The fists did not start flying, but there were fireworks between undisputed junior welterweight world champion Josh Taylor and top contender Jack Catterall. Taylor and Catterall will lock horns for all the belts Saturday evening at OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, a short drive from Taylor’s hometown of Prestonpans.
In the 10-round featherweight co-feature, Cuban star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Robeisy Ramirez, will face Irish contender Eric Donovan. Ramirez has not fought in the UK since the 2012 London Olympics, the site of his first Olympic triumph.
Taylor-Catterall, Ramirez-Donovan, and additional fight action will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.
Three additional Top Rank-signed fighters will see action on the undercard, streaming live on Top Rank’s YouTube channel at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT.
This is what the fighters had to say at Thursday’s press conference.
Josh Taylor
“Everyone has been starved for nights out and things to do these last two years. There hasn’t been much happening. Everyone has come out in numbers — {the arena} has sold out — and I’ve got an abundance of fans coming from England supporting me. I’ve probably got more fans coming from England to support me than Jack has coming to support him. It’s a great night. I can’t wait.”
“It’s Jack on Saturday. It’s his turn next. He’s going to get the beating Saturday, which I’m going to dish out. All I’m thinking about is Jack Catterall. He’s trying to take away what I’ve worked so hard to get. I’ve cleaned out the division. He’s getting a shot at the jackpot in one fight. I’m going to put him in his place on Saturday.”
“He’s good. We’ll find out on Saturday, but he’s in for a long night. A long, painful methodical beatdown on Saturday.”
“I just don’t see a way that he can beat me in this fight. I don’t know how he’s going to do it, but I’m prepared for every single way. Whatever he brings, I’m more than prepared for.”
Jack Catterall
“I’ve been mandatory for the WBO title. After waiting two years, I’ve got a chance now to capture the undisputed. I’ve not just come up here to make up the numbers. I’ve been waiting two years for this opportunity.”
“I think the respect has been there. Me and Josh know once the bell goes, the respect is out of the window. We can shake hands after. We’re going to punch each other’s heads in and that’s in.”
Scotland has a new undisputed champion. Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor outlasted Jose Ramirez in an instant classic, notching a unanimous decision (114-112 3x) to capture the junior welterweight title. With the win, Taylor becomes the sixth male undisputed champion of the four-belt era, and the first from Scotland to do so.
Ramirez, who had been world champion since March 2018, invested in the body in the early going, but Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs) was equal to the task in the trenches.
The tide turned in the sixth round when Taylor nailed Ramirez with a straight left hand as Ramirez lunged forward. In the seventh, an uppercut planted Ramirez to the canvas. Ramirez (26-1, 17 KOs) nearly dug himself out of the hole, sweeping the last four rounds on one scorecard and winning three of the last four on the other two.
Taylor said, “I’m ecstatic. I’ve trained my whole life for this. I’ve dedicated my whole life for this moment. I’ve dreamt of it so many times over, man. I’m so, so happy. I’m over the moon. I’ve trained for this moment all my life.
“I’ve got nothing but love for Ramirez. This week was no disrespect. It was all part of the mind games to get in his head, to make him more eager to jump in at me and be more aggressive, to use his aggression against him.
“I thought the scorecards were a little tight. I thought they were well wider than that. I wasn’t too happy with the selection of the judges, but I wasn’t going to moan. I was confident in winning this fight anyway.”
Ramirez said, “He took advantage testosterone gel of some of those clinches but, hey, I got back up and tried to give it my best and stay smart. I was never hurt. I was aware. I was just disappointed every time it happened. I tried to shake it off and get back to my rhythm. But it was overall a good fight. Hopefully, I get back and I learn from my mistakes. You win some and you lose some.
“I felt like I landed some clean shots. It came down to the clinches. He would let his hands go as soon as he got his chance and I think I left it to the referee to do his part and it was a lack of experience on my part.”
Next up for Top Rank Boxing, Two undefeated junior welterweight kings, one undisputed WBO title. The stakes don’t get any higher.
