Jack Catterall Gets Sweet Revenge Over Josh Taylor

Jack Catterall Gets Sweet Revenge Over Josh Taylor

It took over two years, but Jack Catterall finally got his revenge over an incredibly tough and resilient Josh Taylor on Saturday night in a sold-out Leeds Direct Arena.

If the first fight was a disappointment, at least inside the ring, the rematch was anything but. Both fighters were much better than they were in Glasgow, in a fight that was largely remembered for the controversial scorecards that left Taylor retaining his undisputed world super-lightweight baubles.

The Taylor titles are no more, and Catterall called his victory bittersweet. The belated win over Taylor brought revenge and some kind of peace, but he will still argue with much validity that he was denied a famous victory and the undisputed world titles and the millions that would have come with it two years ago.

But revenge was finally his courtesy of a hard-fought unanimous points victory in their long-awaited rematch. The scores were wide. In truth, far too wide. Two scores of 117-111 defied belief. The third, 116-113, was a little closer to reality. Two judges somehow didn’t give Taylor a single round in the first half of the fight. A viewpoint that was simply absurd. This observer couldn’t split the two fighters after twelve rounds that will live long in the memory. Two fighters who left everything in that Leeds ring in the quest for personal supremacy.

Catterall started the better of the two. After a strong opening round, Taylor already looked as though he was in for a long night, with Catterall appearing to be too sharp and too strong for him. The early signs were far from good for the 2,000-strong vocal Scottish faithful who had made the pilgrimage down to Yorkshire.

But Taylor gradually found his range. A closer 2nd round was followed by a really good round for the Scottish fighter. But Catterall found another gear and swept the next three rounds with some ease on my card. By that stage, there looked to be only one winner.

But Taylor came roaring back, and after eight back-and-forth rounds, I had them all square. But Taylor seemed to be the fighter now on the ascendancy. But Catterall took the 9th, and despite his best efforts, Taylor couldn’t seem to get ahead. Taylor levelled it in the 10th, at least on my card. Catterall was clearly now fighting fatigue, and Taylor started the 11th strongly as well. But in the last minute of the penultimate round, he walked into a big left hand from Catterall, and he was clearly hurt. He bravely saw the round out. But the last-gasp assault from Catterall had cost Taylor the round. And any chance of victory.

The 12th was another close round, I edged it to Taylor, leaving me with an even scorecard. But the judges, seemingly remembering what transpired two years previously, saw a completely different fight to virtually everyone else.

But it was no robbery. I had it an even fight, but I couldn’t make a case for giving Taylor any more than that. Despite the wild nature of the cards, I have no issues with Catterall winning the fight. The margin of the victory can quite rightly be disputed. But not who won.

Taylor will push for a third fight. Their personal feud now stands at one win apiece. But I do wonder if this was Taylor’s last great stand. A brave and proud warrior, who at 33, might not have too much more to give. But his previous achievements should not be forgotten.

Catterall will probably chase a world title fight, Teofimo Lopez specifically, rather than a still lucrative third meeting with his great rival, and nobody can surely begrudge him that, or indeed, his victory on Saturday night. A win that, in many ways, was two years in the making.

Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing