Josh Taylor’s Ordered IBF Title Defense Gets August 23 Purse Bid

Josh Taylor entered 2022 as undisputed champion. Now he’s left with two belts and — if he chooses to skip out a third time – he could possibly lose another one.

Taylor and IBF mandatory challenger Jeremias Ponce have a purse bid scheduled for August 23. According to Boxing Scene, Taylor was ordered to make his IBF belt defense on July 7 and was given 30 days to negotiate terms.

But it seems that that fell through, and the New Jersey-based sanctioning body has taken action.

“On July 7, 2022, the IBF ordered Josh Taylor and Jeremias Ponce to begin negotiations for the IBF Jr. Welterweight mandatory defense,” Daryl Peoples, IBF president, informed all IBF-registered promoters via letter, a copy of that Boxing Scene obtained.

“An agreement could not be reached within the time frame set forth by the IBF.

“The IBF is ordering a Purse Bid in these offices on Tuesday, August 23, 2022 at 12:00 PM EST. Bids must be submitted at 11:45 AM EST to be promptly opened at 12:00 PM.”

Ponce (30-0, 20 KOs) came into the picture for Taylor after the IBF permitted Ponce and Subriel Matias to enter talks for an interim title fight, but it was put on hold in case Taylor would vacate the itle.

Now that has yet to happen and, according to Boxing Scene, Taylor plans to go through with this ordered defense.

Taylor has made it clear that the only fight he wants is a rematch against Jack Catterall, and he relinquished his two junior welterweight titles in order to achieve that.

On the other side, Catterall recently signed a multi-fight agreement with BOXXER, which reportedly inched him closer to the rematch he requested immediately after his controversial loss to Taylor in February.

But that second meeting has yet to be finalized, leaving room for the IBF’s ordered fight.

Ponce earned the top spot in the IBF’s divisional rankings after knocking out Lewis Ritson in the 10th round last June.