Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall Preview Feb. 26th, 2022
Unbeaten WBO/WBC/WBA/IBF Super Lightweight Champion Josh Taylor of Scotland will be defending his titles against undefeated Jack Catterall of England this Saturday, February 26th. Taylor last fought in May when he beat Jose Ramirez via a close unanimous decision to take his WBO and WBC Titles after dropping him in the sixth and seventh rounds. Caterall last boxed in November when he beat Abderrazak Houya on points over 10 rounds. The 12-round tilt from Taylor’s hometown of Glasgow can be seen live in America on ESPN+ while those in the UK can catch the action on Sky Sports Arena.
Taylor vs Catterall Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Jack Catterall +750
- Josh Taylor -1500
My Pick
The 31-year-old Taylor is a southpaw who added the WBA and WBC Diamond titles to his collection in October, 2019 in the World Boxing Super Series finale against Regis Prograis by majority decision. He had beaten Ivan Baranchyk by unanimous decision to win the IBF crown earlier in the tournament in May, 2019 and then took Ramirez’s belts last year. He’ll enter the battle of the unbeaten with a perfect mark of 18-0 with 13 Kos.
It’s evident Taylor carries better-than-average power around with him as his current knockout ratio stands at 72.2 per cent. He turned pro back in 2015 and has 103 rounds under his belt since then. He stands 5-feet-10-inches tall and has a wingspan of 69.5 inches. Taylor’s other impressive wins have been over Ryan Martin, Viktor Postol, Winston Campos, Miguel Vazquez and Ohara Davies.
The ‘Tartan Tornado’ Taylor has fought mainly in the UK with a couple of bouts in America. He won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in India in 2010 in the lightweight division and went 1-1 at the 2012 Olympics in London, England. He then won a gold medal at the 2012 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He’s also been the Commonwealth Champion as a pro and Taylor has adapted well to the pro game and has surprised many opponents with his power and polished boxing skills.
The 28-year-old Catterall hails from Chorley and is also an unbeaten southpaw as he boasts a mark of 26-0 with 13 Kos. He possesses average power with a current knockout ratio of 50 per cent and has boxed 160 rounds since making his pro debut in 2012. Before that he enjoyed a pretty good amateur career in which he went 48-18 and captured a CYP title and reached the final of the Junior ABA’s.
Since turning pro he’s won a few regional and minor titles such as the BBBoC Central Area, WBO European, WBO Inter-Continental, and BBBoC British Super Lightweight Crowns. Catterall stands 5-feet-7-inches tall with an unlisted reach which means he gives up three inches in height to Taylor. He’s also taking a step up in class as his biggest wins so far have been against the likes of Nathan Brough, Thomas Stalker, Jarkko Putkonen, Jesus Rodriguez, Joe Hughes, Tyrone Nurse, Tyrone McKenna, Ohara Davies and Timo Schwarzkopf.
Prediction…
I’m not exactly sure why Catterall has earned a shot at an undisputed champion in Taylor and he’s getting a gigantic leap in class. He’s not expected to last long and likely won’t unless he has the fight of his life, much like Buster Douglas did against Mike Tyson back in 1990. Of course, anything can happen but it’s highly unlikely. I’m expecting Taylor to retain his titles without much of a problem on Saturday.
Taylor is far more polished than Catterall.
Play Taylor -1500 @ BetOnline.ag
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Jack Catterall betting • Josh Taylor betting