- Who: Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall 2
- Date: Saturday, May 25, 2024
- Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
- Location: First Direct Arena in Leeds, England
- How to Watch: ESPN+
A rematch that was initially scheduled to take place in March 2023 goes down on Saturday, May 25, 2024, when Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall meet for the second time. The first bout between these two took place in February 2022. At the time, Taylor held the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring junior welterweight titles. He retained those belts in a controversial split-decision win at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. A foot injury knocked Taylor out of the rematch, and when he was able to return to the ring, he faced Teofimo Lopez in June 2023. Lopez defeated Taylor by unanimous decision, which left Taylor without a title. Here is some additional background on the fighters before we look at the betting breakdown for the rematch between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall.
Josh Taylor (19-1 with 13 knockouts) vacated three of the 140 pound titles he had while looking to book a rematch with Catterall. By the time he faced Lopez, Taylor was only the WBO champ. The loss to Lopez was the first defeat of his career. The 33-year-old is the No. 2 fighter in The Ring 140-pound ratings.
Jack Catterall (28-1 with 13 KOs) followed the loss to Taylor, the first of his career, with two unanimous decision wins. The 30-year-old is the No. 7 rated junior welterweight according to The Ring.
Before we look at the junior welterweight rematch between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall, check out the best boxing betting sites, where you can find the best boxing picks.
Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall 2 betting picks
Josh Taylor betting breakdown
The first thing to consider is that Josh Taylor has not fought since his June 2023 loss to Lopez. With that, there is some concern that the Scottish southpaw could have some ring rust. However, the bigger thing to consider is how Taylor looked against Lopez, and that was not great. Two of the scorecards in that fight were close, but many believed that judge Benoit Roussel had the right score at 117-111 for Lopez. This fight could come down to what Taylor has left to offer as a top-level boxer.
The first fight between these two showed that Taylor was a little surprised by Catterall’s style. That won’t be the case in the rematch. Taylor will be ready for Catterall’s awkward style. He also knows that there are a lot of people who are writing him off in this fight because of how the first fight between these two played out and his loss to Lopez. Taylor needs a win on Saturday to keep his high ranking in the division and to put the first fight with Catterall behind him. With all that in mind, I expect Taylor to be motivated and focused.
There is a chance that Taylor took both Catterall and Lopez too lightly. Don’t expect that to be the case in this rematch.
Jack Catterall betting breakdown
With two wins since his loss to Josh Taylor in their first meeting, Jack Catterall will be confident heading into this fight. Adding to that confidence is the fact that the rematch is taking place in his home country of England and not Taylor’s home of Scotland. That’s not to say the judges will be on his side, but the crowd will, and in close fights, that matters.
Catterall is more suited for 140 pounds than his opponent. Taylor has complained of the weight cut, and that’s not going to get easier as he ages and doesn’t fight all that often. Catterall is an excellent technical fighter, and he seemed to have a read on Taylor in their first meeting. Look for him to make some small adjustments in this rematch that could get the judges to see things for him.
One thing Catterall needs to do in this fight is to be more aggressive. He needs to throw more punches, and lead the dance more often than not. He cannot allow the judges to see Taylor as the aggressive fighter. That perception will hurt him. If Catterall can push Taylor, while still fighting with his crafty style, he has the chance to pick up the win in this 140-pound rematch.
Best Bets for Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall 2
With the way the first fight went between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall, look for this to be a tightly contested contest that goes the full 12 rounds. The betting pick is Catterall to get the decision win in this rematch.
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