Josh Taylor is full of bravado as the defense of his undisputed 140-pound championship against Jack Catterall on Saturday approaches.
At the same time, the Scot, who will be fighting on home soil in Glasgow, knows that he faces a real challenge in his undefeated opponent from England.
The two met face to face at a news conference Thursday. They exchanged obligatory trash talk but acknowledged that neither man is expected to have an easy time, although Taylor is a significant favorite.
“Are you ready for Saturday?” Taylor asked Catterall, according to Sky Sports. “Are you going to run? Are you going to have a fight?
Catterall responded: “Of course, I’m not going to run from him. I’m prepared to go to any place possible to get the win. I’ll meet him in the middle. No bother.”
The challenger and his handlers dismissed Taylor’s attempts to get under Catterall’s skin. And Taylor changed his tone when he wasn’t playing mind games.
“[Taylor] has tried to get a bite out of him. But it isn’t going to happen,” said Jamie Moore, Catterall’s trainer. “It won’t have a bearing on the fight.”
Taylor expressed confidence but also respect for Catterall.
“How is he going to win?” Taylor asked. “I don’t think he will meet me in the center. I think he will try to walk me onto a shot. If he’s on the front foot, that plays into my hands. I’ve studied him diligently. He is a good defensive fighter, quite slick, he can punch hard, he is a clever fighter.
“This isn’t a one-sided fight. It’s my job to make it a one-sided fight. But it’s got the makings of a tough fight.”
Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs) united all four major junior welterweight titles by outpointing Jose Ramirez in his most-recent fight, in May of last year.
Catterall (26-0, 13 KOs) last fought in November 2020, when he decisioned Abderrazak Houya. He’s ranked No. 1 by the WBO, making him Taylor’s mandatory challenger.