Ian John-Lewis, the judge whose lop-sided card provoked the loudest uproar against Josh Taylor’s controversial victory over Jack Catterall, has been downgraded by the British Boxing Board of Control.
The controlling body of the sport have also petitioned the WBO, WBC, IBF and WBA to install Catterall as their mandatory challenger for all those titles of which he was robbed in challenge for Taylor’s undisputed world super-lightweight championship in Glasgow.
John-Lewis has been demoted from the elite list of A Star Class referees to A Class after being called to appear before the Board to try to explain his unbelievable score of 114-111 in favour of Taylor, who was clearly out-classed in the fight.
The Judge who gave Josh Taylor (left) an inexplicable 114-111 victory over Jack Catterall (right) has been downgraded by the British Board of Control
That’s despite the undisputed champion being dropped by a largely dominant Catterall
However, given the close scoring by the other two officials it has been determined that the actual result of the fight was not affected by John-Lewis’s aberration. Victor Loughlin had it 113-112 for Taylor while Howard Foster saw it 113-112 to Catterall.
General secretary Robert Smith announced: ‘The Board did have issue with the (John-Lewis) margin and have contacted the sanctioning bodies to make Catterall mandatory challenger for each or all the titles.’
That will not fully satisfy Catterall or the most vehement critics of the result, including Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle who has asked the police to investigate possible corruption.
Taylor had finally offered Catterall a rematch but only a higher catchweight which would exclude the world titles. The Englishman will be more interest in fighting for one or all the alpha-belts.
The Board have requested that Catterall is made mandatory challenger for all four belts
Taylor has confirmed he will move up to welterweight after struggling to make weight, though
Though the demotion of John-Lewis will be little consolation for Catterall, who was left heartbroken by the unjust decision, the board, as stated, has appealed to all four sanctioning bodies to install ‘El Gato’ as mandatory challenger for the belts.
Where that would leave Catterall remains to be seen, however, with Taylor already confirming his intention move up to welterweight and consequently vacate his belts.
The board’s decision comes after Smith previously insisted the fight was close, a sentiment Catterall described as ‘sickening’, and after Hoyle insisted an answer to the injustice must be found.
‘Everyone is disgusted by what’s happened – it brings the sport into disrepute,’ Hoyle told Sportsmail. ‘I have to question why the judges got it so wrong? I have already sent a letter to the police.’
‘I have spoken to Nadine Dorries, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Minister for Sport, Nigel Huddleston – they are both looking into this.
‘I also believe that something seriously went on here – whether it was undue influence, one must question why?’
Sir Lindsay Hoyle has referred Jack Catterall’s controversial defeat by Josh Taylor to the police
