside” deal. Taylor defeated Ramírez to become the undisputed champion. After claiming the unanimous decision victory, Taylor admitted Catterall made a good choice. Now, he had a chance to be the undisputed champion.
Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall punch stats… pic.twitter.com/8TU7RFcyts
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) February 26, 2022
Scottish fighter Taylor took on English fighter Catterall at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, on 26 February 2022. The event created a huge buzz in the UK region. However, the result of the fight was not welcome. Taylor won the bout via split decision to defend his titles but many in the boxing world believe the judges made a mistake scoring the fight.
Despite Catterall knocking down Taylor in the eighth round and outpunching him 120-73, Judge John-Lewis scored the bout for Taylor with a score of 114-111 and Judge Victor Loughlin also scored the fight for Taylor, 113-112. Howard Foster, on the other hand, had it 113-112 for Catterall.
Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall 1: Fight purse PPV buys
According to various reports, Taylor, aka The Tartan Tornado, made close to $1.5 million based on PPV money and sales revenue. On the other hand, Catterall, aka El Gato (The Cat), made close to $500k as his guaranteed purse for the fight. However, these totals are approximate figures as they were subject to change based on the specific contracts of the fighters. The money earned by the fighters overall fluctuates with PPV buys, sponsors, and other sources.
Since the highly anticipated and highly controversial first bout, many hoped for a rematch between Taylor and Catterall. After two years of back-and-forth, we are finally set to witness a rematch.
Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall 2 has been accepted by both fighters
Jack Catterall took to X on January 20, 2024, to announce that the fight had been agreed by both fighters. Catterall has agreed to fight Taylor next and “apparently” Taylor wants the same. ‘El Gato’ explained that it is now down to the men in the middle. A date or a venue for the fight has not been decided but it could be headed to the Middle East.
Catterall wrote, “Just to clarify I’ve accepted my side to fight Josh next. Tornarsehole apparently wants it next it’s all down to the guys in the middle now. I’m bored of talking about it I’m sure the fans are bored of listening. Time to get it on… I can’t wait to smash his head in”
Just to clarify I’ve accepted my side to fight Josh next. Tornarsehole apparently wants it next it’s all down to the guys in the middle now. I’m bored of talking about it I’m sure the fans are bored of listening. Time to get it on
I can’t wait to smash his head in https://t.co/jLsdiOe8pi
— Jack Catterall (@jack_catt93) January 20, 2024
It has almost been two years since the pair last shared a boxing ring. The controversial decision on the night still irks many around the boxing world. A rematch between the pair has been in the works since the end of the first bout. It seems that part 2 between the UK boxers is finally upon us.
Both boxers have faced opposite faiths after their bout. The Tartan Tornado fought once after his bout against Catterall and lost. He lost his WBO and The Ring light-welterweight titles against Teofimo Lopez in June 2023. On the other hand, Catterall has fought twice and won both fights against Darragh Foley and Jorge Linares.