“I had the same feeling last time,” Chorley’s Jack Catterall said after his highly-anticipated rematch with Josh Taylor in Leeds on Saturday.
The light welterweight contender defeated Scotland’s Taylor in February 2022, scoring a knockout defeat.
There was a long wait for the judges’ scores to be read out, which ended in heartbreak when Catterall lost a controversial split decision.
It was 819 days until the rematch happened and after a fantastic battle at the First Direct Arena, Catterall again raised his hands at the final bell, confident he had done enough to win.
This time the wait for the results was relatively short and there was jubilation and relief as Catterall emerged victorious unanimously.
One judge scored it 116-113, while the other two had it much closer at 117-111.
But the general consensus was that the right man had won, and for Catterall he had achieved the revenge and redemption he so fervently sought.
“There’s been a lot of back and forth over the last two years with personal messages and stuff, but I think we were able to put that behind us tonight,” the 30-year-old said.
‘Huge relief’ for Catterell after winning rematch
The record books will list one win each, but the story is deeper than that.
Taylor’s controversial win in Glasgow caused a stir in the boxing world and cost Catterall a life-changing chance to become Britain’s first undisputed world champion.
The fighter’s local pub changed its name to the Catterall Arms and the local MP even complained to the police.
A planned rematch fell through due to an injury to Taylor and the pair went their separate ways, but the ghost of Taylor continued to haunt Catterall.
“It was a huge relief,” Catterall said after the rematch victory.
Catterall is normally a reserved and unassuming character, but the intensity of their rivalry produced an emotional “El Gato” for the second time in a bout billed as “the hatred runs deep.”
But he kept his cool, thought things through and hit some of the cleaner, more eye-catching shots in the first half of the match.
The experienced Taylor refused to give in on his way back into the match.
But Catterall was determined to avoid a repeat of two years ago, when he found himself cruising comfortably in the final few rounds, and finished the show on top.
“It was important to keep my emotions in check and be disciplined, but also to take advantage of opportunities when they came along,” he said.
“El Gato” has world title shot but Arum isn’t happy
While Catterall and his team felt justice had prevailed, not everyone agreed.
Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, who represents Taylor, took to the microphone during Catterall’s interview to air his displeasure.
“I will never allow an American fighter to come here,” Top Rank’s Arum, 92, said, calling the scorecard an “utter disgrace.”
Catterall watched from the back with a grin and while Taylor and his team may be pushing for a trilogy bout, the Lancaster native now has his sights set on a world title shot.
“A world title has always been a dream,” he said. “We didn’t get the clean sweep, but that’s OK. That chapter’s already been written. I’m in a great position.”
Puerto Rican IBF champion Subriel Matias, who faces Liam Paro next month, is also signed to Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom and could be an option for Catterall.
But Catterall said he would like to face WBO champion Teofimo Lopez, who handed Taylor the first loss of his career last year.
Meanwhile, Hearn did not rule out a third Catterall-Taylor bout in the future.
But for now, Catterall is focused on healing the cuts and bruises on her face before her wedding, which is just 10 days away.
