UNDISPUTED world light-welterweight boxing champion Josh Taylor is refusing to let Jack Catterall derail his bid to write another chapter in the history books.
In May last year, Taylor defeated Jose Carlos Ramirez in Las Vegas to win the WBO and WBC light-welterweight titles and retain the WBA and IBF crowns.
The unanimous decision made the Prestonpans native one of only six men to have ever unified a division in the four-belt era, as well as the first Scottish or British boxer to ever achieve the feat. Saturday brings the first defence of those titles as 28-year-old Catterall, of Chorley, makes the trip north of the Border to Glasgow.
Taylor acknowledged that his undisputed status made him a man wanted by every light-welterweight on the planet and put a bullseye on his back, but he told Courier Sport that there was plenty more to come.
Speaking as he prepared for Saturday’s fight, Taylor said: “I still want to do things in the sport.
“I want to achieve more in the sport.
“If I am not successful in 10 days’ time then it puts a major speed bump in the way of achieving those goals in quick time; in the quickest time possible.
“It sets me back a little bit and I have to make sure I do well and put on a stellar performance.
“I need to bring my A-game to get the win.
“I have got what everybody else wants – all the belts.
“Everybody wants to come take them away and I have a massive target on my back and green light on my head.
“Everybody wants to take that away and I have got to do my job to make sure they are not successful.”
READ MORE: Josh Taylor blown away by his reception on arriving home in Prestonpans
Both Taylor, now of Haddington, and Catterall come into the bout at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro with unblemished records.
Thirty-one-year-old Taylor is 18-0 (13 KOs) and Catterall is 26-0 (13 KOs).
However, it is the calibre of opponent he has faced which the East Lothian man feels will make a difference.
His last six opponents – Viktor Postol, Ryan Martin, Ivan Baranchyk, Regis Prograis, Apinun Khongsong and Jose Carlos Ramirez – have had a combined record of 136-1 prior to fighting Taylor.
Similarly, four of the fighters – Postol, Baranchyk, Prograis and Ramirez – have been world champions on at least one occasion.
Taylor, who has previously hinted at a possible step-up in weight division to welterweight in the future to take on highly rated American champion Terence Crawford, said of his latest opponent: “Jack is a very good fighter.
“He is 26-0, undefeated and I see a lot of things he does well and things he does quite good.
“He is quite smart in the ring but he has just not fought at the level of opposition that I have yet.
“This is the first one and it is going to be a tough night for him.”
The bout was originally scheduled to take place on December 18 last year but was pushed back due to Taylor suffering a knee injury.
The former Commonwealth Games gold medallist stressed that the injury was now a thing of the past, with attention now firmly focused on Saturday evening.
The trip to Glasgow will be Taylor’s first fight on home soil since May 2019, when he became world champion for the first time with victory over Belarussian Baranchyk.
READ MORE: Josh Taylor putting aside friendship with Jack Catterall ahead of title defence
Taylor, who will marry fiancée Danielle Murphy this summer, said: “I cannot wait until Saturday.
“The last two years have been a pretty frustrating two years for everyone.
“I am looking forward to getting back to it and fighting in front of a big crowd.
“I cannot wait to get in there, put in a good performance and keep the winning streak going.
“Just fighting in front of a crowd full stop is great but I love fighting in front of a home crowd.
“They throw every single punch with me, which makes an amazing atmosphere.”
Ring walks are expected to take place at about 10pm on Saturday, depending on what happens on the undercard, and the fight will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
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