When the subject of “best pound-for-pound” fighter comes up, a name that isn’t mentioned all that much is Josh Taylor. But there are a number of boxing insiders who kind of like his chances to get to the top of the list someday.
A number of things would have to break right for him, including a signature victory or two, preferably against someone else on that list. That may yet come, but that occasion won’t necessarily be this weekend’s bout with Jack Catterall, which nonetheless fulfills a championship obligation for Taylor, who has possession of WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF belts, which makes him an “undisputed” junior welterweight champion.
And he’ll put that all on the line on Saturday night on ESPN at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.
Catterall, whose amateur career didn’t produce a whole lot to celebrate, is 26-0 with 13 KO’s. He’s taken the long way around to getting this opportunity, waiting for more than a year with his #1 ranking while things got sorted out in the junior welterweight division, and then stepping aside to allow Taylor to unify the 140-pound title against Jose Ramirez, who had the WBC and WBO straps.
He’s been the WBO’s mandatory challenger for quite some time. But you probably shouldn’t be swayed by such a thing. In case you’re not aware, organizations like the World Boxing Organization (WBO) tend to place fighters in that spot based less on their qualifications than their connections.
We’ll explore if Catterall is as good as his credentials. But meanwhile, Taylor’s resume, though credible, doesn’t come screaming out at you either, at least not compared to his would-be competitors in the “pound-for-pound” race.
Essentially, that leaves you with the eye test, something oddsmakers have undoubtedly done. And they are not leaving a lot of room for Catterall to win this one:
Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall Betting Lines
Josh Taylor -1400
Jack Catterall +750
Over 10.5 Rounds -110
Under 10.5 Rounds -110
If you’re looking for an angle, this is a rather uncommon situation in that we’ve got one southpaw against another. Actually, that takes away a potential gain for Catterall, in that at least a lefty that is somewhat awkward can throw an unorthodox opponent off-balance.
Catterall doesn’t really throw a stiff jab out there. He comes forward, using the right hand as kind of a range-finder in pursuit of landing his straight left hand. There really isn’t a full arsenal to call upon. If someone like that was a big puncher with the left hand, it would be one thing. But Catterall hasn’t given an indication that he can throw a lot of caution to the wind, and that kind of thing will usually amount to trouble.

If I am helping Taylor shape his game plan, what I’m telling him to do is move to his left, and thus away from whatever power Catterall may generate with his left hand. That would cause the challenger to lunge a little more, and I’ve seen that from Catterall.
I’ve also seen Taylor demonstrating the ability to move to his left, when he was fighting a southpaw, Regis Prograis. However, he’s not going to commit himself to maintaining a distance. He’ll let Catterall in. But Taylor is pretty good at fighting on the inside. And he can put together combinations. That’s obviously a strength of his, indicative of a big advantage, in that he is so much more versatile.
Taylor vs. Catterall Method of Victory Pick
So yes, he wins. But how? Here are some prices on the exact result:
Josh Taylor by Decision or Technical Decision (+140)
Josh Taylor by KO, TKO or DQ (-140)
Jack Catterall by Decision or Technical Decision (+1200)
Jack Catterall by KO, TKO or DQ (+1400)
Draw (+2200)
Catterall could conceivably go the distance, and in that case you’d be looking at a decent price here on Taylor winning by decision (+140). That’s viable. But I would suggest another direction.
If you believe, as I do, that Catterall isn’t going to be hard to find (meaning that his intention won’t be staying out of Taylor’s range to avoid getting hit), and that Taylor can, with impunity, operate on the inside because of Catterall’s relative lack of big-league power, the opportunity for a KO will certainly be there. And even though Taylor isn’t the most experienced pro in the world (18-0,13 KO’s), he is still capable of taking Catterall to places he’s never been before.
So we’ll lay a small price (-140) on Taylor ending this inside the scheduled 12-round distance. That might bring the “under” into play for you (-110).
Check out our pay per head reviews and sports handicappers reviews.