“UK fighters with damaged joints” seem to be the theme of the week. Top Rank announced today that Josh Taylor suffered a knee injury ahead of his December 18th mandatory title defense against Jack Catterall, delaying the bout until February 26th of next year.
In case you can’t see the tweet:
Taylor (18-0, 13 KO) said, “I’m gutted I won’t be able to defend my title on December 18 as originally planned, but I wanted to make sure I was 100 percent healthy to give my incredible fans the show they deserve. This homecoming has been a long time in the making, and it will be worth the wait. I will see everyone on February 26.”
“Everything happens for a reason! I am gutted not just for me but for everyone who had planned to go,” Catterall (26-0, 13 KO) said. “I will remain professional and continue working for the new date. 2022, I will be world champion. Obstacles like this are nothing new for me. I will turn the frustration into positive energy.”
Catterall has been due for a shot at gold since January 2019, when Maurice Hooker held the belt. He’s stayed busy with a trio of wins over Oscar Amador, Timo Schwarzkopf, and most recently Abderrazak Houya in November of last year.
On the bright side, the other sanctioning bodies have yet to sort out their own mandatory challenger situation. Alberto Puello and Jose Ramirez are ranked 1st by the WBA and WBC, though neither organization has officially put them forth as contenders, and Jeremias Ponce and Subriel Matias still need to fight for IBF supremacy.
