Jack Catterall (31-2, 13 KOs) won a seven-round technical decision due to having suffered a bad cut from a clash of heads against IBF Inter-Continental welterweight champion Harlem Eubank (21-1, 9 KOs) on Saturday night at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The fight was halted one second into the seventh round by the advice of the ringside doctor.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom)
In the first three rounds, it was close, with Catterall having an edge. In the fourth round, Eubank had his best round, making it a close fight.
In the sixth round, both went to the canvas for the second time. With half a minute remaining, a clash of heads caused a nasty cut on the right eyebrow of Catterall. Eubank had a small cut on his forehead.
Referee Williams finally came in as Eubank hit Catterall in the back of the head. Catterall went to the corner, where his cornerman tried putting a towel on the cut when referee Williams made him continue. Shortly later, Catterall threw Eubanks to the canvas. In the end, Eubanks, feeling he had won the fight, jumped up on the ropes in the corner.
Between rounds, the ring physician checked the cut on Catterall. After a second into the start of the seventh, the referee, Bob Williams, called a halt.
The scores were 69-65, 69-66, and 69-66.
In the chief support, former 2016 Olympian and IBF and IBO super featherweight world champion Joe Cordina (18-, 9 KOs) defeated Jaret Gonzalez (17-2, 13 KOs) by a 10-round unanimous decision to win the vacant WBO Global lightweight title bout.
In the first round, Cordina was returning from his first loss in his last fight and fourteen months of inactivity. He controlled the first round, but Gonzalez was holding his own. In the second round’s final minute, Cordina rocked Gonzalez with a right to the chin.
In the third and fourth rounds, Cordina continued winning all four rounds, out-landing the tough Gonzalez. In the fifth’s final minute, Gonzalez landed a flurry of punches, being his best offense yet. By the end of the round, Cordina pulled it out.
In the seventh round’s final seconds, a pair of right uppercuts from Cordina to the midsection hurt Gonzalez. One of the commentators kept saying Quiroz, though introduced as Gonzalez, and on the screen, Gonzalez.
In the eighth and ninth, Cordina continued winning, but Gonzalez, in his first ten-rounder, had proved to be a good opponent for Cordina.
The scores were 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92. Marcus McDonald was the referee.
Lightweight Aqib Fiaz (14-1, 2 KOs) beat Alex Murphy (13-2) by a 10-round unanimous decision in an action-packed fight.
In the first round, it was all action. In the second round, Fiaz continued to press Murphy, who countered him well. In the third round, Murphy landed a right, causing a cut under the left eye of Fiaz in the final minute.
In the fourth round, it went back and forth, with Fiaz hurting Murphy in the final minute with a body shot, only to have Murphy count with a body shot of his own. In the sixth round, Murphy’s right uppercuts and a jab worked all the time. In the final minute, Fiaz was landing well in combinations and a left hook.
In the seventh round, in the final minute, Murphy took to the offense, not moving around the ring and scoring well against Fiaz. In the ninth round, Fiaz seems to continue working the body as Murphy’s reach benefits him, as he looks as if he is ahead, but a draw would not surprise anyone.
In the tenth and final round, both continued slugging it out as they did in the first round. Fiaz working the body and Murphy countering will make it a difficult one to call for the judges.
Afterward, both talked with one another, awaiting the decision. Fiaz takes it to my surprise.
The scores were 97-93, 96-94, and 96-95. Steve Gray was the referee.
Heavyweight Pat Brown (3-0, 3 KOs) stopped Lewis Oakford (6-3, 2 KOs) at 2:06 of the first of a scheduled eight rounds.
In the first round, it was all Brown, having Oakford badly hurt in the final minute, forcing referee John Latham to call a halt.
Junior middleweight southpaw William Crolla (8-1, 6 KOs) was knocked out by southpaw Fraser Wilkinson (12-2, 3 KOs) at 1:07 of the sixth of a scheduled eight rounds.
In the fifth round, Wilkinson dropped Crolla for an 8-count from referee John Latham.
Super bantamweight Skye Nicolson (13-1, 2 KOs) knocked out Carla ‘La Princesa’ Camila Campos Gonzales (9-4, 8 KOs) at 1:21 of the second round of a scheduled 8×2 rounds.
In the second round, Nicolson had Gonzales hurt, forcing referee John Latham to call a halt.
Super middleweight Niall Brown (16-0, 6 KOs) stopped Victor Ionascu (14-7, 10 KOs) at the end of the fourth round of a scheduled six rounds.
In the first round, Brown dropped Ionascu. Referee Steve Gray gave an 8-count. In the fourth, again, Brown dropped Ionascu for another 8-count from referee Gray.
Heavyweight Leo Atang (1-0, 1 KO) knocked out Milen Paunov (7-16, 5 KOs) at 2:29 of the first round of a scheduled four rounds.
In the first round, in the final minute, it dropped Paunov, forcing referee Steve Gray to call a halt.
Featherweight Alfie Middlemiss (4-0) defeated Mohammed Wako (1-6) by a four-round points decision.
In the first round, due to a clash of heads, Middlemiss was cut over the left eye.
Referee Steve Gray scored it 40-36.
Last Updated on 07/05/2025
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