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Why Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall hate each other ahead of their blockbuster fight

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Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall will finally settle their fierce rivalry on Saturday when the British welterweight contenders put everything on the line in Leeds. The feud between the pair, fueled by a highly controversial decision in Taylor’s favor in 2022, evokes memories of the great British boxing rivalries of recent years, whether Froch-Groves or Haye-Bellew.

However, the animosity between Taylor and Catterall is completely organic. Promoter Eddie Hearn no doubt picks up on the contempt between the challengers that made this long-awaited rematch such an simple sell – the event is titled Hate Runs Deep – but it’s not staged or produced; these men really can’t stand each other and sparks flew in their first fight, and two years ago they continued to weigh in when Catterall wrapped his hand around Taylor’s throat.

Taylor entered the fight as the clear favorite, but “El Gato” gave the performance of his life and it seemed certain that he would realize his world title dreams when the final bell rang. However, the enormous majority of viewers were stunned when Taylor claimed a split decision victory in Glasgow to retain the undisputed lightweight title, despite losing to Chorley native Catterall in the eighth round and having a point deducted in the eleventh round for punching after the fight. bell.

Taylor was outnumbered for long stretches of the fight and further irritated Catterall’s supporters when he defiantly declared that immediately after the fight he believed he was the clear winner. However, the British Boxing Board of Control disagreed with referee Ian John-Lewis’ downgrade due to his controversial scorecard, which saw Taylor win by three rounds. Catterall’s coach Jamie Moore said the “attack” left him “heartbroken”.

Fans demanded an immediate rematch, but it did not happen. Instead, Taylor defended his Ring Magazine crown against Teofimo Lopez 11 months ago, losing by unanimous decision at the Madison Square Garden Theater and tasting defeat for the first time in his career. Meanwhile, Catterall was more lively, allowing him wins over Darragh Foley and Jorge Linares.

Catterall, however, was only interested in another criticism of Taylor, which was to come in April, but the Scot suffered an eye injury during training. But on Saturday evening the conversation ended. Friday’s weigh-in was peaceful compared to the opening news conference in February, when Catterall grabbed Taylor by the throat for a second time and was dragged away by security.

Instead, both fighters came face to face and exchanged a few choice words before posing and leaning in for the cameras, apparently saving their energy for what was shaping up to be a blockbuster clash in Leeds. Catterall will be deeply frustrated that the world title is not on the line this time, but the chance for revenge will be a fitting consolation.

“He’s not my type of person,” Catterall said. “I don’t think we would go for a coffee or a beer. I just don’t like him. I can’t wait to stop talking about him. I want to beat him by all means possible. I want it to be tardy and painful, but I also want to knock him out. He should be cheerful about this, it’s probably his last fight. There’s no place to hide Josh. A rival, an enemy – that’s what Josh Taylor is to me. The judges can’t save him. I can’t fucking wait.

Taylor replied, “I don’t care how I win this fight, by points or stoppages, how I perform in the gym, what shots I take and catch people, if I catch him with those shots it’s going to be over and it’s going to be devastating for him. But we’ll see what happens, for me it’s just a victory. It’s a must-win, it’s bragging rights, it’s like, ‘I told you I’m better than you,’ so I can’t wait.”

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UK Boxing

Boxing fans furious after ‘terrible attack’ on Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk fight

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Many boxing fans were furious after Johnny Fisher secured a controversial victory over Dave Allen ahead of Tyson Fury’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.

Two of the three judges scored the fight in Fisher’s favor, even though Allen knocked him down and dominated most of the fight.

Romford Bull had a mighty start and clearly won the opening rounds, but Allen turned things around with a powerful right hand in the fifth. This caused Fisher to hit the canvas and he was lucky to avoid being stopped before the bell.

Allen was in great control for the rest of the fight, but the judges saw it differently, and Fisher inexplicably avoided the first loss of his professional career.

Fans on social media were left baffled by the controversial split decision, with @ATokkers5 posting on X (formerly Twitter): “This is an absolutely terrible robbery. Frightening. Johnny Fisher didn’t win this fight. I’m not a Dave Allen fan, but this is a disgraceful call.”

@johnny33black added: “Boxing can be awesome! This modern AI-powered grading system works better because it’s fucking disgusting. “No person in the world would give that to Johnny Fisher.”

@davidrice17 furious: “What the fuck is the point of boxing? Honestly, it’s no wonder everyone thinks this sport is a joke. Dave Allen won that fight by two or three rounds, everyone knows that, except the f*cking judges scored it.”

Even pop superstar Louis Tomlinson thought Allen did more than enough to win. He wrote: “What an incredible performance from Dave Allen, with so much at stake and under so much pressure. Completely robbed of judges. You were proud, buddy!”

Clamorous boos could be heard as the judges’ scorecards were read at Kingdom Arena in Riyad, while Allen looked surprised as he tried to understand the decision.

Sky Sports Box Office commentator Shane McGuigan said: “I thought it was very effortless to score. This is what boxing is all about, this is what business is all about.

