Josh Taylor won but couldn’t shine; What is it now and what is the future of the 140 pound part?

After the decisively decisive win over Jose Ramirez in May in which he claimed the undisputed junior welterweight championship belt, Josh Taylor feels as though he’s on top of the world.

Taylor is expected to take care of mandatory challenger Jack Catterall on Saturday (as -1,300 betting favorites, according to Caesars Sportsbook), and then chase the 147-pound bout with Terence Crawford, ESPN’s £2 boxer.

Good, Taylor passed Catterall on Saturday in Glasgow, Scotland, but just enough, by the split decision. The common sentiment on social networks is that Taylor received a decisive gift for her hometown boxer. A judge scored it for Catterall, 113-112, defeated by 114-111 and 113-112 in favor of Taylor.

Taylor struggled for the first half of the round and was dropped in Round 8, before he ended the skirmish forcefully. The 31-year-old later said that this, “will most likely be my last fight at 140.”

After a lackluster performance, Taylor can certainly forget about heading straight into a belt war with Crawford.

Catterall was able to catch Taylor with precise forehand shots, and he used that hit to knock out the champion in Round 8. The challenger displayed impressive ring wit; he was able to stay out of range and tough Taylor timing with counter punches.

The 28-year-old England player was sacked as is customary, as Taylor will defend the title at home and with good reason. Taylor, in just 18 fights, has one of the best records in boxing, with wins over Ramirez, Regis Prograis, Ivan Baranchyk and Viktor Postol.

On the other hand, Catterall was once hailed as a top prospect but never competed at elite level as a professional. Against Taylor, he’s proven himself to be a serious player in the 140-pound weight class, which is likely to soon have four titles available to grab once Taylor vacates.

No, Catterall is not yet a champion, but he may have a short rank. And a heavyweight division that was once a heavyweight now shaped as a weight class will have many equal properties. Besides the arrival of Catterall, there is also Ramirez, who will return to action after six days in a tough game against Jose Pedraza. undefeated Gary Antuanne Russell (brother of Gary Russell Jr.) who was set to take on Postol in a follow-up fight late Saturday.

It was dangerous mass puncher Subriel Matias, and Prograis remains one of the elite boxers at 140 pounds. The junior weight division will also soon welcome former undisputed lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez Jr., as he suffered his first defeat of his career. With all the titles coming soon, other lightweight boxers like Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia, who have hinted at a future 5-pound jump, could be persuaded to make that move soon. a little more than expected.

Taylor, meanwhile, failed to impress after her breakout performance. He’s going to see his stock fall, and that’s sure to be reflected in ESPN’s next pound balance chart, where he’s currently ranked 7th. He’ll have a chance to shake it off. giving up achievements in a new weight class, but that opportunity may now go to an opponent who is building confidence rather than the world’s top heavyweight. – Mike Coppinger

What happens next for Josh Taylor, after this controversial decision win?

Taylor’s lackluster performance against Catterall has left doubts about the immediate impact he can make in the welterweight division. This is hardly a performance that claims to intensify the need for Taylor to be compared with the world’s heavyweight elite, or a performance that even mildly worries the Welding elite.

Taylor has talked about stepping up a weight division for bigger fights with current champions Crawford and Errol Spence Jr., but going up to a former champion could be a good option. more for the end of the year.

Kell Brook, start an impressive win against Amir Khan This opens up the possibility of extending his career, perhaps the most obvious choice for the next Taylor – if Brook can be persuaded to move on.

Brook, 35, the former IBF welterweight champion, seems unconvinced he needs to put his body through the torture to gain 147 pounds again after he stopped his human opponent. Mr. Khan last weekend. Young promoter Ben Shalom, of BOXXER, delivered the Brook vs. Khan last weekend, while Taylor’s controversial win over Catterall was a co-promotion between BOXXER and Top Rank, Taylor’s US promoter. Brook is a strong heavyweight and despite his defeats to Spence and Crawford, he has recently shown that when motivated he is still a dangerous fighter. Brook’s presence in the ring in Glasgow for Taylor’s most recent fight will only increase speculation about a clash in the Battle of Britain later this year.

“Let me have a little time off,” Brook said Saturday, during the Taylor vs. Catterall.

Britain’s Conor Benn is another option that will sell well in the UK, and Taylor may be drawn to that fight because of the top-level experience wormhole.

Failing to make those two picks at home, Taylor will be counting on herself to bounce back from last year’s run if she faces some of the top names in the weight division in America.

Crawford’s recent lawsuit against Top Rated raises doubts about the possibility that Taylor vs. Crawford. If that happens, Crawford, the WBO champion, starts off as a big favorite. Spence, the WBC and IBF champion, faced WBA champion Yordenis Ugas in a unified fight on April 16 and, like Crawford, Spence is an established heavyweight and champion boxer. weigh you.

Knockout machine Vergil Ortiz Jr will face England’s Michael McKinson on March 19 at USC’s Galen Center in Los Angeles. Ortiz, 23, will be the first dangerous fight for Taylor in the welterweight division. Top contender Jaron Ennis is a young and rapidly growing weightlifter.

If this fight leads to some deeper re-evaluation of the move to 147, Lopez could be included in the table as another fighter promoted by Top Rated. But just as Lopez lost her desire to go on to hit 135, Taylor couldn’t seem to stay in the junior weight class to make that fight. Lopez lost her four lightweight titles to George Kambosos Jr. in November.

Along those same lines, you can almost certainly rule out a rematch with Catterall.

“I’ve been doing pretty good weightlifting but it’s gotten harder and harder and that could very well be my last fight at 140,” Taylor said. “I don’t think there’s a need for a rematch, I think I won in a couple of rounds. hold and spoil.”

That’s no consolation, but after mastering boxing Catterall will most likely win the world championship title again when Taylor gives up the belt. Catterall has been a must-have for the WBO since 2019, and Liam Paro and Lopez could be options. Catterall can be crowned champion if he plays against Paro, but will have a harder time against former champions like Ramirez and Prograis.

Catterall is no longer in the spotlight after a clever performance against Taylor, and in the loss he will find more of his opportunities. But it won’t be difficult when the undisputed junior welterweight championship slips past him.

Jamie Moore, Catterall’s coach, said after the game against Taylor: “You’re talking about a kid who’s worked hard all his life, beat a champ in his own backyard and got robbed. “It’s disgusting. Jack is heartbroken.” – Nick Parkinson