Josh Taylor finds himself in a familiar situation as he prepares for another battle against Jack Catterall, reminding him of the saying ‘once bitten, twice shy’.
On Saturday night (May 25), the long-awaited rematch will take place at Leeds’ First Direct Arena. The stakes are high, as pride, ego, reputation, and possibly even careers hang in the balance.
On February 26, 2022, in Glasgow’s SSE Hydro, Taylor, with a record of 19-1 (13 KOs), is once again matched up against the Chorley southpaw. This rematch comes as a result of the scorecards from their previous bout, where Taylor successfully defended his undisputed super-lightweight championship. Although the decision favored the Scot, there was significant dissent from the opposing corner and many others in the sport who believed the Englishman should have emerged victorious.
It has been discovered since then that Taylor’s preparations were below his usual standard, and he made the decision to not take the Catterall threat seriously.
“I’m taking him seriously this time,” Taylor told Boxing News.
The first time, I failed to take Jack seriously. Just like everyone else, including the media, I didn’t believe Jack had a fighting chance in that initial match. It was a mistake on my part. After the fight, I was inundated with questions about moving up to welterweight and the opportunity for a second world title.
“I responded with determination, saying to myself, ‘Yes, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Look after this guy and then move forward.’ Unfortunately, that was a mistake I made. However, this time, I won’t repeat it. I’m taking him seriously and acknowledging the threat he poses. He gave me a tough challenge before, but I acknowledge that I made it difficult for myself. Now, my complete focus is on Saturday.”
Saturday night’s rematch has been eventful, characterized by animosity, and nearly escalated out of control twice during press conferences. Catterall clarified that emotions won’t play a role and won’t impact his performance in the second fight. Taylor maintains a similar mindset but has drawn inspiration from the aftermath of their initial bout, including death threats directed at his family, to fuel his training camp.
He stated, “That has been my driving force during training, sparring, and pad work, pushing me to go the extra mile.”
Whenever I’ve had exhausting or off days at the gym, I harness that feeling as motivation and fuel to intensify my drive and determination.
