Josh Taylor v Jack Catterall: British Boxing Board of Control announces investigation into fight scoring

The Chorley star appeared to have shocked the world and become undisputed world super-lightweight champion on Saturday night with a career-making and life-changing performance in Glasgow.

But most of those ringside and watching live on Sky Sports were left stunned when Scottish star Taylor, who was knocked down in the eighth round, was given victory via split decision as two of three scoring judges ruled in his favour.

Only Howard Foster gave Catterall the decision by a point, 113-112, while both Ian John-Lewis, 114-11, and Victor Loughlin, 113-112, gave the nod to the home favourite.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Smith, who was ringside, said he thought Catterall had “pipped” a close contest and branded allegations of corruption as “nonsense”.

What the outcome of any investigation would be is unclear given Taylor has declared he will now step up to the welterweight division and therefore vacate his WBC, IBF, WBO and WBA titles.

When asked about a possible rematch, he said: ““I will be moving up. That was my last fight at 140 (lbs). I said that before this fight.

“It was maybe one too many fights at 140 but I made a deal with Jack that for me to get the fight with (Jose) Ramirez to become the undisputed champion, on the back of it, I gave him chance at a shot at the belts.”

The outcry over the result has transcended the sport however with Chorley MP and House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle branding the result a “travesty of justice” and vowing to speak to Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston MP.

An online petition has been launched, entitled ‘Jack Catterall to be crowned champion’, and has attracted more than 12,000 signatures as it continues to be widely shared online.

In the immediate aftermath of the shock result at the Hydro, Catterall’s trainer Jamie Moore branded the scoring “disgusting” while one of the fight’s promoters, Boxxer’s Ben Shalom, said he was “embarrassed” and “angry”.Catterall himself described his heartbreak in a social media post: ““You know what hurts the most, it wasn’t for me, I done all of this for my family my team, my town and country,” the Chorley boxer wrote.

“My baby girl and misses, our future. Today I should of been waking up with all of the belts. 15 months out the ring, they all wrote me off.

“Sacrificed everything to fight one of the top p4p ranked fighters, gave him a lesson. For what. Boxing shame on you.”

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