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Jack Catterall Puts Josh Taylor in Rear-View Mirror: 'I Believe I Won The Fight'

Jack Catterall evened the score at one apiece with a decision win against Josh Taylor.

Zain Bando

Jack Catterall connects with a punch on Josh Taylor.
Jack Catterall connects with a punch on Josh Taylor. / (via Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)

After 27 months of build-up, trash talk, and intrigue, Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall went to war in a 12-round slugfest Saturday in England. Unlike their first bout, Catterall got the better of Taylor to even the rivalry at one fight apiece with a unanimous decision win (117-111 x2, 116-113) in junior welterweight action.

Catterall (29-1, 13 KOs) gave Taylor (19-2, 13 KOs) credit where credit is due, acknowledging the toughness from the Scottish warrior and picking smarter shots compared to their first encounter.

"I believe I won the fight," Catterall said after the win. "I took more risks this time. Josh is an elite operator, [former] undisputed world champion. We knew we were up against it, but I went through the gears, boxed with my smarts, and even in the second half of the fight, the rounds that I was more reserved, I was controlling the pace and wasn’t getting hit with big punches. And I was landing clean."

Despite Bob Arum's dismay toward the judges' scorecards awarding the fight to Catterall, Taylor is open to a rematch to settle the score and leave no doubt.

Jack Catterall Gets Revenge on Josh Taylor in Thrilling Rematch (Boxing Tonight)

For the time being, however, Catterall is content with accepting opponents besides Taylor and expects Taylor and him to cross paths again, but not immediately.

The U.S. vs. U.K. rivalry was left with a showering of boos along with cheers mixed in when the decision was read, but Round 11 was ultimately the deciding factor, as Catterall nearly finished Taylor before the final stanza saw both men trade blow-for-blow.

It's safe to assume this rivalry is far from finished, but for now, Catterall got the better of Taylor, controversial or not.

Boxing News: Jack Catterall Earns Vindication, Scores Decision Win Over Josh Taylor

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Zain Bando

ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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