Yet one more delay has include the Josh Taylor-Jack Catterall rematch.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed that Scotland’s Taylor suffered a tear on the arch of his foot, thus forcing a postponement of his deliberate lineal/WBO junior welterweight championship protection. The second battle with Catterall was because of happen March 4 at OVO Hydro Enviornment in Glasgow, Scotland, the identical website which noticed Taylor declare a questionable break up determination victory final February 26.
ESPN.com boxing insider Mike Coppinger was the primary to report the event, by way of social media.
Taylor is predicted to be out of the ring from 4 to 6 weeks, although it stays unclear if postpones the battle as a complete or if England’s Catterall (26-1, 13KOs) shall be afforded a stay-busy battle. One risk is for an interim WBO title battle to be made obtainable relying on the severity of Taylor’s damage and when the schedule will enable for his ring return, although it stays an unconfirmed possibility within the early levels of the event.
Additionally presently within the exploration is preserving the battle date. Taylor-Catterall II was because of headline a Sky Sports activities Field Workplace occasion within the UK, although BoxingScene.com has discovered that occasion promoter Boxxer is trying into shifting the cardboard to an everyday Sky Sports activities present.
Representatives from Boxxer have been unavailable for remark, as all are on website for Saturday’s Chris Eubank Jr.-Liam Smith Sky Sports activities Field Workplace present from AO Enviornment in Manchester. Prime Rank representatives didn’t instantly reply to an inquiry searching for remark or clarification as this goes to publication.
Taylor and Catterall haven’t fought since their extremely controversial first battle final February. Taylor (19-0, 13KOs) survived an early deficit and eighth-round knockdown to rally within the later rounds en path to a break up determination victory. Most viewers thought that Catterall was cheated out of an undisputed junior welterweight championship win.
The closest to justice served for Lancashire’s Catterall was the demotion in standing of decide Ian John-Lewis, whose 114-111 scorecard for Taylor trade extensive scorn together with disciplinary motion from the British Boxing Board of Management (BBBofC).
It did little to alter the end result of the battle, or Catterall’s assure of difficult Taylor. Not one of the 4 sanctioning our bodies noticed match to establish the 29-year outdated English southpaw as a compulsory challenger, a standing he loved with the WBO heading into their first (and, up to now, solely) battle. Taylor has since relinquished the WBC, WBA and IBF titles for failure to defend versus their respective number-one contenders, all for the sake of continuing with a rematch versus Catterall.
The WBO belt remained in his place for the reason that Catterall battle happy his necessary obligation with the Puerto Rico-based sanctioning physique. The 32-year-old southpaw from Prestonpans, Scotland inherited Catterall as a compulsory challenger following his twelve-round, unanimous determination victory over then-unbeaten Jose Ramirez of their Might 2021 four-belt unification bout in Las Vegas, Nevada. Taylor received by scores of 114-112 on all three playing cards to defend his IBF and WBA belts, whereas successful the WBC and WBO titles of their ESPN-televised primary occasion.
Plans for Taylor-Catterall II have been initially eyed for final November however pushed again to the primary quarter of 2023 because of the lack of venue availability. A working date of February 4 was then scrapped as soon as Sky Sports activities Field Workplace added Eubank Jr.-Smith to the schedule, to keep away from operating two pay-per-view occasions in a 14-day span.
Taylor additionally suffered an damage previous to the primary battle with Catterall, pushing again a deliberate December 2021 date in Glasgow again to February 26.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox