Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall 2 Odds, Pick & Prediction: A Bet on Vengeance (Saturday, May 25)

Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall Odds

Here's everything you need to know about the Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall odds for Saturday, May 25.

Under the radar this week is one of the actual high-stakes rivalries in European boxing.

Former undisputed lightweight champion Josh Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs) will face rival Jack Catterall (28-1, 13 KOs) in a true grudge match on Saturday at First Direct Arena in Leeds, England. The main card is available on ESPN+ at 3:15 p.m. ET (12:15 p.m. ET).

Taylor and Catterall fought for Taylor's then-undisputed title on Feb. 26, 2022. And Catterall was flat-out robbed.

Taylor was dropped and deducted a point. Yet, he still was awarded a split decision in his Scotland home, getting 114-111 and 113-112 scores in his favor, with a 113-112 going to Catterall, whom many feel won.

I had Catterall winning seven of the five rounds, and he himself was deducted a point as well. (The referee, Marcus McDonnell, sucked.)

My final tally was 114-111 for Catterall. Five rounds for Taylor was arguably generous.

Anyway, here we are for the rematch, and here's my Taylor vs. Catterall 2 pick and prediction for Saturday.

Taylor vs. Catterall Breakdown & Analysis

Taylor hasn't fought since June 2023, when he was thoroughly outboxed by Teofimo Lopez, who won a unanimous decision that probably should've been wider than it was in totality.

Taylor's been largely stalled due to inactivity. The Lopez bout is his only one since the aforementioned Catterall bout 27 months ago. He hasn't fought twice in a year since 2019, and this coming fight will be just his third in 36 months.

Also, the last two times we saw him, he lost – only once on record, but you get the point.

Taylor, big for the weight class, has been toying with moving to welterweight for years but hasn't. He's now 33, again dropping to 140 pounds, and is coming off inactivity.

Meanwhile, the younger Catterall, 30 until this coming July, has been more active. He is coming off two wins since the Taylor bout.

Catterall returned with a dominant decision win over Darragh Foley a year ago and was back in the ring to outbox former world champion Jorge Linares in October.

So, Catterall's fought twice since the Taylor bout, and of the 22 rounds he's boxed, he's lost maybe three? Four?

Taylor is 5-foot-10 with a near 70-inch reach and a southpaw, but it almost doesn't matter. He likes to use his size on the inside and impose his will instead of using it to box from range. His preference is to bully other fights and wear on them over the course of the fight.

Why didn't it work against the 5-foot-7 Catterall? Because the smaller then-challenger and fellow southpaw – with a 69-inch reach – was able to use Taylor's tactics against him, consistently landing a simple 1-2 to Taylor, whose defense was exploited. Why did he get robbed? If I could point to anything, Catterall didn't close strong. You could argue that he dropped each of the last three rounds – I wouldn't, but he should've done more to close.

Regardless, Catterall should've won the fight, and now, he'll try to amend the one loss on his career record.

Taylor vs. Catterall Prediction & Pick

This is a make-or-break fight for both guys.

Taylor can't afford to lose this, because then, you're wondering if he's a contender any longer.

And for Catterall, it's much of the same. Plus, Catterall wouldn't get vengeance he probably deserves, which would set him back after gaining momentum since the initial bout.

The winner will almost definitely secure true contender status in a loaded 140-pound division, perhaps with a title shot immediately to follow.

My pick is Catterall on the moneyline at -136 at FanDuel. I'd lean decision, but if Taylor struggles with the weight cut – a sneaky element of this bout – then you have to factor that in. Catterall did too much right in the first bout – plus, he's arguably improved since while being more active.

Taylor's been less active and regressed the only time we've seen him. So Catterall it is, amending the loss he shouldn't have had in the first place.

Enjoy the fight, and don’t go broke!

The Pick: Jack Catterall (-136 at FanDuel)

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