Jack Catterall beats Josh Taylor by unanimous decision in epic rematch in Leeds

On Saturday night in Leeds, Jack Catterall emerged victorious in an electrifying rematch against Josh Taylor, who was once the undisputed world super lightweight champion. Catterall secured the win by unanimous decision.

In a highly anticipated rematch, Catterall secured a decisive victory over Taylor, who had controversially defeated him through a split decision in Glasgow several years prior. Catterall was able to deliver stronger punches and ultimately settle the score, making this one of the most notable grudge fights in recent history for British boxing.

Catterall was declared the winner in the packed First Direct Arena after all three judges awarded him the victory. Two judges gave him scores of 117-111 while the third judge gave him a score of 116-113. However, Taylor may be disappointed that the score wasn't closer in his favor.

During the first few rounds of the fight, Taylor was very active with his jab while Catterall, who is a left-handed fighter, did well with his left hook.

During the second round of the match, Taylor and his opponent accidentally hit their heads together. This caused Taylor to briefly push his opponent towards the ropes, but Catterall fought back with a strong left hook. However, at the beginning of the third round, another head collision occurred which made Taylor flinch.

In the fourth round, Catterall threw two left punches one after the other and then in the fifth round, he started to improve his punching accuracy with the help of his jab. He became dominant and made Taylor uncomfortable with a series of punches from both hands. This made Taylor retreat towards the ropes.

In the sixth round, Taylor managed to compose himself again, even though he suffered from a swelling under his right eye. However, Catterall's punches kept hitting harder and with more precision.

During the seventh round, Taylor gained some speed with a couple of quick punches. The two fighters exchanged hits, but Taylor was more successful. In the eighth round, he continued to outperform his opponent, resulting in a tied match.

Early in the ninth round, Catterall found a way through his opponent's defence and the two boxers engaged in a close combat battle.

In the 10th round, Taylor followed his opponent closely and seemed like the more intimidating fighter. He hit his opponent with a right fist and then an uppercut.

However, in the 11th round, Catterall threw a powerful straight right punch that caused trouble for Taylor. Both fighters were evenly matched leading up to the final round as they exchanged punches until they were both exhausted.

In February 2022, the two fighters had their first confrontation. Taylor managed to keep his WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO belts in Glasgow, but it was a disputed split decision that caused controversy.

Many onlookers believed that Catterall from Chorley had won the fight, and ever since then, the two fighters have exchanged insults both in person and on social media for a period of two years.

The second gathering, where no belts were at risk, had to be rescheduled twice. The first time was in January 2023 because Taylor hurt their foot, and the second time was this March when the Scottish boxer had a small issue with their eye.

Taylor, who was crowned as the first unified world champion of Britain in the four-belt era after defeating Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas last year, suffered a defeat to Teofimo Lopez, an American boxer, in June 2020. This has been Taylor's sole fight since his initial bout against Catterall.

The man from Edinburgh has a record of 20 wins and 2 losses, while Catterall's record is 29 wins and 1 loss. People will now be calling for a third fight to determine the ultimate winner.

In the preliminary fights, Chev Clarke, who was born in Jamaica, emerged victorious by knocking out Ellis Zorro from Lewisham in the eighth round, thereby securing the unoccupied British cruiserweight championship.

Catterall Eyes Lopez's Championship Crown

Catterall desires a chance to compete for the world title against Lopez, who emerged victorious over Taylor in June of last year, following his exhilarating victory in the city of Leeds.

"I've always had the dream of becoming a world champion," Catterall expressed. "We weren't able to win all of the world titles in the fight against Taylor, and that's okay. That part of my career is over now."

I'm eager for the opportunity to compete for the world title immediately. Lopez managed to defeat Taylor before my victory, but I was able to come out on top in our match. Now, I'm confident in my abilities and want to demonstrate that I am superior to Lopez.

"I am confident that my unique style can triumph over Lopez and that's the bout I am eagerly seeking."

Eddie Hearn, the promoter, stated that Catterall should have already won the title of undisputed champion, and has now justified his worth of an opportunity for a world title.

He included: "Following an intense battle such as that, with a high-profile audience and sold-out arena, he definitely ranks among the best."

Naturally, individuals discuss the trilogy and personally, I focus on the most significant battles available. However, presently it pertains to Jack Catterall's professional journey.

He deserved to be the absolute champion of the world, therefore we must work on putting him in an optimal position to compete for a world championship title."

"It becomes easier to position someone when they have a performance or a night like that."