Two darn good fights, the second one in particular, two controversial scorecards, the first one in particular. Now, promoter Bob Arum wants to see the rubber match: Jack Catterall against Josh Taylor, the decider. As fans know, then unified, four-belt 140-pound champ Taylor was awarded a very controversial decision over fellow southpaw Catterall back in February of 2022, with an incredibly patient Catterall finally getting his revenge this May via a decision that was seen as debatable by some.
Undoubtedly, Arum was fuming when the cards were announced in May, the scores being 117-111 and 116-113, 116-113 in favor of Catterall. As fans no doubt recall, the Top Rank boss, Taylor’s promoter, climbed into the ring, grabbed the microphone, and bellowed that the cards were “a disgrace.” It was a closer fight than the 117-111 card indicated, that much is certain. Still, the right man won, as Catterall boxed brilliantly. But it was a superb battle, and that alone makes a third fight a great idea.
Arum says that with what he says were two controversial decisions, the deciding fight should be fought. Catterall must come through against Regis Prograis first, while Taylor has no next fight yet. But Arum, who spoke with Sky Sports, said the trilogy fight is a no-brainer.
“Let me clarify. I was in Leeds for that fight. I watched that fight carefully. There were three possible ways to score the fight: 7-5 Catterall, 7-5 Taylor, 6-6 even,” Arum said. “ The scorecards from those judges appointed by the British Board were just so out of line that they were unacceptable. I was teed off because Taylor is my fighter, and we promote him. I just thought it was a disservice to him that the scorecards were so wide. Why not (a third fight)? They certainly fought their hearts out for 12 rounds, and the crowd loved the fight.”
It was a good fight to watch, and Taylor, 19-2(13), dug in over the second half of the fight. There is no reason to believe a third fight would be a dud. That said, it is possible that 33-year-old Taylor, who shipped some punishment and was busted up at the end, gave us his last great fight in May. It is uncertain how much Taylor has got left. Conversely, Catterall, 29-1(13) is three years the younger man and he seems to be at his peak right now.
But again, unless either man gets a bigger, more interesting fight and a massive payday to go with it, a Catterall-Taylor III seems to make the most sense for both fighters. These two are now, officially, 1-1 (although some fans feel Catterall deserved the win in both fights), and as such, Taylor and Catterall have unfinished business.