Former undisputed lightweight champion Josh Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs) weighed in at 139.6 lbs, while contender Jack Catterall (28-1, 13 KOs) came in at 139.8 lbs for their 12-round rematch, live on DAZN this Saturday night at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England.
Weights:
Josh Taylor: 139.6
Jack Catterall: 139.8
Cheavon Clarke 199.3
Ellis Zorro 198.6
Paddy Donovan 145.4
Lewis Ritson 146.8
There wasn’t much to the weigh-in. Taylor, 33, looked calm, and there was no throat-grabbing like we’d seen in face-offs. The only notable thing today was Taylor stepping in front of Catterall to do a bicep pose, which resulted in him giving Jack a weak push. It was pretty calm stuff.
Promoter’s Prediction: A Close Fight
“They’re so well-matched that if it goes the distance, it’s going to be a very close fight,” promoter Eddie Hearn told DAZN Boxing about the Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall rematch.
“I don’t think anyone is going to dominate this fight like it’s going to be a unanimous, wide decision. Expect it to be close; expect it to go down to the wire.”
Taylor and Catterall are considered nonentities in the light welterweight division, and it’s easy to understand why. They’ve failed to keep up with the younger, more talented go-getters, who have been busy with their careers.
Catterall has fought just twice since his loss to Taylor in 2022, taking soft opposition, which is in keeping with what he’s done his entire career. Catterall’s resume is weak from top to bottom, keeping him down.
It’s unclear why Catterall’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, hasn’t chosen to match him against good opposition since his defeat to Taylor in 2022. Hearn could have set up fights for Catterall against his Matchroom Boxing fighters Subriel Matias, Devin Haney, and Andy Cruz.
I don’t think Catterall would beat any of those guys, but at least he could try. If Catterall lost badly to those fighters, Hearn could cut him loose from his Matchroom stable and focus on fighters who have the potential to become world champions.
Delayed Rematch and Diminished Buzz
Taylor has fought just once in the last two years, losing to Teofimo Lopez by a one-sided 12 round unanimous decision last year in June 2023.
There would be so much more buzz for the Taylor vs. Catterall fight if the two fought two years ago after they met in a clash in February 2022, which ended in controversy with Josh winning a 12-round split decision in his hometown of Glasgow, Scotland.
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