JOSH TAYLOR is back in action tonight as he takes on mandatory challenger Jack Catterall for his undisputed super-lightweight world titles.Taylor hasn’t been in the ring since his big win over Jose Ramirez out in Las Vegas last May, which Catterall was ringside for.
The Englishman stepped aside to allow that fight to happen, with a guarantee to fight the winner, something he finally gets to do this evening.
Elsewhere on the card, Robeisy Ramirez faces Eric Donovan in the co-main, while Scottish heavyweights Nick Campbell and Jay McFarlane battle it out further down the card.
Start time: 7pm GMT
Main event start time: 10.30pm GMT
TV/Live stream: Sky Sports Arena/Main Event
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When is Taylor vs Catterall?
Josh Taylor’s big clash with Jack Catterall will take place on Saturday, February 26.
The main card is set to get going from 7pm UK time, with the main event expected around 10.30pm.
The fight will take place at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.
There will be a full capacity crowd of 15,000 inside the arena for Taylor vs Catterall.
Josh Taylor speaks
Josh Taylor had teased a move up to welterweight before the fight and has all-but confirmed he will move up in weight.
He said: “To be honest, I made the weight pretty well, I made the weight good. But it is getting harder to make that weight.
“That most likely will be my last fight at 140, but we’ll sit down with my team. I left it a little bit late to make preparations for the weight cut with injuries , so we left it a little bit late to get the weight off.
“We couldn’t get the weight off with my conditioning with the running so I left it a little bit late to get the weight off.
“But I still made it and performed.”
Credit: PA
Josh Taylor speaks
Asked if he believes he won, Taylor says: “Yeah 100 or cent. Thought I started a little slow, bit once I got into my rhythm and timing and started catching him with the bigger shots.
“He was trying trying to spoil a lot, going down an awful lot, a lot of clashing of heads.
“He caught me with a couple of good shots, I’m not going to lie. It wasn’t my best performance, I put a lot of pressure on myself this couple of weeks, it being my homecoming, first time in three years, first time since lockdown back at home.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself, being the heavy favourite and it showed in the first half of the fight.
“But once I got in my rhythm, I started catching him with the bigger shots. It wasn’t my best performance but I believe I got the win 100 per cent. But Jack did very well.”
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
Taylor vs Catterall
Poor Jack Catterall, who has just boxed out of his skin, has been taken out of the arena.
The result should have never been in doubt and the reaction in the arena amongst the pundits and fans online agree.
As Tasha Jonas put, they’ve ‘robbed him of his glory’.
Taylor vs Catterall
Judges score the bout: 113-112 Catterall, 114-111 Taylor, and 113-112, winner by split-decision and STILL champion, Josh Taylor.
Wow, someone call the police as there has been a robbery in Scotland.
Jack Catterall should be crowned world champion but has had his moment stolen…
Taylor vs Catterall
What a performance by Jack Catterall, who has surely produced the performance of his life.
He even scored a knockdown in round eight and largely bossed the action in Taylor’s backyard.
Boxing’s reputation on the line as we go to the judges scorecards – as a NEW undisputed champion MUST be announced.
Credit: PA
Taylor vs Catterall
Round 12 – Catterall looking to retreat and hold as his shock win is edging closer.
Taylor lands a left hand but Catterall comes back with a combination and sees the fight out.
Josh Taylor puts his hands up but Jack Catterall has surely won this and provided a massive upset on the road.
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
Taylor vs Catterall
Round 11 – Left hand misses for Taylor as Catterall rolls out, a sign of his confidence as he remains in the lead.
Taylor constantly coming forward with a high guard but nothing landing of note.
Heading into the 12th and final round and it’s looking like a monumental upset is on the cards. Taylor now given a point off…
Credit: Reuters
Taylor vs Catterall
Round 10 – Catterall gets a point taken off, looked like for holding and maybe pushing Taylor’s head down.
At this point doesn’t look like it will have much affect on the cards. Again they come together and the ref tells them off.
Body shot lands for Taylor and Catterall is now on the back foot in a more positive round for the champion.
Credit: Reuters
Taylor vs Catterall
Round 9 – Left hand pushes Catterall back, Taylor needs to throw all he can at this.
Clash of heads as Taylor desperately comes forward and looks to find something special.
Catterall lands a couple of nice left hands but the two are told off towards the end of the round for constant coming togethers.
Credit: Reuters
Taylor vs Catterall
Round 8 – TAYLOR DOWN! Looks like a short left hand put the champion on the floor.
