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Mike Coppinger, ESPN
The Josh Taylor-Jack Catterall rematch has been postponed for a third time.
Taylor underwent a procedure on his eye last month, pushing the fight off its intended April 27 date.
Taylor-Catterall 2 has now been rebooked for May 25, Matchroom Boxing announced Thursday.
The fight will still take place in Leeds, England, and be streamed on ESPN+ stateside and on DAZN in the U.K.
“I had a minor eye procedure at the beginning of February,” Taylor said Thursday on social media. “A subsequent checkup showed that I was on the right path for April 27. I attended a final checkup yesterday expecting to be signed off by the medical team. However, I was told that my recovery had slowed, and I was advised to postpone the fight.”
Catterall accused Taylor of stalling before the nature of injury was made public.
“All he’s done is stalled the beating he’s going to get and I promise you all I will rid this guy out of boxing once and for all,” Catterall said in a statement on Thursday.
When the two boxers first met in Scotland in February 2022, Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs) retained his undisputed junior welterweight championship in a controversial split-decision victory.
Catterall (28-1, 13 KOs) dropped Taylor in the eighth round and cut him over his left eye. The decision led to more bad blood between Taylor and Catterall.
The rematch was set for Feb. 2023 before a scheduling conflict delayed the bout last March. Then, Taylor suffered a torn plantar fascia, which seemed to doom the bout for good.
Rather than reschedule the rematch, Taylor chose to defend his lineal 140-pound championship against Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden in June, a fight where Taylor was soundly defeated via decision. The decision to forgo the rematch with Catterall further exacerbated the personal issues between the two boxers.
“I’ve wanted this fight since the moment the scorecards got read out in Glasgow,” Catterall said last month. “A few people say ‘move on Jack’, and that’s easy to say to when you’re not in my position. I get asked every day of my life multiple times a day, ‘when are you fighting Taylor again?’ This isn’t about belts, this is personal to me, and I can’t wait to get my hands on him. I don’t like him, I don’t respect him and … I’m going to end him.”
The 33-year-old Taylor — who vacated three of his four titles to proceed with the Catterall rematch — said after the Lopez defeat that he planned to move up to 147 pounds. But the fight with Catterall will again be contested at the 140-pound limit even with no title on the line.
Catterall, 30, has fought twice since that lone title challenge, with victories last year over Darragh Foley and former champion Jorge Linares, who retired shortly after Catterall outpointed him.
Taylor’s only fight since his February 2022 win over Catterall came against Lopez, his first pro defeat.
“I’ve never run from anyone in my life, especially not Jack Catterall,” Taylor said last month. “He has spent the last two years running from promoter to promoter while living off my name. Jack should be careful what he wishes for because he’s getting battered.”
Source: www.espn.com