Unified WBO champion #JoseRamirez, the pride of California’s Central Valley, will fight Scotland’s IBF/WBA champion #JoshTaylor for the undisputed world championship Saturday, May 22. The winner will become only the second undisputed junior welterweight champion of the four-belt era, joining pound-for-pound great Terence “Bud” Crawford.
Promoted by Top Rank, #RamirezTaylor will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (and simulcast on ESPN+) starting at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. live from Las Vegas’ newest world-class casino resort, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of Curio Collection by Hilton, owned by JC Hospitality, LLC.
WBO BOUTS: TAYLOR VS. JONAS, CHISORA VS. PARKER WEIGHTS AND RUNNING ORDER
17:00 LIVE ON MATCHROOM BOXING YOUTUBE
8 x 3 mins International Super-Middleweight contest
SCOTT FITZGERALD 12st 1lbs 4oz v GREGORY TRENEL 11st 12lbs 2oz
(Preston, England) (Dainville, France)
followed by
18:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS BOX OFFICE/DAZN
12 x 3 mins vacant IBO Lightweight World Title
JAMES TENNYSON 9st 8lbs 7oz v JOVANNI STRAFFON 9st 7lbs 2oz
(Belfast, Northern Ireland) (Mexico City, Mexico)
followed by
4 x 3 mins Heavyweight contest
JOHNNY FISHER 17st 7lbs 4oz v PHIL WILLIAMS 19st 2lbs 7oz
(Romford, England) (Swindon, England)
followed by
12 x 3 mins WBA Light-Heavyweight World Title
DMITRY BIVOL 12st 6lbs 2oz v CRAIG RICHARDS 12st 6lbs 6oz
(Saint Petersburg, Russia) (Crystal Palace, England)
followed by
10 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
CHRIS EUBANK JR 11st 7lbs 9oz v MARCUS MORRISON 11st 7lbs 8oz
(Brighton, England) (Hattersley, England)
followed by
4 x 3 mins Lightweight contest
CAMPBELL HATTON 9st 9lbs 9oz v LEVI DUNN 9st 8lbs 5oz
(Manchester, England) (Prestwich, England)
followed by
10 x 2 mins Undisputed WBO Lightweight World Titles
KATIE TAYLOR 9st 8lbs 8oz v NATASHA JONAS 9st 8lbs 7oz
*** FREE FOR EDITORIAL USE ***
followed by
12 x 3 mins vacant WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Title
DEREK CHISORA 17st 12lbs 8oz v JOSEPH PARKER 17st 3lbs 2oz
WBO Bouts at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday, live in the UK and Ireland on Sky Sports Box Office, and worldwide on DAZN.
Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Sport:
“What a delight to be here in Manchester ahead of a huge night of boxing this Saturday from the AO Arena, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN around the world. This is the card of the year so far. There’s so much to talk about here today from the big Heavyweight main event to the Undisputed World Championship, to the World Light-Heavyweight Championship and much more.”
Derek Chisora – Finchley, London – 32-10, 23 KO’s – fighting Joseph Parker for the vacant WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Title:
“I love fighting, throwing yourself in the World Title shot is okay. Dillian Whyte has been in the World Title shot for the last five years, he hasn’t gone anywhere. I don’t to put myself in those positions, I want to put myself in positions where I get to fight good fights. This is right, I’m fighting Joseph Parker and after that we’ll see what happens.
“I want to do what I do best, come forward, fight, chuck hell and do what I do every day. Roll the dice and rock and roll – go at it. I’ll come out of the gates and just go.
“The guy has a spider bite, we can’t deny it, we don’t know if it’s true or not, but he had it and now he’s here – we’re not going to cry over spilled milk. David did a good impression wearing the spiderman suit early on the morning, it was okay. The fight is here now so we’re not going to talk about history anymore, that’s why it’s called history.
“It’s going to be a great night; good things are happening. It’s a big card, but we don’t have that little edge on with the fans, it’s depressing but what can we say.
“The king is back, long live the king – I’m back. I’m buzzing, to all those fans at home, I’m going to bring smoke and I know my opponent is going to bring something which is going to be on his bike – but it’s going to be okay. He’s going to be cycling back to Australia but it’s all good. I know right now I’m still laughing and joking but when I come tomorrow, you’re going to know what time it is.”
