Taylor vs Catterall 2 – Yahoo Sports

Jack Catterall avenged his controversial loss to Josh Taylor by beating the Scot by one point in front of a cheering crowd in Leeds.

All three judges decided in favor of El Gato and the scores were 117-111, 117-111 and 116-113.

The Chorley fighter undoubtedly landed the cleaner punches throughout, but had to withstand a valiant fightback from Taylor, who suffered the second defeat of his professional career.

Catterall said he could now “close the chapter with Josh Taylor”, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: “I had a few little aches and pains there, but I've overcome them. [them] and remained disciplined.

“We spent 24 rounds together. As much as has been said, you always have respect for another fighter. He is a tough competitor.”

However, Taylor said he was interested in a third meeting to “settle the score.”

The Scot stressed he had done enough to come out on top in an exciting fight, adding: “Given all the hype surrounding the first fight, they gave it straight to Jack.”

The fight awakens in the third

Since their explosive first fight in Glasgow in February 2022, in which Taylor was awarded the winner by the judges despite most observers believing he had lost the fight, it has felt like both boxers' careers have stalled.

The Prestonpans man has fought just once since then, a points decision against Teofimo Lopez in New York last June, and Catterall's victories over Darragh Foley and veteran Jorge Linares have done little to boost his chances of another world title challenge.

The animosity between Taylor and Catterall is real and intense, but both men spoke ahead of this long-awaited rematch about the importance of keeping their emotions under control when it finally comes time to step between the ropes again.

With the fight taking place less than 50 miles from his hometown of Chorley, Catterall entered the ring to thunderous applause, while Taylor seemed more than happy to play the villain as the boos rained down from the boisterous 11,000 spectators.

How much did the 33-year-old Taylor have left in the tank? Was Catterall ready to prove he belonged at world level? These were the questions on the table when the two bitter rivals finally got down to business.

Catterall used his right jab early on and while Taylor was pushing his opponent back on the ropes, he was hit with several clever left overhand strikes.

A collision of heads left an ugly bump on Taylor's head, which obviously caused him some discomfort.

Both men had promised that the second half would be more exciting and less reserved than the first, and the fight came to life in the third round when Taylor threw Catterall back into the ropes with a powerful left punch, but the Englishman fought with equal weapons and had some success of his own.

Taylor tried to force the pace by chasing his opponent around the ring, but Catterall is a master at boxing on the defensive and a late surge of offense probably won him the fourth punch.

Catterall came roaring off the ropes in the fifth round and knocked Taylor down with a quick combination in the middle of the ring. The Scot finished the round lying on the ropes while Catterall charged at him, and the bell was a welcome relief.

The chants of “Chorley, Chorley” grew louder, her man now had the game firmly under control and Taylor tried to go on the offensive again, but his shots were not as clean as the ones he had to take.

This time no controversy in the verdict

Taylor is a true fighter and came into the seventh round with renewed vigor. A beautiful left counter landed squarely and for the first time in the fight, Catterall seemed to feel the effects of some of Taylor's attacks.

The Scot seemed to warm up to the task until a quick series of punches jerked his head back and changed the dynamic of the fight again.

By the start of the 10th round, both men had noticeable puffiness under their eyes and the cat-and-mouse game of the early rounds was replaced by brutal exchanges in the middle of the ring.

Perhaps sensing he was behind on the scorecard, Taylor looked for Catterall on the 11th hole but was hit by a huge shot which he barely survived.

There was a sense of déjà vu heading into the final round, as Taylor surely needed a stoppage or at least a knockdown to save the fight. Would Catterall try to take the fight away from the judges this time?

Both men fought bravely to the end, but neither lacked the energy reserves to finish the show and once again their fate lay in the hands of the officials.

There was no controversy this time and although some might argue that the scores were a little too far apart, Catterall was awarded the victory his performance deserved.

He will now continue his quest for world titles. For Taylor, the future is less clear.

More boxing from the BBC