sport news Beaten Jack Catterall insists he has unfinished business in the ring with ... trends now
Jack Catterall is looking to the future. Calm and composed in everything he says, there is a determination in his voice that will fuel his efforts to eventually have a world championship belt around his waist.
Many observers feel that moment should have arrived three months ago when he delivered the best performance of his career to comprehensively outbox Josh Taylor in Glasgow.
All four of Taylor’s light-welterweight titles were on the line. It *should* have been the greatest night of Catterall’s life, only for it to be cruelly snatched away from him.
In what should have been the greatest night of Jack Catterall’s (right) life, victory against Josh Taylor was taken away from him
Taylor prevailed via a hugely controversial split decision, despite being knocked down by Catterall in a fight which had seen the Englishman outperform his more illustrious opponent.
Yet, despite being on the receiving end of one of the most horrendous decisions in the history of elite championship boxing, he is adamant that it won’t stop him from pursuing his dream.
‘I’m 28 now and I believe my best years are ahead of me,’ Catterall tells Sportsmail. ‘I put on a great fight against Josh. It’s given me extra motivation.
‘I’ve got a young family. I still believe I’m going to become world champion. I’m confident I’ll have some big fights this year.’
His next opponent won’t be Taylor. The Scot is due to get married this summer. His short-term plans are on hold, while Catterall is gearing up for a return to action.
Taylor is due to get married this summer and his next opponent will not be Catterall again
But there is now a growing belief that the two fighters could agree to a rematch further down the line, perhaps later this year.
After their fight at The Hydro in February, Taylor was adamant that it would be his last at light-welterweight.
He admitted he was weight-drained. He looked ghastly on the scales and it was clear that he had struggled to make the weight.
He insisted that the only way he would agree to a rematch would be if Catterall moved up with him from 140 to 147lbs at welterweight.
But Taylor has since changed his tune. His promoters at Top Rank recently confirmed that negotiations are underway for him to fight American Jose Zepeda at 140.
Catterall has his own views on Taylor’s ability to make the weight at 140, pointing to the Scot’s victory over Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas last May which unified the division.
‘I think after the (Ramirez) fight, he’s been out and he’s enjoyed himself over the summer,’ says Catterall. ‘Our fight was scheduled for December, then it got put back to February.
‘I think he let himself go a bit too much. He needed extra time to get the weight off and it’s kind of become his excuse.
Catterall is now looking to the future as gears up for a return to action in the near future
‘He put a picture up after the weigh-in saying it was the best he’d ever felt. That’s why I’ve called him out on it and said he’s the king of contradiction.
‘But if he knuckles down and
