Josh Taylor clung on to all of the belts in the light welterweight division by the skin of his teeth.
The Tartan Tornado managed to scratch out a points win against England’s Jack Catterall – but in hugely controversial circumstances.
Taylor struggled for most of the night against the rugged rival from Chorley and was sent to the canvas for the first time in his career.
He rallied late on to stage a fightback but it looked like time ran out on his bid to win enough rounds.
But the ringside judges gave him the decision to sent the Hydro wild – and leave Taylor a relieved man.
Catterall was understandable fuming and will demand – and deserve – a rematch.
Taylor lives to fight another day, knowing he can’t afford another off night like this one if he’s going to kick on and compete with the global elite.
The Hydro finally got it’s homecoming party last night though – even though it looked like it might have gone to pot.
Taylor was determined to make the most of his return to home soil after cleaning up the division against Jose Ramirez in Las Vegas last May.
But this was another significant challenge.
Catterall might not have been in with the best in the business but he’d earned his chance.
The Chorley ace was yet another rival with an unbeaten record going in – incredibly the sixth opponent for Taylor on the spin without loss.
But Catterall had never faced anything like Taylor.
The Englishmen had never been in an environment like this either. The Hydro is a bear pit on night’s like this.
It’s been nearly three years since the walls shook when Taylor took down Ivan Baranchyk to win his first world strap.
How the place has missed this in the pandemic years. The Hydro was like a cross between a Hampden World Cup tie and an indoor T in the Park.
We even had Amy McDonald giving it laldy with the Flower of Scotland.
Catterall was about to meet the Power of Scotland as the champion marched in to the ring with to a backdrop of bagpipes and rave music.
But Taylor couldn’t get in to his groove once the bell sounded. It was the challenger who tentatively landed first in a cautious opening from the Scot and cagey start from both.
The home hero got a telling off for a clip around the back of the head in the second as he started to warm up and a couple of uppercuts hit the mark before the body shorts began.
It was rough and tumble but Taylor knows how to mix it and he got to work on the inside, bloodying his man’s beak, while Catterall looked dangerous lobbing looping lefts over the top.
Catterall was awkward at times, but tidy at others, and he started giving Taylor a ton of trouble.
By the middle rounds the Scot was taking too many dull shots and a cut opened up under his right eye after a clash of heads.
The Tornado just couldn’t get comfortable as Catterall continued to pose a problem, popping jabs and then tying his man up.
Taylor simply didn’t look like his old self. The usual snap and power wasn’t quite there and in the eighth he walked in to the first real crisis of his career as a couple of body digs and left over the top put the Scot down to the floor.
He made the count and desperately reached for a way back – and the Hydro did their bit to raise their hero’s spirits.
It seemed to work as Taylor went all guns blazing in the ninth, forcing Catterall back for the first time in the fight.
The champ got a boost when the Englishman was finally docked a point but the Scot still needed a huge finish down the stretch.
His chances took another big hit though he also lost a point for a bit of afters in the penultimate round.
Taylor went searching for a KO and while it was out of reach, the late burst was just enough to sway the scorecards.
On the undercard, Glasgow Warrior Nick Campbell become the first Scottish heavyweight champion in 71 years after a barnstorming barney with Jay McFarlane.
The former pro rugby forward bombarded his man for seven rounds but McFarlane showed tremendous heart – and dig – to stay in the fight.
But McFarlane got floored in the seventh and the ref stepped in when the punishment continued.
Campbell said: “That was the most valuable seven rounds of my career so far, amateur or pro. What a night, what an experience.”
Super middleweight prospect John Docherty is on the title hunt after making it two wins in just seven days with his second round demolition of Jordan Grant.
