Josh Taylor Vacates WBC Junior Welterweight Title, Just Wants Jack Catterall Rematch

Josh Taylor has relinquished another junior welterweight title.

The postponed-more-than-once purse bid for Taylor’s WBC mandatory title defense against Jose Zepeda is officially off the table, Boxing Scene reported. The Scottish boxer has formally vacated the title.

“The WBC has just received a letter from Josh [Taylor’s] attorney in which he confirms his decision to relinquish The WBC super lightweight championship,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said Friday morning.

“The WBC truly regrets having lost so much time and having mandatory contender Jose Zepeda frozen as well as other fighters in the division.

“We wish Josh Taylor success in his future inside and outside the ring.”

Now Zepeda will be facing former WBC and WBO champion Jose Ramirez in the hunt for the vacant title. It’ll also be a rematch to their February 2019 meeting in Fresno where Ramirez overcame Zepeda by majority decision.

The new ordered fight will have a free negotiation period before a purse bid is called.

As for Taylor, his next steps are unknown. He has now vacated two of the four major titles.

He has not fought since a controversial split decision win against Jack Catterall in February. The result was so controversial due to the judges’ scorecards that many boxers who had upcoming fights made public requests for diverse judges.

Taylor was also previously ordered to fight WBA mandatory challenger Alberto Puello, but that never came to fruition.

It seems that a rematch with Catterall is all he cares about.

“Because of all the stick and abuse I’ve been getting, and the way Jack’s been too, mouthing off and moaning, I just want to shut his mouth,” Taylor told the Irish newspaper The National in June.