Jack Catterall, who suffered a controversial defeat in his first fight against then-undisputed 140-pound champion Josh Taylor, achieved redemption with a unanimous decision victory in their non-title rematch Saturday night in Leeds, England.

The official scores were 117-111, 117-111, and 116-112 in favor of Catterall. Boxing Junkie scored it 115-113 for Catterall.

“It’s bittersweet tonight,” Catterall said. “No world titles. I won the fight. We can close that chapter with Josh Taylor.”

In their first meeting in February 2022 in Scotland, Taylor won a split decision, a result many felt should have gone to Catterall. However, few will claim that Taylor was robbed in the rematch, although his U.S. promoter Bob Arum called the scoring “a disgrace.”

Catterall (29-1, 13 KOs) dominated the first half of the bout, often beating Taylor to the punch and landing harder shots. Taylor, aware that victory was slipping away, rallied in the second half, matching Catterall punch for punch and occasionally forcing him to back up.

The decisive moment came in the 11th round when Catterall landed a powerful left hand that rocked Taylor. Although Taylor managed to recover, Catterall’s ability to control the pace and land cleaner shots secured him the victory.

“I felt that feeling last time,” Catterall said of the decision. “This time it went a lot quicker and was more conclusive. I knew I’d done it.”

Taylor (19-2, 13 KOs) expressed his belief that he had narrowly won the fight but acknowledged Catterall’s victory. “It was a close fight. The controversy of the first fight probably played into the judges’ hands,” Taylor said. “Fair play to Jack. He won the fight. Let’s do a third one. Why not? That was a good fight.”

When asked about a potential third fight, Catterall deferred to his promoter, Eddie Hearn. Hearn indicated that Catterall would next pursue a world title. “The third fight is a big fight, but he deserves to be world champion. That’s got to be the focus,” Hearn said.

With the junior welterweight division packed with talent, Catterall’s path to a world title is clear, and his redemption over Taylor marks a significant step in his career.