Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall should face each other for a third time after points controversy, says promoter Bob Arum | Boxing News

The rivalry between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall is so controversial that promoter Bob Arum believes a decisive fight in the trilogy is appropriate.

After unifying the WBO, WBC, WBA and IBF super-lightweight titles, Taylor defended his undisputed crown against Catterall in Glasgow in 2022. Taylor won a controversial decision that eventually led to a rematch in May.

Catterall took revenge, defeating Taylor by unanimous decision 116-113 and twice 117-111.

But Top Rank’s Arum condemned the scoring of this second fight.

“Let me get this straight. I was at that fight in Leeds. I watched the fight closely. There were three ways to score the fight: 7-5 Catterall (in rounds), 7-5 Taylor, 6-6 even,” said Arum Sky Sports.

“The scorecards of these judges appointed by the British panel were so off as to be unacceptable. I don’t think there was any weird dealing or anything like that going on here.”

He added: “I was really upset because Taylor is my fighter, we promote him. But it wasn’t necessarily because I thought he won the fight clearly. I just thought it was unfair to him that the scorecards were so different. I was sitting next to Eddie Hearn, whose fighter was Catterall, and he scored the fight and it was a very, very close fight.”

The British Boxing Board of Control announced Sky Sports that they consider Arum’s statements to be unfounded.

Arum believes that a third fight would be the best way to settle the dispute between Taylor and Catterall.

“Why not? They fought with all their might for 12 rounds and the crowd loved the fight,” he explained.

“Because the scorecards have really caused controversy, I think a third fight would be appropriate. But let’s see how it turns out.”

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