Glasgow, Scotland - For the WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF junior welterweight titles, Josh Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) had to overcome the first knockdown of his career to win a razor-close twelve round split decision over mandatory challenger Jack Catterall (26-1, 13 KOs). (photos by Lawrence Lustig, Mikey Williams)
There were many observers who felt Taylor was fortunate to walk away with the world titles.
The scores were 113-112 for Catterall, 114-111 for Taylor, and 113-112 for Taylor.
The bout began as a technical fight in round one, with Catterall getting off with a left hand. Catterall was boxing well. In the second, there was some roughhousing from both. Catterall was outjabbing Taylor and landing left hand counters when Taylor would come inside. Taylor was starting to dig to the body to slow Catterall down.
During the third, Taylor was applying a lot of pressure and continued to go to the body. Catterall continued to jab and land the left hand. Taylor was starting to close the gap, with Catterall still landing as well. Taylor was making it a rough fight in the fourth. Both were missing a lot of punches. There was a lot of holding when they came in close.
In the fifth, they were trading body shots in close. Catterall landing a big combination that Taylor ate. Taylor was cut under the right eye, and it was swelling. Taylor was taking the fight to Catterall in the sixth, with a lot of his punches missing the mark. Catterall was jabbing well to keep Taylor in place and the British boxer continued to connect well. It was more of the same in the seventh, with Taylor having issues landing flush on Taylor.
At the start of the eight, Catterall landed a combination of punches to drop Taylor, who was down for the first time in his career. Catterall was peppering Taylor with punches. Taylor's right eye was bleeding more. Taylor came out firing with both hands in the ninth round. He was outworking Catterall, but not landing a lot of the punches being thrown.
Taylor continued to press the action in the tenth. Catterall lost a point for holding down the head of Taylor when they were inside. Catterall began the eleventh with a series of punches. Taylor was looking for the body as he would come in. Taylor was doing most of the work as the round played out. Catterall was defensive and picking his punches with care. At the end of the eleventh, Taylor lost a point for hitting Catterall after the bell.
The twelfth began with Taylor pressing forward and looking to land something, but there was a lot of holding and not a lot of landing by either boxer until the final bell.
