Jack Catterall beat former undisputed world tremendous light-weight champion Josh Taylor by a unanimous choice in an exhilarating rematch in Leeds on Saturday night time.
Catterall avenged his controversial split-decision defeat to Taylor in Glasgow two years in the past, touchdown the heavier punches to lastly settle the rating in one among British boxing’s greatest grudge fights in current reminiscence.
All three judges gave the struggle at a sold-out First Direct Area to Catterall, two by scores of 117-111 and the opposite by 116-113, though Taylor will really feel aggrieved it was not scored nearer.
Taylor labored busily behind his jab within the early rounds, whereas southpaw Catterall loved explicit success along with his left hook.
After an unintentional conflict of heads within the second spherical Taylor briefly backed his opponent on to the ropes, however Catterall responded with a swinging left earlier than one other head conflict firstly of the third precipitated Taylor to wince.
Catterall landed two successive lefts on the finish of the fourth and regarded to take cost within the fifth, discovering his vary along with his jab earlier than hurting Taylor with a sequence of lefts and rights that pressed the Scot towards the ropes.
Taylor regained his composure within the sixth regardless of a swelling below his proper eye, however Catterall’s punches continued to be extra correct and heavier.
Two quick rights from Taylor gave him momentum within the seventh as each fighters traded blows and the Scot proved simpler once more within the eighth to even up the struggle.
Catterall breached his opponent’s defence early within the ninth and each boxers went toe-to-toe.
Taylor stalked his man within the tenth, now trying the extra menacing fighter, and landed with a proper after which an uppercut.
However a thundering straight proper from Catterall within the eleventh had Taylor in hassle with little to separate the pair going into the ultimate spherical as they punched themselves to a standstill.
Jack Catterall refused to be denied a second time after dropping out to Josh Taylor of their controversial first struggle
The 2 fighters first clashed in February 2022 when Taylor controversially retained his WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts in Glasgow through a contentious break up choice.
Most observers felt Chorley’s Catterall did sufficient to win and within the two years since, the fighters have traded insults in individual and on social media.
This second assembly – no belts had been on the road – was twice postponed, first in January 2023 as a result of Taylor’s foot damage and once more in March this 12 months when the Scot had a minor eye downside.
Taylor, who grew to become Britain’s first undisputed world champion within the four-belt period by defeating Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas in 2021, misplaced to American Teofimo Lopez in June final 12 months in his solely struggle since first dealing with Catterall.
The Edinburgh man’s file now stands at 20-2, with Catterall’s at 29-1 and there’ll now be a clamour for a decisive third assembly.
Earlier on the undercard, Jamaican-born Chev Clarke gained the vacant British cruiserweight title by knocking out Lewisham’s Ellis Zorro within the eighth spherical.
