Catterall wins technical decision over Eubank after clash of heads

Jack Catterall had to settle for a technical decision against Harlem Eubank, who wants a rematch next.

Jack Catterall didn’t get the most satisfying type of win today, but his move to welterweight was a successful one, as he took a technical decision victory over Harlem Eubank.

The fight technically went into the seventh round, though it was halted one second into that round after an accidental clash of heads left both men cut. Catterall’s cut seemed worse at first, but Eubank’s was bad, too, and his may have been the cut that got the fight stopped.

Judges had to score seven rounds, and came back with tallies of 69-66, 69-66, and 69-65 for Catterall, who improves to 31-2 (13 KO), with Eubank falling to 21-1 (9 KO) in his first step up to world level.

Catterall was his normal self, really, and Eubank did have his moments. The path to the IBF and WBA titles is opening right now at welterweight, with Jaron “Boots” Ennis moving up to 154 lbs, and both sanctioning bodies were involved in this fight. That doesn’t mean Catterall will have a vacant title fight next, but he and promoter Eddie Hearn clearly have some ideas.

“The fight was going how I expected it to go, we were breaking down,” Catterall said after the bout. “It’s frustrating not being able to get the rounds and go through them gears like I anticipated, but it’s a head clash. Not the way I wanted to win, but happy to be back in the win column.”

Catterall blamed Eubank for the clash of heads, though he stressed that he didn’t think it was intentional, and Eubank said he felt it was Catterall’s fault, and asked for a rematch.

“He’s a world class operator, but I was warming into the fight,” Eubank said. “I was landing clean, flush right hands, and he come in with his head and caused the cut. I was ready to go in round seven, we were building into the fight beautifully, executing the game plan. I felt like I was world class in there and I didn’t get the result tonight. There has to be a rematch. Fair play to Jack, he didn’t call the fight off, but I was coming into the fight beautifully and we need to run it back.”

Joe Cordina made a successful move up to the 135 lb division, scoring a clear but definitely earned unanimous decision over Jaret Gonzalez, a 24-year-old Mexican of unknown quality coming in who showed he might just have a little something.

That said, again, Cordina (18-1, 9 KO) obviously won this fight, and deserved it on scores of 98-92, 99-91, and 100-90. His class proved out working behind his jab and he hurt Gonzalez (17-2, 13 KO) a couple times, probably, but Gonzalez surely earned himself future calls from UK promoters looking to test a prospect or, as in this case, give a veteran looking for a rebound some useful rounds.

Cordina hadn’t fought since his May 2024 loss to Anthony Cacace, which saw the Welshman drop the IBF super featherweight title.