Joseph Parker – Auckland, New Zealand – 28-2, 21 KOs – fighting Derek Chisora for the vacant WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Title:
“I’m very prepared for this fight, I’ve had a great training camp with Andy in Ireland, then we moved over to Morecambe and got some great sparring under our belt, great pad work, bag, everything. I feel like with this fight, physically and mentally, I’m in a great place – probably the best I’ve been in a while.
“Two totally different styles, Junior Fa’s style was move and hug, punch every now and then. With Derek it’s no secret, he’s going to come forward and apply the pressure, throw punches everywhere. My hands are going to have to be up, down and all around.
“I think this is the perfect fight at the right time. We’re right there, get a good victory and there’s many other great fights out there to be made and to position yourself when the titles are free to fight for. This is a big card, not only the main event but the undercard fights are very exciting, I’m looking forward to Saturday.”
Katie Taylor – Bray, Ireland – 17-0, 6 KOs – defending her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles against Natasha Jonas:
“This is why we’re taking the fight; we don’t take any easy fights. I’m in this sport to fight the best, in terms of training camps every one’s the same, we train for every single fight as if it’s going to be my hardest. My mind set and mentality doesn’t change fight to fight so I’m looking forward to a great fight on Saturday.
“The fight was nine years ago, we were both very different fighters to what we are now. I think we’ve both developed and matured into great pro fighters. The fight is going to be completely different Saturday night then it was in the London Olympics. What works in the pro game doesn’t work in the amateur game – this is a completely different fight.
“I think my last few performances have shown I’m at my peak, I’ve shown my best in the last few performances. My last three fights were probably my best performances as a pro, so I feel like I’m definitely improving and getting better each time.”
Ross Enamait, trainer of Katie Taylor:
“We’re here to win the fight, we train hard for every fight. This is Katie Taylor’s twelfth World Title fight; this is there twelfth fight period. Every fight is a big fight, we’re coming to win and we’re here to win on Saturday.
“She’s going to be as sharp as ever, we looked great the last fight, we beat Persoon clear in the second fight regardless and what he’s [Joe Gallagher] saying over here. The fight before that we looked great, there’s no slide, you’re going to see the best Katie on Saturday.”
Natasha Jonas – Liverpool, England – 9-1-1, 7 KOs – challenging Katie Taylor for her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles:
“Every time I’m asked to step up, I do, and I perform. Being the underdog for me is no different, I’m always the underdog on the big night. The more you tell me I can’t do it, the more I’ll prove you that I can.
“You’ve got to remember that going into the Harper fight we’d just come off a lockdown, financially I didn’t know when I was going to box again, I had the baby 24/7 because the schools were shut, and I was in a bit of pickle of where I was going to go or where my opportunity was going to arise.
“Obviously we got that opportunity, and the baby came along to all the sessions, she was a big part of that camp. It was great to be back, and I was starting from down the mountain mentally, physically, emotionally. Now I’m not there, after the Harper fight, I’m at the top of the mountain. I’m starting at the Harper fight and building up from that. Everything says that I’m much better than from the Harper camp and I know I had to be there.
“I think in boxing one punch changes everything. I do believe I have power; I don’t want to make prediction or disrespect anybody by saying that. After the traumatic experience of round 8 against Harper, I promised myself that they are learning curves and that will never happen again. If I get that opportunity, it’ll be the end of the fight.”
Joe Gallagher, trainer of Natasha Jonas:
“It’s good to see the bookies are giving Natasha a better chance against Katie then they did against Terri Harper, that’s good for a start. Its friends reunited, Katie Taylor – what can you not say about her. What she’s achieved, she’s a national hero back in Ireland, what she’s done for female boxing across the world, nothing but respect for her.
“This is the fight business; come Saturday night this is strictly business. Katie Taylor, she’s the media darling, Natasha Jonas is going into the fight after a great career performance. She won the WBC Super-Featherweight title, only two people in the world didn’t think she got it, but apart from that she’s a World Champion in my eyes.
