Josh Taylor’s former trainer Shane McGuigan has given a strong assessment of his old tutee’s performance against Jack Catterall.
The champion was very fortunate to retain his undisputed super-lightweight world titles on Saturday night, winning a decision which is now being investigated by the British Boxing Board.
Up to 2019, Taylor was trained by Shane McGuigan and promoted/managed by his father Barry McGuigan.
However, following his unification win over Regis Prograis, he split from the McGuigans and joined up with Ben Davison, Top Rank and MTK Global.
He then went on to beat Jose Ramirez and collect the final two super-lightweight belts, which he arguably should have lost to Catterall on Saturday.
McGuigan told Boxing Social: “I thought Catterall won.
“I didn’t think it was the same Josh Taylor that was in my gym.
“Disappointed. Done a lot of hard work, five years of fantastic work and honestly it frustrates me to see him boxing like that.
“I know it’s not even the weight, it’s simply the fact that he’s trying to change his style.
“He said something in an interview that he looked back at the Regis Prograis fight and thought he could’ve done certain things better.
“And actually, right now, he should be looking back at that fight and thinking – it actually makes you more vulnerable.
“Because he’s getting out-jabbed. He’s a high paced pressure fighter that’s fantastic on the inside, but his hands were down by his chest, he’s walking into punches and getting his head jabbed off.
“He needs to do better than that.”
Taylor has now said he intends to move up to welterweight.
Asked if this is the right move, McGuigan said: “No, he’s gonna lose his attributes going up to 147lbs, he needs to stay at 140lbs.”
Giving his verdict on Catterall’s performance, McGuigan added: “I didn’t even think he was that good.
“I’m not doing it to be disrespectful to Jack Catterall – he was great on the jab, he was great at slowing the pace down.
“It wasn’t like a George Kambosos Jr vs Teofimo Lopez where he really shone, he just did the basics well, diffused him on the inside and Taylor got switched off on the jab.
“Josh has a habit of looking for perfect shots and you can’t be a perfectionist when you’re working with Josh Taylor, you need to think about what he does well.
“He punches great in combinations, he closes the gap well, some great hand defences and he’s a great attacking fighter, don’t take that away from him.”
https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/1...ack-catterall/
Do not let success go to your head and do not let failure get to your heart.
Had a rewatch and let's get the elephant out of the room...that was a very ugly fight. Just a mess. Fairness to both fighters the biggest criminal of the night was the ref. Continual interjection complete with walk abouts and lectures like a stressed nanny. He broke momentum round to round and stole points from both in the most important telling points that are the 'championship rounds'. Catterall did enough, did more of what he wanted to do in there and made Taylor look be very ordinary. But I'm more in the close decision camp rather than a total outright robbery. Terms like robbery and great are thrown around weekly now. I mean it came to literally 1 point on 2 of 3 cards, not a unanimous 117-112 or so. Taylor clearly leaving the division and now it's wide open. Catterall is not finished at all. Exact opposite really. Will get a pretty winnable (save for Prograis) vacant shot and maybe 1 before all 3 belts can be an even better springboard.
It’s ok saying “after re-watching , it was a close fight.” And Froch made a decent point about the challenger getting negative in the last 4 rounds not being a good look to the judges.
But I still haven’t heard anybody saying Taylor won. So 100% of people gave it to Catterall and it’s not a robbery ?
You shouldn’t have to win every round and knock the champion down 6 times to take his title.
You just have to win the fight. It is a sport ffs and should be fair and competitive. It’s not a handicap horse race.
Former Undisputed 4 belt Prediction champion. Still P4P and People’s Champion.
Josh Taylor is set to vacate the light-welterweight throne in pursuit of Terence Crawford and a furious Jack Catterall wants his shot at vengeance... so what comes next for both fighters after their controversial undisputed battle last weekend?
Three days have now passed since he was cruelly and inexplicably denied his rightful place on top of the light-welterweight throne, but for Jack Catterall the burning sense of injustice will continue to run deep.
