Josh Taylor celebrates a controversial win in front of his home crowd.
Boxing was dealt a huge blow towards its credibility on Saturday night as Catterall became the latest victim of deluded judging.
In the build up to the super-lightweight showdown, Taylor emerged as heavy favourite. Taylor approached the fight having beaten credible fighters in his last few fights in comparison to Catterall who hadn't boxed since 2019. However, concerns were raised in the weigh-in as the undisputed champion looked drained.
The tartan tornado started slow as the opening three rounds proved cagey. There is an argument albeit a slight one that Taylor may have edged one or two of those rounds. However, rounds 4-8 is where the Scot usually excels but this time it was Catterall who dominated. Jack soon opened up Taylor usual cut above his right eye and dictated both the pace and the distance of the fight. Taylor failed to lead with what is usually his controlling jab and further failed to outbox Catterall on the inside.
It was a total schooling from Catterall who completely out-boxed Taylor. The Scotsman showed promise in round 7 but was stunned in the 8th as Catterall knocked him down. Taylor then looked very rocked and there for the taking as he narrowly survived the 8th round. But things then turned scrappy as Catterall docked a point for forcing his opponents head down.
But even with Catterall being deducted a point, the Englishman still looked like he was comfortably ahead. And when Taylor was also docked a point for punching his opponent after the bell, surely if Jack survived the final round he would win the belts he has dreamed of.
Despite even Taylor's trainer Ben Davison claiming he needed a knockout to win the tie, the Scots arm was raised at the end of the bout. The judges scored the contest 113-112 in favour of Catterall, 114-111 Taylor, and 113-112 Taylor.
Another robbery in Glasgow, slightly reminiscent to that in Glasgow in 2013 when Ricky Burns escaped with a draw and retained his belt against Beltran despite being dropped and breaking his jaw in the fight.
Catterall didn't stay in the ring long after the decision and raced back stage after gesturing towards the ring. The next day, he addressed his Instagram following “I should have been waking up with all of the belts,” he wrote on Instagram. “Sacrificed everything to fight one of the top [pound-for-pound] ranked fighters, gave him a lesson. For what? Boxing, shame on you. Dreams stolen.” Catterall throw and landed almost double the punches that Taylor threw in the fight and thus surely should have won and on my card by at least two or three rounds.
Taylor on the other hand expressed his desire to move up weight class and give up his belts, which Catterall should be fighting for in the future but not for the same purse as that against Taylor. Taylor believed he won the fight despite starting slow. One things for sure, Taylor got a lucky result and needs more significant changes than just a change in weight class.
Much like Fury's escape from knockout defeat to Wilder, under the regime of then trainer Davison, maybe it's also time for Taylor to switch trainer.
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