Josh Taylor says “it’s absolute nonsense” to suggest he dodges a rematch with Jack Catterall.
The 32-year-old Scotsman won a controversial points decision when the pair fought in February last year.
A return to Glasgow for a rematch was scheduled for March 4, but a foot injury suffered by Taylor caused the bout to be postponed.
“I sacrificed a lot to make this fight happen,” Taylor told BBC Scotland.
“People say I’m scared and this and that is absolute nonsense. If I had been scared, I wouldn’t have been undisputed world champion. I’m scared not to fight anyone. “
Taylor, who believes the Englishman would lose to anyone in the top 10, stressed he doesn’t have to fight Catterall again.
“I could have been in much bigger fights and been offered much bigger fights, much more lucrative opportunities,” he says.
“I refused them to do this and prove that it was just a bad performance and that I’m still the best fighter on the planet at my weight class.
“Boxing fans are quite capricious. They forget quickly.”
Taylor tore the plantar fascia tendon in his foot during practice for the rematch.
The injury will keep him out of training for six to eight weeks and the Scotsman has identified late May or early June as a possible target to return to the ring.
There is some doubt as to when and, indeed, if the rematch will ultimately take place.
The first fight against Catterall is Taylor’s only fight since becoming undisputed world lightweight champion with a win over Jose Ramirez in May 2021.
But he believes he is destined to fight the 29-year-old Englishman again.
“I don’t think the fight will go anywhere,” he adds. “I wouldn’t expect Jack to sit around and wait for me to get better.
“He also has a career to pursue. I would expect him to go and try to get another fight at the moment.
“I think the interest in this rematch will always be there as long as we both win and he doesn’t get beaten by anyone.
“I think if he’s boxing somebody in the top 10, the guys I’ve boxed before, he gets beat. Even then, I still think the rematch is still there at some point because there will be interest.”
