The first time in his career, Josh Taylor was knocked down yet rallied to win his Undisputed Titles and keep his position as a contender for Fight of the Year.
Taylor’s first defense of his undisputed light-welterweight championship was set for December 18, 2021, at SSE Hydro in Glasgow, against WBO mandatory challenger Jack Catterall.
Taylor revealed on October 21 that he had sustained an injury, and the bout was rescheduled until February 26, 2022.
Despite being knocked down in the eighth round by Catterall and seeming to be outboxed by the challenger, Taylor was awarded a very contentious split decision win, with scores of 114–111 and 113–112 in his favor and 113–112 in Catterall’s favor.
Catterall landed more punches than Taylor in 11 of the 12 rounds, according to CompuBox. The challenger landed 120 of 525 total punches (23 percent) and 81 of 267 (30 percent) of his power punches, but Taylor threw and landed much fewer: 73 of 306 (24 percent) overall and 57 of 179 (32 percent) power shots.
Johnny Nelson, a former world cruiserweight champion and current analyst, observed, “These are the kinds of mistakes that turn off casual spectators. That battle was not won by Josh Taylor.” “The largest heist in British boxing history,” according to the ruling.
Paddy Power, an Irish bookmaker, said that any bets on Catterall to win the fight will be refunded since it “was an incredible robbery.” Taylor remained stubborn in his post-fight interview, despite broad public opinion, declaring, “I don’t believe a rematch is necessary… I’m certain that I won the battle.”
Has Josh Taylor Ever Been Knocked Down?
Yes, Josh Taylor was knocked down by Catterall in the eighth round of his undisputed light-welterweight championship on December 18, 2021.
Despite being knocked down, Josh Taylor rallied to win his Undisputed Titles and keep his position as a contender for Fight of the Year.
