As Josh Taylor readies for his upcoming April 27 rematch with Jack Catterall, a fight many thought he deserved to lose, he talks to Boxing Social about where he currently stands in his career, the making of this sequel, and why he believes he’ll win much more convincingly this time around. Here’s some of what Taylor had to say below.
Taylor on those who believe he’s been avoiding a rematch with Catterall
“All this sort of nonsense of me not wanting the fight and trying to run away, it’s idiotic. It’s just idiotic. Just look at the career I’ve had and the people I’ve fought. I’ve fought multiple ex-world champions and beat six world champions. Its like ‘I’m afraid to fight Jack Catterall?’ Come on, get serious.”
On overlooking Catterall the first time around
“This is another question I’ve explained 100 times over. Yes, I was at the top of the mountain, top of Everest, just been to Vegas and conquered the world, completed boxing becoming undisputed world champion.
“And it was like come back, fight Jack Catterall who’s — no disrespect to him, I’m not being disrespectful to him, I know I don’t like the guy but I’m not being disrespectful — it was like he’s not done nothing, he’s not boxed anyone, he lost against Ohara Davies. And it’s like ‘ok, no problem, just get me fit and it’ll be no problem.’
“I was still going out, was still having a drink with my mates and just training getting fit and not taking it seriously at all, was still heavy, fat, and left it all to the last minute and made the weight at the very last minute and that’s the performance I put in, which was shit — which all relates to underestimating your opponent and overlooking someone.”
On there being a lot of questions surrounding the state of his career heading into this fight
“This is just a fight that I’m up for. I’m really up for, really excited about…doing the bits of training that I particularly don’t like which is the horrible track sessions and stuff, and the hell runs and all that. I’m excited for doing all that and doing it like I love it, back to being how it was as a challenger.”