Josh Taylor has long moved on from his controversial victory in his last bout.
As he gets set to return to the ring for the first time in nearly 16 months, he wants others to do the same.
Regardless, that bout hovers over the former undisputed champion, and likely will define his near future.
The Scottish Taylor (19-0), 32, defends his WBO junior welterweight title against the 25-year-old Teofimo Lopez (18-1), a Brooklyn native, on Saturday night as the main event of Top Rank’s card at The Theater at Madison Square Garden (10 p.m., ESPN).
It’s Taylor’s first bout since he defended his undisputed crown against Jack Catterall on Feb. 22, 2022 at the OVO Hydro in Scotland.
In that highly-controversial victory, Taylor won via split decision despite being outpunched and seemingly outfought, particularly in the later rounds.
“They’re sore losers,” Taylor told The Post about Catterall and his fans. “People are being sore losers. It wasn’t me making the decision. I’ve said it for a long time, I’ve said it in I don’t know how many interviews. It was a fight that could go either way. I got the decision. Get f–ing over it. Get over it. There’s been plenty of other fights that have been really bad decisions. That was a close fight, and it could’ve gone either way. And it went my way.”
Josh Taylor celebrates after defeating Jack Catterall to defend his undisputed crown on Feb. 26, 2022. Getty Images
Josh Taylor (r.) punches Jack Catterall during his successful undisputed title defense on Feb. 26, 2022. Getty ImagesThe scores were 113-112 for Catterall, 114-111 for Taylor and 113-112 for Taylor despite Catterall landing more total power punches, total jabs, and recording more punches landed per round to earn Taylor his first undisputed title defense.
There was immediate backlash to the scoring, both among Catterall’s camp and fans who believed Taylor was lucky to walk away victorious.
There’s been ample desire for a rematch as a result, and Taylor has since attempted to make it happen instead of fulfilling his undisputed title obligations against other challengers.
Taylor was stripped of his WBC, WBA and IBF junior welterweight titles as a result, and wasn’t even able to make his rematch happen as he dealt with a foot injury and switched trainers while inactive.
“If [Catterall] had put his foot on the gas in the later half of the fight, then maybe he would’ve won,” Taylor said. “The whole fight, he was on the backfoot, holding, spoiling. Especially in the second half of the fight, he never really did much. I don’t really give a s–t. What’s happened, happened. He’s moaned about it for a long time. But he’s on his own path, and we’ll see each other again. We’ll see each other again.”
Taylor first has to get through Lopez before he can worry about a rematch.
Josh Taylor (l.) is named the winner of his undisputed title defense against Jack Catterall on Feb. 26, 2022. Getty ImagesBut as long as Taylor, who is the favorite, handles Lopez, he’ll seemingly have two choices.
Take on the other champions in the division, who now own the belts he vacated.
Or settle his unfinished business and rematch Catterall, who does not currently possess a title.
“I’d like to fight [Catterall]. I’d like to fight him sooner rather than later, to be honest,” Taylor said. “But it seems like he’s on his own path right now. He’s just recently signed with Matchroom. Also, I saw that [Regis] Prograis signed with Matchroom as well. I probably believe that they will make an in-house fight there with them two.
“But having said that, I’d like to fight the two of them again. Absolutely, I want to fight Jack again just to sort of shut him up, really. Put him back in his place, put him back where he belongs. That’s what I want to do.”
