Josh Taylor beats Jack Catterall to keep world titles but decision is slammed as ‘disgusting’
- Planet Sport writer
- 27 February 2022
Josh Taylor’s Glasgow homecoming ended in controversy as he picked up a split-decision win over Jack Catterall despite going down in the eighth round.
Taylor, who kept hold of his WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO light-welterweight belts, looked far from his best as Catterall appeared to have got the better of the Scot over 12 rounds.
The Chorley fighter and his trainer Jamie Moore, and much of the sell-out crowd in Glasgow, were surprised when the judges scored it 113-112 in favour of the Englishman with the other two judges giving it 114-111 and 113-112 to the 31-year-old champion who now has a 19-0-0 record.
Moore told Sky Sports: "He stepped aside on the promise that he would get the opportunity, he gets the opportunity and he performs like that, beats the champion in his own backyard, and gets absolutely robbed.
"So think about the message it sends to people? My son is 16 and getting into boxing.
"He'll be looking at that and thinking why should I get into boxing?
"The moment you work for, for all your life, to get crowned a world champion after a performance like that, is snatched away from you. It's disgusting. Jack is absolutely heartbroken."
Taylor thought he had done enough to keep his belts. Speaking in the post-fight interview, he said: "100 percent. I started slow as I tried to get my timing. I caught him with the bigger shots.
"He tried to spoil, he leaned in a lot and there was a clash of heads. I'm not going to lie, he caught me with a couple of good shots as well.
"It wasn't my best performance. I put a hell of a lot of pressure on myself this week with the homecoming and my first fight here in three years.
"There was a lot of pressure as the big favourite. But I believe I started catching him with bigger shots.
"It wasn't my best but I thought I got the win, 100 per cent. "