On Saturday night he should have been crowned the new 140lbs king. It seems every man and his dog is in agreement about that.
Yet instead, despite winning a handful of rounds at best and being floored in the eighth, current emperor Josh Taylor illegitimately reigned supreme again thanks to a couple of farcical scorecards in his favour.
Catterall was denied what many felt was a clear win against Josh Taylor on Saturday night
Taylor retained his undisputed light-welterweight crown in highly controversial fashion© Provided by Daily Mail Taylor retained his undisputed light-welterweight crown in highly controversial fashion
The British Boxing Board of Control have revealed they will be investigating Saturday's result after it sparked a level of outrage not seen on these shores since Carl Froch controversially stopped George Groves back in November 2013.
Unfortunately for Catterall, who is already calling for a rematch, unlike Groves he will not get an immediate shot at vengeance. Well, not for the undisputed title anyway.
Despite his unwavering public front that he was a deserving winner Taylor will know deep down that Catterall got the better of him in Glasgow last weekend. For a fighter and champion as fiercely driven as him, that is a wrong that needs to be righted.
In typical circumstances the Scot would most probably jump at the chance to arrange an instant rematch, prepare for it like never before and put to bed any doubts over his credibility as champion by coming out on top.
However, it was glaringly obvious when he stepped onto the scales at last Friday's weigh-in, while looking as gaunt and drained as he ever has done at 140lbs, that a subsequent move up to welterweight is now essential for both his health and wealth.
The champion looked more drained than usual when stepping onto the scales last Friday
More lucrative opportunities against the likes of Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr and Yordenis Ugas at 147lbs were always going to be next in his sights once Catterall had seemingly been brushed aside. Though after an unusually lethargic and frail showing, heading to welterweight is now essential.
Taylor clearly cannot boil himself down to the light-welterweight limit any longer and is therefore set to embark on a fresh bid for supremacy. He has already welcomed a rematch with Catterall at welterweight, but it would be a surprise to see the latter follow him there and accept that offer with no titles up for grabs.
While the BBBoC cannot overturn his disgraceful defeat last weekend, when Taylor vacates his four championships as expected Catterall will hope to be granted a shot at the WBO title he was previously mandatory for.
He is hoping to test himself against elite opposition up at 147lbs such as Terence Crawford
The WBO would likely match him with their No 2-ranked light-welterweight, which as things stand is Australian star Liam Paro.
Paro, 25, has won all 22 of his professional contests to date, although he is yet to be tested against world-level opposition and has only fought outside of his home country on one occasion so far.
Other potential opponents in the frame to meet Catterall for the vacant title would be No 3-ranked Teofimo Lopez, the former unified lightweight champion set to move up to light-welterweight after his defeat against George Kambosos Jr last year, and No 4 and 5-ranked stars Arnold Barboza Jr (26-0) and Jose Zepeda (35-2).
It remains to be seen how he copes at 140lbs, but Lopez, considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in world boxing prior to his humbling against Kambosos, would pose Catterall's biggest threat if firing on all cylinders.
Catterall will hope to compete for the vacant WBO title if Taylor moves up as expected
Nevertheless, it would be a surprise to see Paro fail to grasp his golden opportunity in the No 2 slot, and that is certainly a winnable fight for the Brit.
Getting his hands on the WBO title would be the perfect next step on his delayed route to the light-welterweight summit, before he could turn his attention to potential unifications with other belt holders.
As for Taylor, WBO rules state that any undisputed champion who moves up in weight is automatically installed as their mandatory challenger in that division. He may have lost his crown jewels in the eyes of many, but on paper the 31-year-old will still enjoy that luxury when he ventures into the welterweight ranks.
Yet on the back of a punishing and gruelling encounter with Catterall, and having never competed at the weight before, Taylor is not ready to jump straight in with current champion and pound-for-pound master Crawford.
