Undisputed super-lightweight champion Josh Taylor indicated he would step up to the welterweight division following a controversial victory which left Jack Catterall claiming his dreams had been “stolen”.
Taylor was awarded a split decision in Glasgow despite making a slow start and being knocked down in the eighth round. Both fighters were docked a point each for offences.
There was widespread surprise inside the Hydro arena when it was announced that one judge had 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 from Prestonpans, who has now won all 19 of his fights.
The Scot claimed he was the rightful victor but few observers agreed with the decision, which left the promoter Boxxer chief executive Ben Shalom “embarrassed” and “angry”.
Catterall stormed off when the decision was announced and articulated his thoughts on Instagram the following day.
“You know what hurts the most, it wasn’t for me, I done all of this for my family my team, my town and country,” the Chorley boxer wrote. “My baby girl and misses, our future. Today I should of been waking up with all of the belts. 15 months out the ring, they all wrote me off.
“F***** me in every way possible for over two years, finally got the fight. Sacrificed everything to fight one of the top p4p ranked fighters, gave him a lesson. For what. Boxing shame on you.”
Cattarall made his thoughts towards the judges clear and summed up his feelings by saying: “Dreams stolen.”
One bookmaker refunded bets on Catterall and a number of former world champions expressed their disbelief at the call.
Alex Arthur wrote on Twitter: “I’m the proudest Scotsman in history but Jack Catterall was just robbed of a world title there in Scotland. Can’t believe I’m saying that but I have to be honest.”
Liam Smith said: “Thought Jack Catterall won that fight, even without the knock down and point deduction. Crazy.”
Taylor’s former stable-mate Carl Frampton said: “I love Josh. I love Jack. But the wrong man got his hand raised.”
Carl Froch also disagreed with the decision, but added: “If you go on survival mode for the last four rounds of a World Title fight, the judges do not like it. Especially when you’re the challenger. Opportunity gone!”
However, Taylor retained the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO titles as well as the Ring Magazine belt and dismissed the initial dissenting voices.
“I don’t really care what anybody else thinks, I know in my heart that I won the fight,” he said.
“Jack deserves all the praise he got because he done better than everyone expected so fair play to him. But he never won the fight and I told him after it.
“I scored the bigger shots, I was the boss from midway through to the end.”
Asked about a possible rematch with Catterall, Taylor said: “I will be moving up. That was my last fight at 140 (lbs). I said that before this fight.
“It was maybe one too many fights at 140 but I made a deal with Jack that for me to get the fight with (Jose) Ramirez to become the undisputed champion, on the back of it, I gave him chance at a shot at the belts.
“All the marquee fights are a 147, even the non-title fights are massive.
“I feel I have earned the right to be in big fights now and when I move up to 147 I am going to be a monster at it and I will be even better than I am now.”
