No obstacles for Josh Taylor versus Jose Ramirez as Catterall steps aside - reports

Jack Catterall has agreed to step aside and allow Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez to fight it out for all four super lightweight belts next year, according to reports.

Lancashire’s Catterall is the WBO mandatory contender, but has opted to temporarily ditch his own world title ambitions to allow the Tartan Tornado to take on Ramirez in early 2021 in an undisputed fight for the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO super-lightweight belts.

The news was shared in a tweet on Saturday by Boxing Insider’s Mike Coppinger, who said a source had informed him that Catterall has “been assured he’ll receive an immediate shot at the winner”.

Commenting on Coppinger’s announcement, Josh Taylor tweeted: “Let’s get it on!!!! can’t wait for this on. Huge Big up to my team mate @jack_catt93 for agreeing to step aside & let this massive fight happen. 100% get your shot after I whoop @RAMIREZBOXING ass”.

The prospect of a Taylor-Ramirez fight next year put Scots boxing fans into a frenzy.

Tweeting following the announcement, @neilthedandydon wrote: “Can not wait for this one massive fight and only one winner . Well done to @jack_catt93 for doing that and sure he will get his shot at the winner”.

Last month, the 29-year-old boxer from Prestonpans successfully defended his WBA and IBF belts with a first-round stoppage of Thailand’s mandatory challenger, Apinun Khongsong, at a behind-closed-doors York Hall in London.

Speaking after the fight, Taylor said he hoped Jack Catterall would step aside and allow him to face Ramirez and insisted he must clean up the super lightweight division before he can be considered in the same mould as Edinburgh boxing great Ken Buchanan.

Josh Taylor is to face Jose Ramirez next year, according to reports.

“If Jack gets a shot at Ramirez, I will have to take another fight in the meantime,” he admitted. “But the good thing is me and Jack are under the same management banner in MTK. Myself and Ramirez are under the same promotion banner so we’re all sort of in-house, if you like, and all have the same connections.

“I’m pretty sure that something can be worked out for my fight with Ramirez to go ahead first. I’ll leave it down to the management to sort out.

“To share that honour alongside Ken Buchanan, who is also from Edinburgh and has connections to my hometown of Prestonpans, would be a wonderful piece of history. That’s my ambition, that’s my aim."

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