Josh Taylor had become the undisputed champion after a win over Jose Ramirez and was a solid resident of the pound-for-pound top ten.
Jack Catterall was the mandatory challenger from the WBO but had only one notable win, a unanimous decision over countryman Ohara Davies, and had shown few signs of power or at least any at the world-class level, so it was understandable that Taylor was the heavy favorite in their 2022 fight.
This being boxing, it was perfectly natural when Catterall outboxed, outlanded Taylor throughout the fight, and even knocked him down in the eighth round on his way to a surprising upset win.
Of course, Taylor escaped with a split decision (114-111, which I still don't see how that could be and 113-112 for Taylor and 113-112 for Catterall), and British boxing fans and media raged about the verdict.
Stung by the reception of social media about his win, Taylor signed for a Catterall rematch but a knee injury caused a postponement and the WBO insisted that despite Catterall being their mandatory and the controversy of the first fight it should be Teofimo Lopez getting the next shot at Taylor.
Taylor lost his title to Lopez soundly and combined with the "win" over Catterall has caused many to consider him as a fighter on the decline.
Catterall has only fought twice since the Taylor fight, winning a decision in his last outing over faded former standout Jorge Linares but he seems to be the fighter with the most to lose and yet the one that is in top form.
I'm not saying that this will be an action-packed affair but it should prove to be an intriguing one with a vibe of "don't be surprised by anything that could happen"
Boxing Challenge
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