This is a tough fight to call and it could really go either way. A draw wouldn't surprise me. I think Taylor has declined in the last couple years but at the same time he will really want to prove a point against such a bitter rival in Catterall. I am barely leaning a razor thin Taylor points win here.
Catterall by decision if he doesn't get robbed again. Taylor simply doesn't have the style to cope against Catterall's style. He uses his size to overwhelm smaller fighters up close, but Catterall will punish him as he comes in with his counters, using his aggression against him and even when Taylor does get up close, the bladed stance of Catterall means his shoulder and elbow prevents Taylor from being able to work inside and combined with the odd clinch it just shuts down Taylor's whole style. It's just a horrible style for Taylor as we saw in the first fight.
Buzzing that this rematch has finally been ****ing made. Taylor had an awful camp for the first fight (if anyone watched the BBC documentary, they'll know exactly what I mean) and I think he thought it was going to be a relatively straight forward nights work / homecoming party...... which completely back fired. The run that Josh Taylor went on to become undisputed champion was excellent, I think he's a fantastic fighter and actually doesn't get anywhere near the credit he deserves.... but he was very fortunate that night and he was also off the boil in the Lopez fight. The Josh Taylor of Ramirez and prior, comfortably beats both Jack Catterall and Teofimo Lopez in my eyes. Which begs the question... can he perform at 140 anymore ? He said he felt absolutely great in camp prior to Teo but then after 4 rounds of the fight, he felt like his legs just didn't have anything there. Clearly the weight is now an issue. I think he's bonkers agreeing to this rematch at 140 given how his performances have dipped in his last 2 fights. Hope Taylor can right this wrong but the fact that its at 140 worries me.
Personally i cant see Josh turning the clock back and putting in the kind of performance we got used to seeing from him on route to being undisputed at 140. I hope im wrong though
You're making up too many excuses for Josh. Even at his best, he has limitations. Lopez was simply too fast and dynamic for him. Josh has a very basic style, and it wasn't that hard for Teo to solve it. He's always had a basic style. Lopez is just a lot faster and more talented than a Ramirez. The Taylor hype on this forum used to be absurd before the first Catterall fight. You had fanboys on here saying that Taylor could be beat Crawford. That looks comical in retrospect.
140, Taylor still refuses to go up to welter despite looking dead at the weight in his last few fights.
Catterall couldn't knock out Linares. I think Taylor is mad washed, but if can't finish a used up Linares, he won't stop Taylor.
