Jack Catterall beat former undisputed world tremendous light-weight champion Josh Taylor by a unanimous resolution in an exhilarating rematch in Leeds on Saturday evening.

Catterall avenged his controversial split-decision defeat to Taylor in Glasgow two years in the past, touchdown the heavier punches to lastly settle the rating in certainly one of British boxing’s largest grudge fights in current reminiscence.

All three judges gave the battle at a sold-out First Direct Enviornment to Catterall, two by scores of 117-111 and the opposite by 116-113, though Taylor will really feel aggrieved it was not scored nearer.

Taylor labored busily behind his jab within the early rounds, whereas southpaw Catterall loved specific success along with his left hook.

After an unintentional conflict of heads within the second spherical Taylor briefly backed his opponent on to the ropes, however Catterall responded with a swinging left earlier than one other head conflict at the beginning of the third induced Taylor to wince.

Catterall landed two successive lefts on the finish of the fourth and seemed to take cost within the fifth, discovering his vary along with his jab earlier than hurting Taylor with a sequence of lefts and rights that pressed the Scot towards the ropes.

Taylor regained his composure within the sixth regardless of a swelling beneath his proper eye, however Catterall’s punches continued to be extra correct and heavier.

Two quick rights from Taylor gave him momentum within the seventh as each fighters traded blows and the Scot proved more practical once more within the eighth to even up the battle.

Catterall breached his opponent’s defence early within the ninth and each boxers went toe-to-toe.

Taylor stalked his man within the tenth, now wanting the extra menacing fighter, and landed with a proper after which an uppercut.

However a thundering straight proper from Catterall within the eleventh had Taylor in bother with little to separate the pair going into the ultimate spherical as they punched themselves to a standstill.

The 2 fighters first clashed in February 2022 when Taylor controversially retained his WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts in Glasgow by way of a contentious break up resolution.

Most observers felt Chorley’s Catterall did sufficient to win and within the two years since, the fighters have traded insults in particular person and on social media.

This second assembly – no belts have been on the road – was twice postponed, first in January 2023 attributable to Taylor’s foot damage and once more in March this yr when the Scot had a minor eye downside.

Taylor, who grew to become Britain’s first undisputed world champion within the four-belt period by defeating Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas in 2021, misplaced to American Teofimo Lopez in June final yr in his solely battle since first going through Catterall.

The Edinburgh man’s document now stands at 20-2, with Catterall’s at 29-1 and there’ll now be a clamour for a decisive third assembly.

Earlier on the undercard, Jamaican-born Chev Clarke received the vacant British cruiserweight title by knocking out Lewisham’s Ellis Zorro within the eighth spherical.

Catterall units sights on Lopez’s world title

Catterall needs a world title shot towards Lopez, who defeated Taylor in June final final yr, after his thrilling win in Leeds.

“To win the world title has all the time been the dream for me,” Catterall stated. “We did not get the undisputed world titles (towards Taylor) and that is advantageous. That chapter’s been written now.

“I need that world title battle now. (Lopez) beat Taylor earlier than I did, now I’ve had the win over him (Taylor) and I wish to show I am higher than him (Lopez).

“I imagine I’ve obtained the fashion to beat Lopez. That is the battle I need.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn stated Catterall ought to already be undisputed champion and had now proved he deserved a world title likelihood.

He added: “After a battle like that, high-profile, sold-out crowd, he is proper up there.

“In fact, folks discuss in regards to the trilogy and for me, I all the time take a look at the largest fights on the market, however now it is in regards to the profession of Jack Catterall.

“And he ought to have been undisputed world champion, so we have to attempt to place him now for a world championship battle.

“When you’ve got a efficiency like that, when you’ve got an evening like that, positioning somebody is quite a bit simpler to do.”