“Close rounds, when you’re leaning towards a guy who’s selling five, six thousand tickets, sometimes those are the decisions that lean towards that player. I would be very, very, very disappointed if I were Dave Allen’s cornerback position.”

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UK Boxing

Mykhailo Mudryk appears in public for the first time since drugs did not support Oleksandr Usyk

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Mykhailo Mudryk was spotted in the crowd at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad ahead of Tyson Fury’s heavyweight rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.

The Chelsea winger, who was temporarily suspended from football after failing a drug test, appears to be backing Usyk for the highly anticipated clash in Saudi Arabia.

He was spotted at ringside during the early fights on the undercard and will be hoping his fellow Ukrainian can handle the Gypsy King.

Usyk defends his WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight titles after defeating Fury on points earlier this year. If he secures another victory, his legacy as one of the best boxers in the world will be set in stone.

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Mudryk had returned a “negative result” on a routine urine test. He is still waiting for the result of his “B” sample and if the result is positive, he could face a long ban.

He maintained his innocence, emphasizing that he had never knowingly broken any rules or taken any banned substances.

In a statement he said: “I can confirm that I have been notified that the sample I provided to the FA contained a banned substance.

“It came as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules and I am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened.

“I know I didn’t do anything wrong and I hope to be back on the pitch soon. “I can’t say more now due to the confidentiality of the process, but I will do so as soon as possible.”

As a result of his fleeting suspension, Mudryk will not be able to play for Chelsea in Sunday’s match against Everton. He is also unable to attend sessions at the Blues’ training center in Cobham.

Mudryk has played just 146 minutes in the Premier League this season, largely constrained to appearances in the Conference League, where he scored three goals in four games. He also played in the Carabao Cup twice.

If the “B” sample tests positive for any banned substances, Mudryk will likely face a sedate ban. Paul Pogba was initially banned for four years after returning a sample containing DHEA, a substance known to enhance testosterone levels.

After a successful appeal, the ban was finally shortened to 18 months, and the Frenchman will be able to play freely in matches from March next year.

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UK Boxing

The result of the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk match was decided after the fans’ verdict

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Boxing fans are rooting for Oleksandr Usyk to prevail over Tyson Fury in today’s heavyweight clash and potentially take the series 2-0.

The two first faced each other in a thrilling match in May this year, in which Usyk defeated “The Gypsy King” by split decision. With this victory, Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world since Lennox Lewis in 1999. Even though he is the favorite to win again, many still believe Fury has the potential to displace the Ukrainian sensation.

Thousands of our readers cast their votes for the outcome of the fight, and there was a clear winner. Fifty-three percent of voters believe Usyk’s skills will defeat the “Gypsy King” and 45 percent believe the Briton will equalize the result in Saudi Arabia. Interestingly, given the expected closeness of the fight, only two percent of voters expect a draw. While most support the undefeated 37-year-old Ukrainian, Fury will certainly have something to say.

In a tight fight on Thursday evening, the Briton looked to issue a stern warning to his upcoming opponent. “He’s f–king, last time I was at 50 percent, you were the best you’ve ever been and yet you couldn’t do it,” he said. “You couldn’t do that.” *** All. Don’t be afraid, bunny, you look like shit. I won’t leave you alone. You ugly little son of a bitch. I’m killing you. You’ll wake up in the hospital, clown. You have a gift decision to make, clown. I’m a man, I’m a fucking champion.

“You ugly rat bastard. You are a rat. I will beat you seven days a week.” As for Usyk, the Ukrainian will once again be hoping to put on a show. He told Sky Sports: “I feel good. It’s round 13 because that’s how I feel. Tyson Fury also had a chance in the sixth, maybe seventh, maybe 12th, 11th, first, second round. But Tyson didn’t do that. It’s just a conversation. Tyson said I had a chance.

Meanwhile, Fury is backed by his promoter Frank Warren to fight unified world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Saturday’s rematch in Riyad. Fury left the event immediately after scoring a career-high 20 stone and 1 pound at the weigh-in, although he was fully clothed when he stepped on the scale and was wearing a massive leather jacket.

Usyk, the WBA, WBC and WBO champion who won the first fight by split decision, was also unclothed and weighed in at 16lb 2lb, the highest recorded. After the rivals stared down for 11 minutes and 20 seconds during Thursday’s head-to-head press conference, the final clash lasted just seconds before Fury turned around.

The 36-year-old then abruptly left, leaving Queensbury Promotions boss Warren to answer questions. “There will be war tomorrow (Saturday). That’s what it’s all about,” Warren said. “Tyson came to get these titles back, that’s why he’s here, that’s why he sacrificed a lot and I believe it will happen. You can analyze this however you want, the truth is that we will find out who is the best.

“And you know they both come to fight. This will be stimulating. When the first bell rings, they’ll get down to it and you’ll see something extra, extra special. In my opinion, it will happen (finish in the distance) – to Tyson’s advantage.”

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