“It’s been quite a few years since Josh Taylor’s name has been mentioned. More than anything, I want to fight him, but I’m tired of talking about him. “Fuck you,” laughed Jack Catterall, then began his final series of media interviews.
Whisper it, but if everything goes his way on Saturday night, he may never have to talk about Taylor again.
Nothing more needs to be said. It has been more than two years of backbiting and bickering since Taylor defended his undisputed super lightweight title following a controversial split decision victory over Catterall.
Reluctance gave way to frigid professionalism. When Catterall and Taylor came face to face at Thursday’s tranquil press conference, it seemed as if the air had been sucked out of the Queen’s Ballroom in Leeds and the entire hall fell hushed. Matches used to be a elementary photo opportunity, but they have become increasingly long and increasingly absurd as promoters and media wait for one fighter to break through and deliver an all-important clip of content. It was an old-fashioned, sedate look down.
“I saw him today. I saw him at a public training session and he had nothing to say. I saw him in person on Tuesday night and not a word was said,” Catterall said. “I think this is the peak. So much has been said already that I think that we both agree that it’s time to settle the dispute in the ring on Saturday. I’m here for it.”
The first fight between Catterall and Taylor was a tumultuous but dramatic fight in which the immense majority of viewers felt that Catterall deserved to win. The pre-fight hype suggested that the bad blood and resentment generated by the judges’ scorecards would make the rematch a better fight. When people say better, they usually mean more stimulating and explosive.
That’s not Catterall’s style. The 30-year-old has spent his entire life crafting the style and mindset that has gotten him to this point. Anyone who doubts his level of patience should look at how he tolerated questions about Taylor without a blink for over two years. He’s not going to throw it all away on the most vital night of his life. Catterall’s dreams all hinge on him beating Taylor by any means necessary.
“I have to be [myself]. I don’t struggle with emotions. I box the way I box,” he said. “I box sharp and I box sharp. Look, if I hurt him and I see an opportunity, I’ll do it, but it’ll be a Jack Catterall win and I don’t mind if I beat him on Saturday, as long as I win.
While Catterall remained peaceful and composed from the opening bell until the first fight, Taylor pressed forward with an element of desperation after getting to his feet from the floor in the eighth round. His punching power did not boost, but if we look for reasons why the judges decided to favor Taylor in the second half of the fight, perhaps the change in body language gave them the impression that he changed the course of the fight.
Earlier this week, Taylor told BoxingScene that he believed Catterall blew his chance to become world champion by not taking advantage that night, but Catterall insists his tactics, thinking and reasoning were sound. The judges were simply wrong.
“I saw the finish line in the distance,” he recalled. “I had seen Josh fight before and I knew what he was capable of and how risky he could be. I think I was in good shape after half the stage. What mattered to me was to stay reasonable and not take my eyes off the ball. Don’t take unnecessary hits and fight with discipline. I believe I did it. When you look back, everything looks different in hindsight and could I have won even more? Probably. I still believe I won that fight.”
Catterall is consistent not only in the ring. He has been in the gym with Jamie Moore virtually every day since the first fight and, having continued to refine his style and pick up routine victories over Darragh Foley and Jorge Linares over the past two years, Taylor left Ben Davison and joined Joe McNally in Liverpool. He then lost his undefeated record to Teofimo Lopez and overcame a series of injuries. Catterall isn’t sure this consistency would have been a key factor in the fight, but the overarching impression was that he stopped caring. The fight continues and all remaining questions will be answered on Saturday.
“My attention is solely on me. Selfishly, I improved as a player and put a lot of time and effort into it. We understand that Taylor’s team has changed and that he has had a number of injuries, but I have kept my eye on the ball and am preparing for the best version of him. That’s what I expect, so when I beat him, I won’t ask any questions.
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