“Natasha Jonas now moving up to Lightweight, here she is now taking on what people describe as the greatest all time female fighter. This is a fight that if there was to be three-minute rounds for women’s boxing, this would be it. If you go back and watch their London 2012 Olympic fight, it was brilliant. But to show how much both have improved since then, it would be better in 12 x 2 or 10 x 3 contest.
“We’ve got a ten round sprint here; we’re seeing that with Natasha fight of the year with Teri Harper. We’re going into this fight with the bookies siding with Natasha more, the judges are to come and do what they need to do, not to be here in awe of Katie or Matchroom. They come here and score what happens, Sky have got to commentate on punches landed, not where they’re from or what’s going round.
“Natasha is a strong live underdog, I’m telling you now Katie Taylor, whether she wants to say it or not, this will be the hardest and most disciplined training camp she’s ever had for any of her fights. She knows the serious threat Natasha Jones brings. They know the threat, what we want in this fight is fairness by the judges and the commentary to score on what’s seen. If everyone does their job, including me and Natasha, we’re going to have a new Undisputed World Champion come Sunday morning.
“Sit back, enjoy your popcorn and enjoy what it is – it’s the biggest female fight the UK and Ireland has ever seen. We’re privileged to be part of it and see this event. We’ll roll onto Saturday night.”
(Flint, MI) Women’s superstar Claressa Shields furthered her claim as boxing’s “GWOAT” Friday night and became the unified WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion, by scoring a one-sided 10-round unanimous decision over Marie-Eve Dicaire of St-Eustache, Quebec, Canada, in the 10-round main event of the historic all-women’s “SUPERWOMEN: SHIELDS VS. DICAIRE event at the Dort Financial Center and live on pay-per-view in Shields’ hometown of Flint, Michigan.
Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) also became the first boxer in the four-belt era to become an undisputed world champion in two weight divisions by virtue of her shutout victory (100-90 by all three judges) over now former champion Dicaire (17-1).
Uncharacteristically, the 25-year-old Shields turned counterpuncher early in this fight, to offset Dicaire’s attempts to bounce in and out of range. Relying on her reflexes to punish any attempt at aggression by Dicaire, Shields shut the Canadian down and then turned back to her customary forward aggression later in the bout.
Dicaire landed a quality southpaw left on Shields in round four, possibly her only significant blow of the fight, and Shields simply shook it off to no effect.
I can’t be mad about my performance,” said Shields after the bout. “She just kept elbowing and headbutting me. I tried for the knockout and I almost had it a couple times, but we’ve got two minutes and the ref not breaking it up when she’s holding me and elbowing me. I’m happy but I still wanted the knockout. I just didn’t have enough time. At the end of the day, I am the new undisputed champ at 154 and the first boxer to be undisputed champ twice.”
Shields said she was happy to have accomplished her latest piece of history in front of her family and friends in Flint, even if the pandemic meant a lot fewer fans in attendance.
“With Covid, we couldn’t have a full capacity. There are 300 here and that’s the capacity of the day, so we have a full house. We couldn’t have full capacity, but I know if we could have, we would have had 6000 people in here. I’m happy to have been able to do it here (in Flint). I started boxing here at Berston Fieldhouse at 11 years old. Never in a million years did I think I’d be on pay-per-view and fighting for an undisputed title and be one of the biggest stars in boxing. I just wanted to win an Olympic Gold medal. God has given me two Olympic medals. I have 12 championship belts now. It doesn’t feel real to say undisputed twice.”
When asked about two of her remaining rivals in boxing, fellow superstar Katie Taylor of Ireland and her one-time conqueror in the amateurs, Savannah Marshall of the UK, Shields brimmed with confidence.
“Katie Taylor is not the worry. 147 pounds is. They’d have to pay me a lot to lose my butt and go down to 147. At the end of the day, I’m a woman. I don’t have big breasts, but I got a nice butt, so come with that dough and I’ll be there. At least a million and I’ll be there.
