Super lightweight contender Jack Catterall defeated ex-world champion Josh Taylor for the second time in his career, and this time, he was on the right end of the decision.
The Chorley man put the disappointment of losing to Taylor in one of British boxing’s greatest tragedies behind him and came out a decisive winner.
Catterall made a great start, catching Taylor with several solid lefts and taking the center of the ring. In the second, both fighters avoid cuts from a nasty head clash. But again, it was Catterall who scored the more eye-catching shots.
Two more head clashes followed in the third on either side of Taylor landing his best punch so far. A solid left hand shook Catterall, who immediately fired back as Taylor did just enough to take his first round.
Another close round followed in the fourth before Catterall enjoyed his best round in the fifth. He caught Taylor late in the session and wobbled the Scot until the bell sounded. It was all Catterall in the sixth as he showed variation, combinations, and solid jabs, adding to his superior body shots. The Chorley man is well on top until came back strong. The Scot landed lefts to the body and head, with Catterall looking tired after an unbelievable effort in the first half of the fight.
Taylor’s pressure continued in the eighth, but Catterall looked dangerous on the counter as the fight turned into a war. Both men enjoyed success, but Catterall was repeatedly landing the cleaner punches.
Catterall used his ring savvy to stay in control for the last three rounds and saw out a comprehensive victory. He enjoyed a massive round in the eleventh as he landed two massive left hands. Taylor was rocked twice, but Catterall remained disciplined and didn’t chase the knockout.
In the final round, and as he did throughout the contest, Catterall scored the better power shots and more eye-catching work in a superb effort by both fighters.
During his post-fight interview, Catterall stated he wanted to close the chapter with Taylor after beating the former undisputed champion twice but coming out of it with no belts. Taylor was open to the trilogy.
However, Bob Arum stole the show as the 92-year-old took a microphone and addressed the crowd. The Top Rank Chairman shared his disgust at the scorecards and vowed never to bring any American champions to England to fight under the British Boxing Board of Control.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
