Taylor could face Zepeda next as Top Rank confirm talks underway
Josh Taylor could face Jose Zepeda next as Top Rank confirm discussions between the unified light-welterweight champion and his mandatory challenger are underway… with fuming Jack Catterall branding him the ‘Tartan TornA***hole’ amid demands for rematch
- Josh Taylor’s promotional team have revealed he could face Jose Zepeda next
- Top Rank have entered dicussions with Taylor’s WBC mandatory challenger
- Jack Catterall has been demanding a rematch with the Scot in recent months
- Taylor claimed a highly-controversial victory over Catterall back in February
- But the Scot is instead in talks over a light-welterweight title defence vs Zepeda
Josh Taylor’s promotional team Top Rank has confirmed talks are underway for the world light-welterweight champion to defend his title against mandatory challenger Jose Zepeda next.
Taylor, who previously held all four belts at 140lbs, was recently forced to relinquish his WBA strap after rejecting a mandatory bout against Alberto Puello in his next contest.
He has been weighing up his next move following a controversial split-decision win over Jack Catterall back in February, when the latter was denied what many felt should have been a clear victory on the scorecards.
Josh Taylor’s promotional team Top Rank have revealed he is in talks to face Jose Zepeda next
In the wake of his disputed triumph, Taylor claimed he would not compete at 140lbs again and instead move up to the more-lucrative welterweight scene after being left drained in his current division.
Catterall has been demanding a rematch with the Scot ever since and is even open to the idea of following him to 147lbs to make it happen, yet Top Rank President Todd Duboef has instead revealed a defence against WBC mandatory Zepeda is in the pipeline.
Duboef told Sky Sports: ‘Zepeda is coming off a fight of the year performance against [Ivan] Baranchyk and a first-round KO of Vargas in October.
‘These together have earned him the mandatory position to Josh’s WBC crown.
‘We are working with both teams to put this fight on next.’
Taylor has been weighing up his next move since a controversial victory over Jack Catterall
Catterall has been calling for a rematch with the 140lbs champion after his disputed defeat
But following news that Taylor could meet Zepeda next he took to Twitter to mock his rival
Catterall’s hopes of securing a second crack at Taylor now appear slim, and the Chorley fighter took to Twitter to mock his rival after discovering the news.
He quote tweeted a post containing Duboef’s comments and wrote alongside a laughing and chicken emoji: ‘#TartanTornA***hole’.
Catterall and Taylor were recently embroiled in a heated exchange on the social-media platform, with the former sparking it by posting a photo of him scoring a knockdown in their fight and writing: ‘Can’t wait to put the small gloves on again. I will be world champion very soon’.
Taylor replied to the tweet and said: ‘This is gonna be this cry baby cuddlers claim to fame. couldn’t beat the worst, weight Drained version of me, never mind me on form. He’ll get KO’d next time we fight. He don’t beat any of the other 140 contenders & when you don’t win you can put this up & cry all Over again’.
Zepeda, who has won 35 of his 39 bouts, has been named mandatory challenger with the WBC
Catterall responded: Here he is the the Tartan Torna***hole , Come one [sic] Josh after the fight you said you’re moving up ? But your talking about mandatories now at 140, Come on Joshua you can’t fool the fans , Let’s fight next so I can jab that big square head in again’.
Nevertheless, instead of locking horns with Catterall for a second time Taylor appears set to defend his three light-welterweight titles against Zepeda, who has won 35 of his 39 professional contests (27 KOs).
The American-Mexican is currently enjoying a four-fight win streak, but in his two other world-title challenges he came up short against Jose Ramirez and Terry Flanagan.
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