Josh Taylor could face Teofimo Lopez and not Jack Catterall next with clash at Hibernian’s Easter Road lined up

Only Taylor’s heel injury prevented a March 4 meeting between the pair being confirmed by promoter Ben Shalom.

It would have been just over a year on from their controversial first fight in which most observers believed Chorley’s Catterall did enough to become undisputed world super-lightweight champion - only to lose by split decision in Taylor’s home country of Scotland.

All eyes since then have been on the rematch but the last delay remarkably seems to have paved the way for Taylor’s team to negotiate a fight with former world lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez.

ESPN’s Mike Coppinger reports the pair could meet at Hibernian’s Easter Road in Edinburgh on either May 27 or June 3. The news was met with a one-word response from Catterall who tweeted simply: “Lol.”

The move has left Catterall’s promoter Ben Shalom puzzled, given the contractual status of the eagerly-anticipated rematch.

“Jack's waiting and we're waiting,” he told Sky Sports. “We were about to announce the fight and Josh Taylor said that he was injured and we're still waiting on when Josh Taylor's going to be fit. We have a contract for that fight. (Talk of Teofimo Lopez) is a bit confusing to us but we have a contract for the fight and we're waiting to agree a date as soon as Josh Taylor's fit."

Taylor’s injury saw Shalom announce Catterall would return to the ring in Manchester on March 25 in what is likely to be an eight-round contest to get the popular Lancastrian back in action. Due to various issues out of his control, it would be just the fifth time Catterall has fought in four years.

"He has to fight," Shalom said. "He fought once in two years. His career's been stalled. Jack wants the Josh Taylor fight. We've been told that it's definitely not going to be March, April, May, so he wants a tick over, he wants to get out. An eight rounder, get the cobwebs off and we're ready for Josh Taylor as soon as he's ready."