Promoter Eddie Hearn sees a lot of sense in making a rematch now between Jack Catterall and Josh Taylor.
Last Saturday night, Catterall, the 140-pound contender from England, defeated veteran Jorge Linares over 12 rounds at Echo Arena in Liverpool.
After the fight, Catterall said the fight he wanted next was a rematch with Scotland’s Taylor. The two have bad blood stemming from their undisputed 140-pound championship last year, which saw the then champion, Taylor, win a controversial split decision.
Matchroom’s Hearn, who promotes Catterrall, also sees that rematch as the natural move, in line with other notable British grudge matches, such as Leigh Wood vs. Josh Warrington II and Liam Smith vs. Chris Eubank Jr. II. Taylor is backed by Las Vegas-based Top Rank.
“When you look at the success of a Wood-Warrington or Smith-Eubank … the big British fights work and the Jack Catterall vs. Josh Taylor rematch works,” Hearn told iFL TV. “In Glasgow or Manchester. And if we can’t get the winner of Devin Haney against Regis Prograis [for Catterall], I think that is the fight to make. I think we can schedule that fight now.
“We’ve already had, not really negotiations with Top Rank but conversations with them. I think they are up for pursuing that fight. I’m not sure of the other opportunities that Josh Taylor has.”
Hearn made it clear that a catchweight would be necessary since Taylor has indicated he does not plan to fight at the 140-pound limit again. Taylor lost his lone WBO 140-pound title last to Teofimo Lopez by unanimous decision last June at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
“It would have to be a catchweight,” Hearn said. “I don’t think Jack would go up to 147. But Josh should be comfortable with that. And next week we’ll start deeper conversations with Top Rank about the possibility of making that fight.
“I don’t want to talk on his behalf but it depends on the number,” Hearn said when asked about the exact catchweight. “142, 143, 144, don’t know. But I think there’s no championship on the line. It’s not an undisputed championship, but you don’t want to give your advantage away because Jack is at 140 pounds.”
Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.