CULLY TAKING CONTROL
19:56:28
Cully starts to use his height and reach advantage to good effect in round three, keeping Patera at range with the jab before following it up with something juicier. Patera, meanwhile, is limited to pot-shots to head and body but still retains a threat.
TWO DOWN
19:53:33
Southpaw Cully far happier to try his luck with the straight left hand through round two and a few of them find the target. Patera, however, is not hurt by any of them and seems to land with a big back hand of his own midway through the round. We go into the third.
WARMING UP NICELY
19:49:02
One round down and it’s a patient start for both men. Patera spends most of the round holding the centre of the ring with Cully happy to circle him. The Irishman does ship a left hook towards the end of the round and there is already a bit of reddening around his right eye.
CULLY TIME
19:43:27
So here we go. Gary Cully in only his second fight since his shock stoppage defeat to Jose Felix 12 months ago. He beat Reece Mould in his comeback in November and a win over the always-game Francesco Patera would be a big boost to his chances of ever climbing up towards the upper echelons of the lightweight division.
WHAT’S HAPPENED ALREADY?
19:37:34
There were two fights on the non-TV part of the card with both home fighters coming through unscathed. First Leli Buttigieg beat Anas Isarti on points over six before George Liddard saw off Graham McCormack in the eighth and final round of their contest.
GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME
19:29:30
Welcome along to tonight’s live blog from the show at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, where Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall finally clash in their rematch. But before that, we’ve got a juicy undercard. The first fight on the televised portion of the undercard has just finished, with Giorgio Visioli stopping Sergio Odabai after 1:47 of round four. It was scheduled for six.
Up next is what looks like a guaranteed action fight at lightweight, with Gary Cully and Francesco Patera colliding over 10 threes.
Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall square off once again in a long-awaited rematch following a highly contentious first fight in 2022.
Undercard action begins on the Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel from 5.30pm UK, 12.30pm ET and 10.30am PT.
Taylor vs Catterall Weights and Running Order
6 x 3 mins International Super-Welterweight contest
LELI BUTTIGIEG 157.6 lbs v ANA ISARTI 156.8 lbs
8 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
GEORGE LIDDARD 162.3 lbs v GRAHAM MCCORMACK 162.3 lbs
6 x 3 mins International Lightweight contest
GIORGIO VISIOLI 134.1 lbs v SERGIO ODABAI 136.5 lbs
10 x 3 mins vacant WBA Continental Lightweight Title
GARY CULLY 134.1 lbs v FRANCESCO PATERA 134.1 lbs
10 x 3 mins WBA Continental Welterweight Title
PADDY DONOVAN 145.4 lbs v LEWIS RITSON 146.8 lbs
12 x 3 mins vacant British Cruiserweight Title
CHEAVON CLARKE 199.3 lbs v ELLIS ZORRO 198.6 lbs
12 x 3 mins Super-Lightweight contest
JOSH TAYLOR 139.6 lbs v JACK CATTERALL 139.8 lbs
