Josh Taylor: 'Is welterweight a step too far for champion after Jack Catterall controversy?'

The irony about the word 'undisputed' remaining alongside Josh Taylor's name today is that everything about his victory over Jack Catterall is disputed by pretty much everybody in the fight game.

None of this hubbub is Taylor's fault, it has to be said. None of the criticism that is now swirling around the decision to retain him as king of the light welterweights is down to him.

He was nowhere near his best, lacked energy, accuracy and got nailed repeatedly by Catterall's efficiency, but the decision was obviously out of his ineffective hands on the night. He's a fighter, not the judge and jury.

Current and former fighters, current and former managers and promoters, boxing aficionados who have lived and breathed the sport their whole life all gave this decision to Catterall. They all lined up to express their outrage at what they saw as a sweeping injustice perpetrated on the underdog in the home country of the champ.

Carl Frampton: «It's wrong, it's wrong.»

Dillian Whyte: «Disgusting.»

Luke Campbell: «Shocking.»

Alex Arthur: «I'm the proudest Scotsman in history but Jack Catterall was just robbed of a world title.»

Somebody gave the Englishman the contest by a veritable landslide, others by a few rounds. One set of stats showed Catterall landed 166 of 357 punches thrown and Taylor landed just 85 of 255. Another set had it that Catterall landed 120 to Taylor's 73. Yet another showed Catterall had landed more blows in every one of the 12 rounds bar one — the 10th.

The numbers might have varied but the consensus was the same — Catterall won. There were exceptions, of course. Andre Ward, the American former two-weight world champion, gave it to Taylor. So did Taylor — who else would he give it to?

Most critically, two of the