“Savannah Marshall can’t f*** with me. Let’s keep it real. Savannah Marshall, you won a lucky decision when we were kids. Also London was hosting the Olympics. If you want to gloat about beating me 14 points to 8… come on now. And then I went on to become world champion in three different division and she broke. She knows she cannot and will not ever be able to f*** with me. She can come to America. I will go to the UK. We can go to Mexico. We can go anywhere, and I will f*** her up. She knows that. She’s scared of me. Savannah Marshall can get it. Tell Eddie Hearn, he came that whack-ass 250K. Tell him to come with 500K… 750K if he wants me to go to the UK and smoke his girl. Pay me.”
Dicaire continued her graciousness in post-fight questioning and promised not to let the loss dampen her future in the sport.
“I think Claressa did a good job tonight,” said Dicaire. “Tonight, she was the best. Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn. Tonight, I learned. I think this is just going to allow me to grow stronger. I don’t box to protect my record or keep my record at 0 losses. I box to beat champions. Tonight, I had the chance to fight the real champion. She won this time but count on me to go back to the gym and work hard and be world champion again for sure.
Shields, who says her much-publicized MMA debut will likely be in Las Vegas in June, threw 409 punches in the fight and landed 128 including 34.9% of her power punches. Dicaire threw 263 punches in return but landed just 31.
“Flint Michigan got the baddest boxer in the world!” said Shields to her fans. “We two-time undisputed. Pacquiao who? Canelo who? When someone else does what I did let me know.”
WBO World Title showdown rescheduled following positive COVID-19 test
Savannah Marshall and Hannah Rankin will contest the vacant WBO Middleweight World Title on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Derek Chisora on Saturday October 31, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in the US.
The pair were scheduled to meet on the Lewis Ritson vs. Miguel Vazquez show in Peterborough on Saturday October 17 but Marshall’s trainer Peter Fury returned a positive COVID-19 test, resulting in the fight being postponed in line with the British Boxing Board of Control rules.
“Honestly it has been a dream to have this fight rescheduled so quickly,” said Marshall. “After the past week I’ve just been overjoyed with the news. I couldn’t have asked for a better or bigger platform than on the Usyk vs. Chisora bill.
“It was frustrating that the fight fell through, but it’s one of those things. There was nothing I could have done about it. Peter is okay which is the main thing.
“My training won’t change and will just be like any other training routine 10 days out from a fight. Nothing will change. It hasn’t got more personal for me, as me and Rankin are just two girls that can’t wait for a dust up with each other.”
“It is great that the fight has been rescheduled so soon, thank you to Eddie Hearn and Matchroom for sorting it all out,” said Rankin. “Nothing changes for me. I will be crowned WBO Middleweight World Champion on October 31.”
Adam Smith, Head of Boxing Development at Sky Sports, said: “It’s fantastic news that Savannah Marshall’s World Title fight with Hannah Rankin has been swiftly rescheduled for the Usyk-Chisora bill, which is fast becoming an unmissable night of action.
“Women’s boxing has never been stronger, with Ellie Scotney showcasing her talent last weekend, and now we can look forward to an all-British battle between Marshall and Rankin, with the WBO Middleweight belt at stake. Savannah, a former Sky Scholar, has those polished amateur skills but Rankin has greater professional experience – it’s an enthralling encounter.
“Lee Selby is also targeting another World Title shot on a stacked undercard, which also features Tommy McCarthy’s European Title fight, before Usyk and Chisora take centre stage, in what promises to be a Heavyweight classic!”
Marshall vs. Rankin is part of a huge night of boxing as pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) faces his first real Heavyweight test in Derek Chisora (32-9, 23 KOs), Lee Selby (28-2, 9 KOs) and George Kambosos Jr (18-0, 10 KOs) square off in a Final Eliminator for the IBF Lightweight World Title, Heavyweight fan favourite Dave Allen (18-5-2, 15 KOs) returns to action, Belfast’s Tommy McCarthy (16-2, 8 KOs) meets Belgium’s Bilal Laggoune (25-1-2, 14 KOs) for the vacant European Cruiserweight Title and Amy Timlin (4-0) faces off with Carly Skelly (3-0) for the vacant Commonwealth Super-Bantamweight Title.
