Josh Taylor using first fight aftermath to fuel fire for Catterall rematch

ITโ€™S a case of โ€˜once bitten, twice shyโ€™ for Josh Taylor as he gears up for another fight with Jack Catterall.

The First Direct Arena in Leeds will stage their long-overdue rematch on Saturday night (May 25), with pride, ego, reputation, and, some say, careers on the line.

Taylor, 19-1 (13 KOs), finds himself facing the Chorley southpaw once again due to the scorecards on February 26, 2022, inside Glasgowโ€™s SSE Hydro when Taylor defended his undisputed super-lightweight championship. The decision went in the Scotโ€™s favour but there was an outcry from the away corner and from most within the sport that the result should have gone the Englishmanโ€™s way.

Since then, it has been revealed that Taylorโ€™s preparations were not up to his usual standard and that he chose not to take the threat of Catterall seriously.

โ€œI’m taking him seriously this time,โ€ Taylor told Boxing News.

โ€œI never took Jack seriously the first time. No one, including all the media, never gave Jack a chance in that first fight, including myself, and that’s a mistake that I made. I was getting bombarded with questions after the fight, you’re moving up to welter and chance for a second world title and all that.

โ€œAnd I was like, โ€˜Yeah that’s what I’m going to do. Take care of this guy and move on.โ€™ And that’s the mistake that I made. I’m not doing that this time, I’m taking him seriously. I know the threat that I’ve got in front of me. He gave me a hard night, I made it hard myself. I’m fully focused on Saturday.โ€

The build-up to Saturday nightโ€™s rematch has been eventful, filled with animosity, and threatened to spiral out of control on two occasions at press conferences. Catterall told BN that emotion doesnโ€™t come into it and will not affect how he fights the second time around. Taylor shares a similar mindset but has used the fallout from the first fightโ€”which included death threats sent to members of his familyโ€”as motivation during camp.

โ€œI’ve used that to do the extra bits in training and drive me on during training and in sparring and on the pads,โ€ he said.

โ€œDays when I’ve been in the gym and I’ve been feeling tired or not quite feeling there – ย I’ve been using that as motivation, as fuel to add to my fire.โ€

 

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