Jack Catterall scored his first knockout in ages, but the lead-up to it wasn’t without controversy.
In the 11th round of a competitive bout with Ekow Essuman, Catterall (32-2) landed a glancing uppercut
that appeared to catch Essuman (22-2) off balance and cause him to slip. Referee John Latham moved in to break up the action, but was too slow to stop Catterall from landing a combination that rocked Essuman.
Essuman answered the subsequent count, and when the action restarted, Catterall pressed the advantage and clobbered Essuman with several heavy punches until Essuman spilled out of the ropes and ended up face-down unconscious on the side of the ring.
Watch the stunning finishing sequence below.
The outcome of the bout was still in doubt after 10 rounds, with Catterall controlling the early action and Essuman coming on strong in the later rounds. In all likelihood, Essuman needed a finish to steal the fight, but it was Catterall who ended up landing the finishing blows in Round 11.
The knockout was Catterall’s first since April 2019. With the win, he retained his WBO Global Welterweight title.