Here comes Catterall as Taylor looks to hold and defuse the momentum.
Who saw this coming?
Credit: PA
Taylor vs Catterall
Round 7 – The pair clinch and Taylor wings a left over the top looking to put a dent in Catterall.
Uppercut lands for Taylor, he needed that, but Catterall gets back on the jab and regroups.
Taylor frustrated as his work is smothered. If he pulls this back it will be a true champion’s performance, but he need to turn it round.
Credit: PA
Taylor vs Catterall
Round 6 – Catterall pushes Taylor back and has him on the ropes as again it gets messy.
Taylor looks marked up on his right eye and really struggling to get in his groove.
Catterall lands a big left hand but Taylor landed at the same time. Champion could be in trouble here heading into the second half.
Credit: Reuters
Taylor vs Catterall
Round 5 – Masive combination lands for Catterall, one-two then a left hook combination.
Taylor looks to come forward, throws a left uppercut but not really finding the mark.
Catterall lands another one-two combination but Taylor comes back and fires back, looking a bit desperate and forceful.
Credit: Reuters
Taylor vs Catterall
Round 4 – Taylor looking to close the gap but Catterall doing a good job in throwing as he does.
Getting scrappy between them with a lot of clinching and grabbing, Catterall landing a sneaky body shot.
Tight and hard to score round but Catterall is boxing really well and in the eyes of most running up an early lead.
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
Taylor vs Catterall
Round 3 – Taylor coming forward and looking to impose some pressure, gets a telling off for a shot after the clinch.
Sneaky left hand lands for Catterall over the top, follows up with a cute uppercut.
Taylor lands a few lead right hands but is caught coming in also, with Catterall starting really well here.
NINTCHDBPICT000714921376Credit: Kenny Ramsay
Taylor vs Catterall
Round 2 – Bit of grappling between the two and Taylor looks somewhat frustrated, struggling to find his range.
Taylor doubles up with his jab and starts to implement his size a bit better but nothing clean landing.
Catterall almost picks Taylor up and is given a telling off, later spending the round covering up as the champion let his hands go.
Credit: Reuters
Taylor vs Catterall
Round 1 – Here we go, undisputed super-lightweight world titles on the line in Scotland.
Big left hand lands for Catterall early but Taylor shakes it off and comes back.
Cagey affair for most of the round with little to separate them, despite Catterall’s early rear hand, possibly giving him the round.
Taylor vs Catterall
Here is how the two compare as they are introduced by Top Rank’s rather excited MC.
Taylor vs Catterall
Scotland’s undisputed king now makes his way to the ring and is given a hero’s welcome.
This is likely his last fight at the 140lb super-lightweight limit but he first defends all four belts for the first time.
Arguably Britain’s best fighter right now is braced for his return.
Taylor vs Catterall
Here comes the challenger, 26-0 unbeaten Jack Catterall, who is met with a chorus of boos as he walks into the ring.
Josh Taylor has insisted time and time again that Catterall will not be able to withstand his talent.
But we’ve seen stranger things in the ring…
Can’t they weight?
It got a bit tasty at the weigh in yesterday between the two headliners.
They almost came to blows after Jack Catterall grabbed Josh Taylor by the throat, sparking a bit of argy bargy.
Nonetheless, they will settle it in the ring and it’s coming up next.
Brook admits Khan holds the aces
He says: “It’s all new, I am just enjoying my moment.
“In the contract Amir is still entited to a rematch but after that one-sided beating people might not want to see it.
“I am a fighter but contractually it is down to him.
“I will speak with my family and see what they say.”
Kell Brook babie!
The welterweight ace who slayed Amir Khan last week speaks to Sky Sports after watching a highlight rerun.
“It keeps getting better,” he says. “I am on cloud nine, everyone was so impressed with the performance, it was immense.
“It’s a huge weight off my shoulders because it was talked about for years. But I kept composed and put on an amazing performance.
“I feel like a superstar, it was a long-time coming.”
Ram-Rod
Ramirez will be pushed toward a featherweight world title inside a year and there are Brits in and around those titles.
Josh Warrington, Mick Conlan and Leigh Wood are all in featherweight title fights in the coming month.
Will any of those boys want to mix with Ramirez?
Ramirez wins TKO – R3
Donovan throws a few body shots and Ramirez tells the ref they are low blows.
Then Ramirez cracks Donovan’s ribs and he is ruined.
Victor Loughlin dives in when Donovan stops defending himself.
Great win for Ramirez.
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