On a rare weekend with few combat sports events being broadcasted, Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall owned most of the attention on May 25 with their high-profile rematch in Leeds. In their original meeting in 2022, Taylor edged Catterall by a split decision to retain his undisputed super lightweight championship.
Two years later, Taylor and Catterall headlined another pay-per-view event with their second meeting. Unlike the first fight, no titles were on the line in the rematch, but Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn claimed both fighters’ careers were on the line.
Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall result
𝐄𝐋 𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍! 👏@jack_catt93 avenges defeat to Josh Taylor 🙌
📝 117-111, 117-111, 116-113 #TaylorCatterall2 | @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/2cXnHA7TFr
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) May 25, 2024
Two years after suffering the first loss of his career, Jack Catterall avenged his controversial loss to Josh Taylor on May 25 with a unanimous decision nod.
After a couple of feel-out rounds to open in which neither fighter could establish a firm lead, Catterall began to take a firm lead in the fight beginning in round three. Behind a consistent jab, Catterall did not let Taylor find his rhythm early.
During the middle rounds, the ESPN+ broadcast flashed the live odds that indicated Catterall as a -1200 favorite. Almost on cue, Taylor found a second wind, beginning to impose his will.
With a visibly fatigued Catterall in front of him, Taylor began to take control in the second half of the fight. The ring-side announcers noted the exhaustion of Catterall, who seemed to struggle to keep his arms up as Taylor, the larger fighter, racked up his punch count.
Taylor remained the fresher fighter throughout, but in the 11th round, Catterall timed an overhand left counter with pinpoint accuracy to nearly finish the fight. Taylor slipped, and no knockdown was officially credited, but Taylor was left clearly compromised.
Catterall did not have enough left in him to get the finish, but by the end of the 12 rounds, all three judges scored the fight in his favor.
Another Controversial Ending
At the end of the fight, most viewers — including the broadcast commentary team — seemed to be unsure on how the fight would be scored. Much like the first fight, Jack Catterall appeared dominant in moments but the second half featured Josh Taylor outworking him with the better cardio.
However, unlike the first fight, Catterall would get the judges’ decision in what Eddie Hearn called “justice.”
Bob Arum — the CEO of Top Rank, the promotion of the fight — strongly disagreed with Hearn, calling the scorecards a “disgrace.” Arum said:
“Those scorecards were a disgrace. I really feel sorry for Josh, I thought he won the fight.”
Bob Arum makes his feelings known 🤐#TaylorCatterall2 pic.twitter.com/1t7FM0GDmw
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) May 25, 2024
Regardless of Arum’s surprising rant, Taylor did not claim that he was robbed of a victory, instead gracefully congratulating his opponent on the win and campaigning for a trilogy bout.
Though most did not agree with Arum’s claim, many did feel as if the official scorecards discredited Taylor by giving too many rounds to Catterall. However, unlike the first fight, most fans did not leave the rematch feeling as if the wrong fighter left the ring with the win.
About the Author
Jaren Kawada is a freelance sports writer from Indianapolis, Indiana with a strong passion for MMA and sports betting. Kawada has also written for Sportskeeda MMA, FanSided MMA, and BetSided as a combat sports analyst. Follow on X/Twitter at @jarenkawada1.
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