The controversy surrounding Jack Catterall and Josh Taylor’s first meeting was overshadowed by the fact that it was not particularly watchable. That wasn’t to be the case this time, as Catterall and Josh Taylor played 12 perfect rounds before “El Gato” took the unanimous decision.
Apart from a solid third round in which Taylor (19-2, 13 KO) landed several robust body shots, Catterall’s (29-1, 13 KO) jab and movement controlled the first half of the fight, punishing Taylor for his lack of head movement and stifling his offense . He didn’t throw bullets either; there was some real venom there, including some impressively long combos.
However, things took a acute turn in the seventh set when Catterall seemed to suddenly run out of steam. Taylor took full advantage of this advantage, continuing to punish the body while Catterall began to rely more and more on the clinch to stay out of trouble. ‘The Tartan Tornado’ was in full swing entering the championship rounds and dominated the first half of the eleventh round, but shortly after the referee interrupted them to scold them for their unseemly clinch tactics, Catterall rocked Taylor with a counter that remained eerily reminiscent of Junto’s monstrous knockout of Andrew Moloney Nakatani.
Taylor managed to survive thanks to a lucky fall after tying the spot and argued in the next round, but the damage had already been done. Catterall walked away with two, 117-111 and 116-113. Bad Left Hook led 116-112 for Catterall, although I gave him all three round swings and couldn’t wait to see where the judges found the ninth round for him.
Bob Arum later took the microphone and called the scorecards “ridiculous.” Matchroom published them almost immediately after the verdict, so you can make your own decision.
Eddie Hearn was keen to list the numerous match-ups such as Subriel Matias available to Catterall now that this saga is likely over. Taylor, although confident he had just won the fight, seemed to accept Catterall’s move on to bigger fights.
Clarke overcomes Zorro’s snail-paced start and end
Team GB’s Cheavon Clarke gained a wealth of experience against the unexpectedly tricky Ellis Zorro, but managed to claim both the British cruiserweight title and his second knockout in 2024.
Most viewed Zorro (17-2, 7 KO) as cannon fodder following his knockout loss to Jai Opetaia last November, but he did an exceptionally solid job of neutralizing Clarke (9-0, 7 KO) in the early rounds, combining fierce striking attacks, good defense and regular clinches. To his credit, Clarke adjusted gradually, twisting his weighty right arm and refusing to be manipulated inside.
Behind schedule in the eighth, Clarke finally found his chin with a uppercut to a right that sent Zorro reeling back to the ropes. Clarke followed with a fierce attack and Zorro fell in a heap right at the bell
It was a painfully unwatchable fight most of the time, but Clarke proved he could handle a spoiler. It’s probably still best to play one or two more games domestically before you start fighting for the world title; the winner of next month’s Jack Massey vs. Isaac Chamberlain fight seems like a good next step, assuming Chamberlain doesn’t bail again at the last minute.
Donovan takes Ritson out with a quick attack slow
It took him some time to settle in, but Irish welterweight prospect Paddy Donovan maintained his undefeated record with a ninth-round knockout of fading veteran Lewis Ritson.
Donovan (14-0, 11 KO) relied on a stick-and-move strategy for most of the fight, while Ritson (23-4, 13 KO) moved forward behind the high guard, showing off solid footwork and spins to avoid getting caught enemy . As Ritson began to hit the target with body shots and avoid Donovan’s robust counterattacks, Donovan regained control, reducing the power, engaging Ritson’s guard with arm punches and keeping lightweight on his feet to outmaneuver him.
Ritson continued to push forward, however, and kept the contest alive with robust body shots in the sixth and seventh periods as Donovan’s combinations began to take off. In response, Donovan switched gears and knocked Ritson flat on his back with a steady series of powerful punches, leaving Ritson with no choice but to challenge and look for the occasional Hail Mary bomb.
As the injuries mounted and Ritson’s reactions became less and less repeated, the referee stepped in and ordered the stoppage at the 32nd second mark of nine.
There are a lot of elements to this, especially the movement, but Andy Lee still has some work to do if he wants to turn Donovan into a real contender. It shouldn’t take that long or that many spotless shots to beat an undersized veteran like Ritson, who has had alarming success simply getting into the pocket and firing full body shots until Donovan is tied up or free.
Still, even if his ceiling doesn’t look as high as the Irish candidate would like, “The Real Deal” is only 25 people. There’s no need to rush.
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