Undisputed super-lightweight champion Taylor wanted a fight with unified lightweight king Lopez, but the American wasn't interested in coming to the UK and he will now likely face Jack Catterall

Josh Taylor has slammed lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez after it was confirmed that he will defend his undisputed world super-lightweight title in a homecoming for the ages at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow later this year.

The Scot is likely to face Jack Catterall, who allowed his unification bout with Jose Ramirez to take place earlier this year on the condition that he would face the winner, with December 18 looking the likely date.

ESPN initially reported that the bout was set for the Christmas-time date, and asked by Mirror Fighting to confirm the bout, Taylor said that while it isn't fully signed, he expects that to be his next outing.

Speaking in Belfast at the Michael Conlan vs TJ Doheny card at Falls Park, Taylor said that while it isn't 100% just yet, he is expecting to face Catterall in his home country later this year.

"It's not fully confirmed, but it's looking like that is going to be next, but we don't know so I can't comment too much," Taylor explained.


"It will be [in Glasgow], we were looking to get an outside venue in Edinburgh in Easter Road but December in Scotland it just wasn't going to happen.

"So it's back to the Hydro in Glasgow where I have had most of my successes in my career; I won my gold medal in the Commonwealth Games there and I won my world title there.

"I've had big fights there so it's like my second home and I can't wait to get home and fight again."

And asked about a potential super-fight with Lopez, who won the unified belts a division up late last year, the Scot wasn't too impressed with his insistence that the fight take place in the United States.

Lopez is expected to defend his own belts against George Kambosos later this year, after missing out on their June date due to a positive covid test.

But when Mirror Fighting asked him in May if he would fight Taylor, he said that he would only do it if the bout were to take place outside of the Scot's home country.

"He's a s***house," Taylor said last night. "He's there going 'oh I'll fight him, just not for this reason or that reason', enough about that s***house!"

Speaking ahead of his initially planned bout with Kambosos, Lopez had said that he "wouldn't take that fight in the UK."

"It's not because I don't believe I would beat him in the UK," Lopez clarified. "It's just that I can see how much of the animosity there is from folks caring that I'm 'not undisputed' at 135, so I could just see the favouritism over there.

"That fight will be somewhere over here, but at the end of the day I'm slowly becoming a cash cow in this division and these guys can make a better paycheque fighting me where I choose.

"I do eventually want to fight in the UK, however, I don't want to five anybody the upper hand over me, I've done that numerous times so the whole thing now is about playing my cards right.

"But I do want to make those fights happen, though."

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxin...asgow-24710822