Jack Catterall gets his ultimate revenge for contentious earlier defeat by outpointing Josh Taylor in thrilling rematch
JACK CATTERALL got magnificent rematch revenge over Josh Taylor after two painful years of waiting.
A ridiculous 819 days since their first clash ended in a controversial split decision for the 33-year-old Prestonpans man, they re-ran the super-lightweight action and the right man finally won.
Chorley’s 30-year-old Catterall was robbed of undisputed glory that night and the two years that have passed cost Taylor all the belts, so only bragging rights were on the line.
But the judges finally settled the score the right way, with cards of: 117-111, 117-11 and 116-113.
Catterall started with a precise one-two and plenty of southpaw jabs, the Tartan Tornado targeted his enemy’s body but lost the opener.
There was a horrible clash of heads in the second when both lefties crossed paths and bumped skulls but thankfully no cuts opened up.
Then El Gato Catterall landed a peach of a left hand and Taylor lost another stanza.
Taylor won the third with a spiteful left hand that buzzed Catterall for the first time in their two meetings.
Round four was tight but a rapid combination from Catterall right at the end would have caught the judges’ eyes.
Catterall’s right-hand jab was superb in the fifth, peppering Taylor’s undefended face from all sorts of angles and Taylor was battered into the ropes by another excellent volley right on the bell.
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Taylor was schooled throughout the sixth too, his corner had utterly no answer to the clinic Catterall was putting on for the Leeds crowd.
Taylor was finally tenacious in round seven, scoring with three big left hands to the head and a right hook to Catterall’s body to secure him the round.
Round eight was excellent, both men shipped punishment and landed scoring shots. Catterall looked to be tiring but he could still counter. Taylor was always pushing the pace but still getting caught.
Nine was also magnificent but Catterall’s last flurry right on the bell should have nicked it for him and the facial damage was far more visible on Taylor.
Catterall banked round 11 by robbing Taylor of his senses with a vicious left hand, Taylor might have been stopped but the pair bundled down to the ground and he got a much-needed chance to recover.
Braveheart Taylor pushed the pace throughout the final round but he was tagged by his nemesis right up until the final bell.
There was no hug at the end and Catterall was fuming when Taylor celebrated early and his hopeful team listed him into the sky.
After the contest, Catterall said: “It’s bittersweet because there are no world titles but I can now close the Josh Taylor chapter.
“I won the fight, I took more risks this time and in the second half, in the rounds I was reserved in, I was still in control.
“It was a long wait for the scores but I knew I had done it.
“We wanted Josh at his best and that’s what we got.
“We have shared 24 rounds now, said a lot of things, but it’s been nothing personal.”