‘I respect Josh… but I am coming to take all his belts’: Challenger Jack Catterall on fighting Josh Taylor

Challenger Jack Catterall has revealed he is going to inflict a first defeat on undisputed super lightweight world champion Josh Taylor by "punching his head in".

After a somewhat low-key media conference at the Royal Scots Club in the Capital on Tuesday ahead of the duel at the Hydro on February 26, things were ramped up a notch in London's Oxford Street yesterday as 28-year-old Catterall was first to show his hand.

The Chorley fighter, a former British and WBO Inter-Continental champion, boasts an unblemished record of 26 wins without defeat, eight more than Taylor.

Conceding that the Prestonpans puncher has fought and overcome a higher calibre of opponent en route to becoming the king of the super lightweight division with victory over Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas in May, the Englishman is still confident he has enough within his armoury to spring a shock in Glasgow.

Undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor will defend crown against Jack Catterall on February 26

"I'm going to win - there are several ways I can win this fight," Catterall said.

"There's no doubt in my mind. I need to turn up in Scotland and be Jack Catterall. I'm going to punch his head in.

"I have a lot of respect for Josh and his accomplishments but all that goes out of the window. We are enemies now. There are just over 11 weeks to go and prepare and then take all of his belts. I've been working for a fight like this my whole life.

"Josh has of course boxed at the highest level but I just think I have been denied that opportunity so far in my career.

"But come fight night this is my chance to prove I am the best fighter in the UK and the world. I have had some brilliant fights so far and beat everyone domestically so now I've got that opportunity to catapult myself on to the world stage.

"This is what I am in the sport for. I'm fully confident I can go up there and cause an upset. Everything has got to come together and I know it will."

Catterall's trainer Nigel Travis insists his boxer has a skills set in the ring that Taylor hasn't come across throughout his six years as a professional. He says that Taylor’s vast experience won’t prove a problem.

Travis explained: "Jack became a mandatory by right. It's easy saying it and talk is cheap, but his actions will have to be right on the night.

"It's not a friendship between the two, it's respect and we have massive respect for Josh and his whole team, but this is business and we believe Jack has got something that Josh has never seen before. I think Jack can bring that fire in any shape or form.

"Josh has fought at a different level to Jack, there's no denying that but it's not a problem. Preparation is going to be key to this. He's going to have to prepare diligently and be as good as he's ever been. We believe on the night Jack will beat Josh Taylor.

"We've got some really good sparring prepared but this isn't a 12-week camp. We have been preparing for this for almost a year because there has been talk about this one for a long time due to Jack being the mandatory challenger. He's waited patiently and allowed Josh the opportunity to go and clean up the division. But that's about to change."

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