Jack Catterall Dominate in brutal 11th-round KO win over Ekow Essuman

New camp, new weight, old ruthlessness

After a frustrating technical-decision win over Harlem Eubank in the summer, Catterall chose to relocate to the United States, linking up with respected trainer Derek “Bozy” Ennis in Philadelphia. The move appears to have paid off.

Facing Essuman who was coming off the biggest victory of his career against former undisputed 140-pound champion Josh Taylor in May Catterall knew he needed a statement performance to reassert himself as an elite operator, this time at welterweight. The Chorley southpaw, who many felt was robbed of undisputed status himself in his controversial 2022 bout with Taylor, delivered exactly that.

Catterall takes control early

True to form, Catterall began the fight boxing off the back foot, patiently controlling distance and rhythm. He established his jab early and began threading his left hand through Essuman’s guard.

Essuman, nicknamed “The Engine” for his work rate, struggled to get his own jab going and paid the price for waiting. Midway through the third round, he was caught clean by a stiff one-two that snapped his head back. Sensing momentum, Catterall finished the round coming forward, landing more back-hand shots and sending an early message.

Knockdown turns the tide decisively

The fourth round proved disastrous for Essuman. Already cut and bleeding from the bridge of his nose, he lunged in with a left hook, only to be punished by a sharp right hook counter from Catterall. A follow-up straight left detonated cleanly, sending the Nottingham man flat on his back.

Essuman beat the count and refused to fold, but the pattern of the fight was now clear. In the fifth, his relentless forward march played perfectly into Catterall’s timing. The Chorley man repeatedly drilled him with left hands, blood and sweat spraying with every connection. Catterall, now fully in command, began investing with jabs to the body, sapping what remained of Essuman’s energy.

One-sided punishment

By the start of the seventh round, Essuman’s right eye appeared completely shut. With his vision compromised, he was relying purely on will and toughness, while Catterall showcased the sharper, more incisive form he’d sought by changing camps.

The eighth saw Catterall calmly dominate the center of the ring, landing both left and right hands almost at will as Essuman punched mostly at air. In the ninth, another thudding left hand left Essuman stumbling backward on unsteady legs, his body language betraying the cumulative damage.

The 10th round was more of the same: Essuman’s courage kept him upright, but he absorbed heavy punishment throughout, his face a mask of blood and fatigue.

Brutal finish in the 11th

In the 11th round, Catterall closed the show in emphatic fashion.

He unleashed a blistering combination that sent Essuman crashing through the ropes, nearly spilling out of the ring. Referee Lee Every immediately waved the fight off, sparing Essuman further damage and sealing a statement stoppage for Catterall.

A message to the welterweight division

Critics had recently questioned Catterall’s style, suggesting he’d become too cautious and risk-averse in his last few outings. But at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he reminded the boxing world of his ruthless side.

Now the WBO’s No. 1 contender at welterweight and rejuvenated under Bozy Ennis in Philadelphia, Jack Catterall has not only reinserted himself into the title picture he’s made it clear he intends to finish the job that slipped away from him at 140.