Josh Taylor explains why he has joined trainer Joe McNally and why a potential Jack Catterall rematch would be a very different fight; Teofimo Lopez remains another option for the WBO super-lightweight champion; "I'm all-action as well, and can knock out and hurt anyone," Taylor warns
Tuesday 18 October 2022 13:45, UK
Josh Taylor is pushing for a rematch with Jack Catterall after their controversial undisputed world title fight earlier this year.
Taylor expects that fight to be next and believes an agreement is close to being reached.
"It's in the hands of the lawyers just now. We're looking at finalising and closing in on contracts and dates, so it's looking like that's going to be the fight next," Taylor told Sky Sports.
"It's been a long time coming, I would like to get that one nice and soon, but it's with the lawyers so I'm just waiting on everything getting back to me. I've done everything I can on my side, so we're just waiting on the other side, really."
Taylor beat Catterall on a split points verdict in Glasgow in February, but the decision was heavily criticised afterwards. In that sense, both fighters have unfinished business with one another.
Since the fight, Taylor has vacated three of the four world title belts he held, so no mandatory commitments would interfere with making a Catterall rematch, but he remains the WBO super-lightweight champion.
"At the end of the day, I'm the champion, I still did have all the belts. I've let go of three of them to make this fight happen. I think it will most likely be back in Scotland, we're not really sure on the timeline but it's looking like it's going to be next," Taylor said.
Ahead of that potential rematch, Taylor has made a change in his corner. He has linked up with new trainer Joe McNally.
"I'm excited for this new chapter in my career. It's a nice, new, refreshing start. I got to meet him a couple of months back, got talking to him and bounced ideas off him, and I liked the way his mind works, his mindset and ideas," the Scotsman said.
"I went down and had the trial week with him, and then he came up to Scotland a couple of weeks later and we just hit it off, we just really gelled. He stayed with me for the weekend and we got to really know each other and speak in depth about what we want to do, moving forward.
"I just think I needed a little bit of a change, and it's no aim or dig or anything at Ben [Davison, his previous trainer] or the lads in the gym, I just needed a change. I felt like I was getting a bit stale, and just picking up little bad habits, and taking away from my main attributes and my main strengths.
"I'm happy with the choice that I made, and Ben and I are still very amicable and still speak. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank him, actually, for the work that we did together. He helped me achieve my dream of becoming undisputed world champion, and what a job he did. We got the tactics right, and everything was perfect.
"It was just more of a change for me, myself and getting my head right, getting back to my usual mindset. I feel comfortable with surroundings I've got now."
Taylor is promising a different performance if he does fight Catterall again. He wants to settle the feud in a second fight and win inside the distance.
"I've got absolutely no doubt that I can stop him and I've got absolutely no doubt that I'm going to beat him, and beat him really well this time. I'm going to really, really do a good number on him. I just feel that on my A-game he gets nowhere near me. I am very confident in a really good performance this time," Taylor said.
"I feel good and I feel nice and sharp, and this time I've got the motivation. I never had the motivation, the drive, the determination and the focus last time.
"I prepared miserably and it told in the performance, so this time around there's none of that. There's no lack of motivation or lack of focus, it's completely dialled in, so I'm looking forward to getting into it."
If Taylor can't secure a rematch with Catterall, he has other routes to explore. Teofimo Lopez, the conqueror of Vasiliy Lomachenko, has moved up into his weight division and the two fighters share a promoter in Top Rank.
"If this fight with Jack doesn't materialise for whatever reason, I've got plenty of options. At the end of the day, I'm still the main man at 140lbs. I've let go of three belts but really they're still my belts, I've not lost them," Taylor said.
"Top Rank have been in touch with me about a potential fight with Teofimo Lopez and all that, so I've got many, many options at 140lbs still. I've got the Teofimo fight, the [Jose] Zepeda fight, the [Regis] Prograis fight - all these fights are huge."
Lopez, often outspoken, is one of the sport's characters and has already been calling for a fight with Taylor himself.
"He's a good fighter, a good, solid all-round fighter. I think being at 140lbs he'll be a little bit more money in the bank in terms of energy, not having to boil himself down to 135lbs," Taylor said. "He'll be a little bit better at 140. He's a good fighter and I think it's a great fight for me, and it would be an interesting fight, and a really exciting one, that's for sure.
"We both come to put on good performances. He comes to go for knockouts and I'm all-action as well, and can knock out and hurt anyone."
