Kalle Sauerland, promoter for Harlem Eubank, believes his fighter demonstrated his potential against Jack Catterall, despite the bout being one of the more chaotic main events of the year.
Harlem Eubank stepped up significantly to face Jack Catterall in a 12-round contest at Manchester`s AO Arena. This fight marked Catterall`s debut in the welterweight division (147lbs), a weight class Eubank has competed in since late 2024. Catterall is also a former contender for the undisputed super-lightweight title.
Although Catterall was the clear favorite, neither boxer displayed their best form in what became a messy contest, featuring multiple trips to the canvas.
An accidental head clash in the seventh round caused significant cuts to both fighters. While a ringside doctor checked Catterall`s cut and allowed him to continue briefly, Eubank`s cut was deemed too severe. This led to a technical decision, awarded to Catterall as he was leading on all three judges` scorecards (69-66, 69-66, 69-65) at the time of the stoppage.
Sauerland commented that the outcome was disappointing for both competitors. He added that neither fighter would truly feel like they had won or lost, as both intended to make a statement.
In his post-fight interview, Eubank called for a rematch, feeling the early stoppage cost him a potentially career-defining victory. Eubank stated he was beginning to find his rhythm and landing clean right hands when Catterall`s head caused the cut.
He insisted a rematch is necessary, believing the decision went against him solely because the fight was stopped prematurely. Eubank felt the referee prevented him from securing a potential knockout win.
Sauerland candidly admitted the fight was not visually appealing. He described the action as neither thrilling nor captivating, acknowledging it was a scrappy affair despite both fighters landing clean shots at times. He added that it would have been interesting to see how the fight unfolded over the later rounds.
Despite the disappointing ending, Sauerland found a positive takeaway from the event. He stated that the fight confirmed Harlem Eubank`s place among the sport`s elite.
According to Sauerland, Eubank competed against a world-class opponent for half the fight and did enough to win rounds, both hurting and being hurt in the process.
He concluded that there are numerous paths available for Eubank, including potential world title challenges and significant domestic matchups.
