Saturday's bout between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall ended in immense controversy as the defending champion was judged victorious after 12 rounds of intense boxing.

Fans from across the world expressed their confusion and bitter disappointment at the decision online, with even fellow professionals and pundits raising questions over the judges' scorecards.

The scores were 113-112 for Catterall, 114-111 for Taylor and 113-112 for Taylor.

Jack Catterall entered the fight hungry for titles as Josh Taylor looked to defend his WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF junior welterweight titles. The champion won via split decision over the Englishman and even had to overcome the first knockdown of his bright career.

The whole encounter was cagey, and with both men fighting out of a southpaw stance, the fight was set up to a be an ugly one.

Referee Marcus McDonnell warned both competitors for the tenacious nature of the brawl, but the most clean and precise work on the night was done by the imposing Catterall.

Punching statistics from CompuBox have highlighted how dominant Catterall was during this match-up and why the incorrect decision was made.

Over 12 rounds, Catterall landed a total of 39 jabs in comparison to Taylor’s 16. Catterall also averaged 10 landed punches per round, while Taylor only managed to land 6.1 punches per round.

The Scot also only managed to muster up 57 power punches, whereas the title challenger Catterall landed 81 in total.

So, although Taylor was more accurate, landing 24% of his punches over Catterall's 23%, it's clear the latter was the busier fighter, throwing 219 more blows.

Even Ben Shalom, the promoter of the fight itself, has openly admitted that he thought Catterall had been robbed of a victory and subsequently of all four belts.

Boxing - World Junior Welterweight Championship Title - Josh Taylor v Jack Catterall - The OVO Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - February 26, 2022 Josh Taylor celebrates winning his fight against Jack Catterall Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith

He told talkSPORT’s Fight Night: “I’ve watched these decisions as a fan and to be part of it is sickening. It was an amazing night."

Some have even come out and said that Taylor should respect his opponent and offer a rematch in light of the contention surrounding the standard of scoring. What a contest this could be if it materialises.