Josh Taylor was all set to defend his undisputed super lightweight championship against Jack Catterall in front of his home fans at The OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. But the homecoming will have to wait after Taylor suffered a knee injury while training for the title defense.
The fight, originally planned for December 18, will now take place on February 26. The venue remains unchanged.
Josh Taylor says he feels “gutted” by the delay. “But I wanted to make sure I was 100% healthy,” the undisputed champion goes on to explain. “This homecoming has been a long time in the making, and it will be worth the wait.”
Josh Taylor is 18-0 as a professional fighter. Taylor has 13 registered knockouts. He took control of all four major belts at the 140-pound division in May when he scored a unanimous decision victory over Jose Ramirez.
Jack Catterall is undefeated in his 26 fights as a professional. He has also knocked out 13 of his previous opponents.
Catterall has been the mandatory challenger for Taylor’s WBO title since 2019 but agreed to step aside so that Taylor and Ramirez could unify the division. His patience paid off and Catterall now has an opportunity to grasp undisputed glory.
Catterall was last seen in the ring nearly a year ago in November 2020. He earned a decision victory over Abderrazak Houya in that contest.
Catterall says he is disappointed by the fight delay but knows that “everything happens for a reason.” He says the situation is not only bad for himself. The challenger apologized to the fans with pending travel plans to see the championship fight.
“I will remain professional and continue working toward the new fight date,” Catterall promises. “Obstacles like this are nothing new for me. I will be world champion.”