I rewatched Catterall-Taylor 1, and highlights of Lopez-Taylor.
Catterall seems to have written the book on how smaller fighters should fight 5' 10" Taylor. A book Teofimo Lopez, also smaller than Taylor, appears to have a signed copy of.
Crouch low, give the bigger Taylor a small target; force Taylor to come in and smother you and give up his size advantage. The different angles that comes from presenting Taylor with different heights leads to defensive gaps from Taylor; gaps that both Catterall and Lopez took advantage of. Both fighters hit Taylor flush with some nice punches.
Lopez was showboating in the Taylor fight. It leads me to wonder if Taylor was already Shot in Lopez-Taylor or even in Catterall-Taylor 1.
I draw a parallel between Josh Taylor and Regis Prograis. I contend Prograis was Shot after Prograis-Taylor in 2019. And that Taylor was Shot after the Ramirez fight in 2021. I would even go so far as to say Jose Ramirez might be Shot after fighting Taylor. (Aside: Taylor set the book on Ramirez: two left hand punches dropping Ramirez in rounds 6 and 7 respectively, creating the separation to allow the Scotsman to leave Las Vegas with four belts and undisputed status).
Ramirez fought shot or aged out versions of Pedraza, Commey and Bartelemy.
Prograis fought Heraldez and Redkach (two no-namers), Tyrone McKenna (who was focused on his podcast and movie career), a shot Chon Zepeda; then he got a gift win over Zorilla in his hometown, and cashed out in fight 2 of a 3 fight Matchroom contract against Devin Haney. (Prograis' promotion problems stemmed from the main promoters being aware that he was shot).
Taylor showed how he was shot less directly than Ramirez and Prograis. He takes the Catterall fight and wins through the Magic of Top Rank in February, 2022. Then Taylor gave up 3 belts by failing to fight his mandatories. Taylor-Catterall 2A was scheduled for April 2023, but cancelled due to "injury". Despite the "injury", Taylor was able to make camp for a June 2023 fight versus Teofimo Lopez.
Taylor-Catterall 2B is scheduled for April 2024, and again delayed due to another "injury".
I was going to say what would happen if the Taylor in Taylor-Catterall 1 showed up, but I think even that version of Taylor was Shot.
He's had no "stay busy" fights to prepare him to fight smaller opponents. He looked fat at the face off interview show on DAZN, and in the introduction press conference for Catterall-Taylor 2B.
I'm trying to think of a parallel in Taylor's favour. Maybe Leigh Wood? Or Oscar Valdez? The difference with those fighters is that Taylor lacks the "X-factor" a la Wood's one punch KO potential or Oscar Valdez' toughness and experience against top opposition. And Josh Warrington / Maurico Lara and LIam Wilson's fighting styles give more opportunities to Knock Them Out. Catterall is more like Richardson Hitchins, so it's hard to see Taylor being able to "out tough" Catterall like Wood and Valdez did to their opponents.
A welterweight parallel might be Barrios-Ugas where Barrios just had a little or a lot more than Ugas in every way.
That's not even to mention the usual "business of boxing". Taylor is inactive with Top Rank; Top Rank has a surplus of 140 lbers. Catterall signed with Matchroom in 2023, and Eddie Hearn invested in a Jorge Linares cash out. Matchroom is flush with Saudi Cash. The fight is in Leeds, not Scotland. Other than Richardson Hitchins, I can't think of another fighter at 140 lbs for Matchroom.
And I mentioned in another post that Matchroom appears to set Catterall, Paddy Donovan, and Chevron Clarke on similar trajectories and put them all on the same card.
I rewatched Catterall-Taylor 1, and highlights of Lopez-Taylor.
Catterall seems to have written the book on how smaller fighters should fight 5' 10" Taylor. A book Teofimo Lopez, also smaller than Taylor, appears to have a signed copy of.
Crouch low, give the bigger Taylor a small target; force Taylor to come in and smother you and give up his size advantage. The different angles that comes from presenting Taylor with different heights leads to defensive gaps from Taylor; gaps that both Catterall and Lopez took advantage of. Both fighters hit Taylor flush with some nice punches.
Lopez was showboating in the Taylor fight. It leads me to wonder if Taylor was already Shot in Lopez-Taylor or even in Catterall-Taylor 1.
I draw a parallel between Josh Taylor and Regis Prograis. I contend Prograis was Shot after Prograis-Taylor in 2019. And that Taylor was Shot after the Ramirez fight in 2021. I would even go so far as to say Jose Ramirez might be Shot after fighting Taylor. (Aside: Taylor set the book on Ramirez: two left hand punches dropping Ramirez in rounds 6 and 7 respectively, creating the separation to allow the Scotsman to leave Las Vegas with four belts and undisputed status).
Ramirez fought shot or aged out versions of Pedraza, Commey and Bartelemy.
Prograis fought Heraldez and Redkach (two no-namers), Tyrone McKenna (who was focused on his podcast and movie career), a shot Chon Zepeda; then he got a gift win over Zorilla in his hometown, and cashed out in fight 2 of a 3 fight Matchroom contract against Devin Haney. (Prograis' promotion problems stemmed from the main promoters being aware that he was shot).
Taylor showed how he was shot less directly than Ramirez and Prograis. He takes the Catterall fight and wins through the Magic of Top Rank in February, 2022. Then Taylor gave up 3 belts by failing to fight his mandatories. Taylor-Catterall 2A was scheduled for April 2023, but cancelled due to "injury". Despite the "injury", Taylor was able to make camp for a June 2023 fight versus Teofimo Lopez.
Taylor-Catterall 2B is scheduled for April 2024, and again delayed due to another "injury".
I was going to say what would happen if the Taylor in Taylor-Catterall 1 showed up, but I think even that version of Taylor was Shot.
He's had no "stay busy" fights to prepare him to fight smaller opponents. He looked fat at the face off interview show on DAZN, and in the introduction press conference for Catterall-Taylor 2B.
I'm trying to think of a parallel in Taylor's favour. Maybe Leigh Wood? Or Oscar Valdez? The difference with those fighters is that Taylor lacks the "X-factor" a la Wood's one punch KO potential or Oscar Valdez' toughness and experience against top opposition. And Josh Warrington / Maurico Lara and LIam Wilson's fighting styles give more opportunities to Knock Them Out. Catterall is more like Richardson Hitchins, so it's hard to see Taylor being able to "out tough" Catterall like Wood and Valdez did to their opponents.
A welterweight parallel might be Barrios-Ugas where Barrios just had a little or a lot more than Ugas in every way.
That's not even to mention the usual "business of boxing". Taylor is inactive with Top Rank; Top Rank has a surplus of 140 lbers. Catterall signed with Matchroom in 2023, and Eddie Hearn invested in a Jorge Linares cash out. Matchroom is flush with Saudi Cash. The fight is in Leeds, not Scotland. Other than Richardson Hitchins, I can't think of another fighter at 140 lbs for Matchroom.
And I mentioned in another post that Matchroom appears to set Catterall, Paddy Donovan, and Chevron Clarke on similar trajectories and put them all on the same card.