Taylor would benefit from one or two warm-up fights at welterweight before facing Crawford© Provided by Daily Mail Taylor would benefit from one or two warm-up fights at welterweight before facing Crawford
It would serve him better to undergo a couple of 147lbs warm-ups before locking horns with one of the division's giants. A routine, winnable outing against an overmatched foe first followed by a slightly more challenging task to ensure he is fully prepared for another crack at world honours.
Once the initial tune-up bout is complete, a fringe world-level opponent such as David Avanesyan or Egidijus Kavaliauskas would be a difficult test that Taylor is more than capable of overcoming. An all-British battle with former champion Kell Brook could even be of interest.
Though with that being said, all three of those potential match-ups would also represent a significant risk when a mandatory shot at Crawford is already on the table.
Whatever their next moves, Taylor and Catterall appear to be setting off in different directions.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...cid=entnewsntp
Do not let success go to your head and do not let failure get to your heart.
Just happened to see it the same each time. Froch may be onto something too. Catterall again, the cleaner guy doing more of what he wanted to do. But it was just a fractured type fight. Style wise and again the spastic officiating. Jack won it but when I think robbery it's a negative widish wash on the cards. Just one man's opinion and I cannot speak to the consensus of the internet. Totally agree you don't have to batter a guy pillar to post to 'take' a belt. Outdated cliche with too much emphasis on dime a dozen trinkets rather than the talent that turns boxing on its head.
Naw, if 100% of people give it to one guy and the judges give it to the other it’s a robbery. Nobody gave it to Taylor, you couldn’t. But they did. That’s a robbery
Josh Taylor says he is keen on a rematch with Jack Catterall, but maintains it would have to take place without titles on the line at a catchweight.
Taylor remained undisputed super-lightweight champion via a split decision in his Scotland homecoming last month, despite being knocked down, cut and out-boxed by Catterall for long periods.
The decision was a major shock to the large majority of ringside analysts, with the entire Sky Sports team in agreement Catterall had done enough to become world champion.
The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) is now investigating the scoring. Howard Foster scored the bout 113-112 to Catterall, but Victor Loughlin gave it to Taylor by the same scoreline reversed, and Ian John-Lewis scored it 114-111 in the Scot's favour.
Taylor has since expressed his intention to move up to the 147lbs welterweight division, citing the trouble he had making weight for the fight, but has hinted he could agree to a catchweight clash with Catterall somewhere nearer to the 140lbs they met at in Glasgow.
Asked whether Catterall should get another world title shot, Taylor told Sky Sports News: "Of course, I think he deserves it.
Could Taylor-Catterall decision have been avoided?Shalom: Taylor-Catterall rematch at catchweight?
"We'll see what happens down the line - we can have a fight again with Jack, why not. I'm certainly open to it, so we'll see what happens.
"Most likely at a catchweight. I can't make the weight anymore safely, I don't think. So we'll see how it goes, but I'm keen for a rematch."
Moore: Catterall should get to fight for all the belts
Catterall's trainer Jamie Moore, who was present along with Taylor at the British Boxing Board of Control's 2021 awards ceremony in London on Sunday, suggested his fighter remains focused on becoming world champion.
Moore is hopeful the ongoing BBBofC investigation into the scoring of Taylor's win results in some positive news for the Catterall camp, but is concerned another shot at becoming undisputed champion could evade his fighter.
"In an ideal world, if the right thing could be done and there was an independent inquiry into it, you'd like to think that the decision could be overturned, but that's not going to happen," Moore told Sky Sports News.
"So the best scenario we feel is that they could enforce the rematch, whether that would take place I don't know.
"My gut feeling is that Josh would then move up to 147 - he did look tight at the weight - and then Jack gets his opportunity to fight for the vacant titles.
"But he's only mandatory for the WBO, so in itself then lies a problem. You'd like to think that all the governing bodies would then decide that Jack was hard done by, it was a very controversial decision, and let him fight for all the belts.
"Politically, they've not always worked in sync with each other, the governing bodies, but you'd like to think that in a situation like this, where the vast majority of the boxing world are all reading off the same page, that would happen."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...cid=entnewsntp
Do not let success go to your head and do not let failure get to your heart.
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