Taylor vs Catterall LIVE: Fight updates and undercard results

Catterall emerges to a couple of classics: “Stand By Me” and “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher”.

Taylor is out next, to the sounds “Cigarettes And Alcohol” then “Born Slippy”.

Both men are in the ring. It’s hard to believe it’s been over TWO years since they last fought, and that it’s taken THIS long for them to share a ring again…

One fight left tonight, and it’s the big one: Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall 2, in front of a sold-out, 11,000-strong crowd in Leeds.

The ring walks are under way! While they play out, some light reading for you…

I was ringside at the first fight in Glasgow in February 2022, and ahead of tonight’s main event, I rewatched that bout (twice!) and scored it round by round.

I watched it with the sound off to avoid being swayed by crowd reactions and commentary. Here’s how I had it:

Zorro with a short, stabbing right cross. A fair bit of grappling ensues.

Clarke shoots a jab. Both men land good uppercuts at close range. More clinching.

They separate, and Clarke FLOORS Zorro with the final punch of the round!! A right cross puts him down against the ropes!

Zorro is given a count as the bell sounds… but he can’t beat it! Clarke gets the stoppage and the vacant British cruiserweight belt!

Cheavon Clarke def. Ellis Zorro via eighth-round KO (2:59)

Into the second half of this fight. Clarke steps in and lands a right hook, but there’s not a ton of menace on it.

Short jab for Clarke now. Another, this one to the body. Zorro lands two left hooks at close range – to the head then to the body.

Clarke with a short, stiff left hook upstairs.

Teasing jabs by Zorro, but he’s caught out by a clean cross from Clarke, who picked his moment well.

Zorro with a lead left hook and right cross, but neither lands fully.

The round ends with a brief firefight, as both men land straight punches.

Another clinch. After the pair separate, Zorro just about slides a cross past Clarke’s guard.

Same shot from Zorro again, and this time it lands stiff!

Clarke is warned for leading with his head in another clinch. He almost seemed to be grinding it against Zorro’s chin.

Solid jab upstairs from Clarke now. More holding. Zorro digs in a right hand to the head.

Again the fighters separate, and both just miss with their final attacks of the round – a hook by Clarke and an uppercut by Zorro.

More grappling to start this frame. The cruiserweights separate, and Clarke parries a couple of jabs.

Now Clarke lands to the body. Another body attack, as he steps in, before he throws a left hook to the head. Nice idea.

Zorro takes the centre of the ring. He flicks out a pair of jabs, alternating between the head and body.

Zorro tries the step-back uppercut again, but he misses this time.

Another uppercut effort by Zorro, this one wilder and also off-target.

Zorro steps back and walks Clarke onto a rear uppercut. Lovely work.

A bit of grappling ensues, before the cruiserweights separate. A right cross grazes the side of Zorro’s head.

Another right cross just about lands for Clarke. Zorro has to be careful of that shot…

Both men stand orthodox. The cruiserweights grapple early on, with each boxer unloading body shots.

Clarke sneaks in a hard uppercut to the head. Nice jab now. Zorro comes back with his own jab then a well-timed counter cross.

Clarke rolls under a jab, but Zorro triples the shot and connects with the second and third efforts.

Clarke jabs to the body then misses with a wild overhand right.

Zorro will be happy to have gotten through the round after his early KO loss in December. That said, he wasn’t fighting like a man scared just now.