Josh Taylor will emerge victorious this Saturday when he faces Jack Catterall, at least according to his coach, Joe McNally. Speaking at a pre-fight press conference, McNally touched on his pupil's skills, believing the Scottish boxer to be more than well-equipped to beat Catterall in the upcoming rematch.
Not only does he predict a win on Taylor's behalf, but McNally believes his pupil will author a stellar performance that will leave no doubt in the minds of fans and pundits alike as to who the rightful winner is.
"I'm expecting a magnificent contest, a vintage Taylor performance. A great victory. I just hope and pray that there is no controversy. The fight isn't stopped and started and the referee can handle the occasion. You know, he's not underqualified for it."
Check out Joe McNally's take on Josh Taylor (0:13):
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
McNally's comments are interesting, given that many boxing fans believe Taylor to have been the beneficiary of an undeserved split-decision win over Catterall in their initial bout. The Scotsman was, in the eyes of many, outboxed by Catterall, who was the winner in the eyes of many.
Nevertheless, Taylor won, walking away with the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring light welterweight titles. Now, both men will have the chance to settle their differences this Saturday, where the stakes are highest. Neither man is undefeated like they were during their first encounter.
Furthermore, they both have more to lose and gain, especially Taylor, who is currently facing talk of being washed up.
Josh Taylor is coming off his first-ever loss
While his win over Jack Catterall had extended his undefeated streak to 19-0, Josh Taylor is no longer an unbeaten fighter. After defending his light welterweight titles against the Englishman, he was outclassed by Teofimo Lopez in June 2023, to whom he lost his WBO and The Ring light welterweight belts.
Check out Teofimo Lopez's split-decision win over Jack Taylor:
Ahead of the fight against Catterall, some wonder whether Taylor is still the same fighter he once was, which he aims to prove this Saturday.