The officials for Saturday’s rematch between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall have been confirmed, BoxingScene understands.
The first fight between them, in Glasgow in February 2022, has come to be recognised as undermined by some of the most controversial scoring of the modern era, when Taylor – despite being knocked down in the eighth round and having a point deducted in the 11th for punching after the bell – was scored the winner via scores of 114-111, 113-112 and 112-113 at the end of a fight in which he was widely seen as having been outboxed.
Catterall also had a point deducted that night, for holding in the 10th, but was considered unfortunate not to be declared as the new undisputed super lightweight champion.
The long-term rivals finally fight again on Saturday at Leeds’ First Direct Arena – considered more neutral territory than that at which Edinburgh’s Taylor, the favourite that night in Scotland, made the final defence of his undisputed title. Their rematch is a non-title contest and will be overseen by the referee Kevin Parker – of Newark, Nottinghamshire – and represent the 1,018th of Parker’s career. Perhaps the biggest he has previously overseen was the rematch in September between Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith.
Kieran McCann – of Harrow Weald, Middlesex – Mark Bates, from Horley, Surrey, and Lee Every, who is from South Oxhey, Hertfordshire, are the three judges. Catterall, incidentally, is from Chorley, in Lancashire.
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