It was, as all fans who tuned in to watch last night’s fight between welterweights Jack Catterall and Harlem Eubank know, a most unsatisfying conclusion that the fight had. The two men clashed heads and generally engaged in a pretty messy affair. Both men tumbled to the mat in the third round, and then came the nasty head clash, with Catterall coming off worse for wear, although Eubank was also left with some eye damage.

Catterall’s cut was indeed a bad one and the fight had to be stopped. Catterall was ruled the technical decision winner at 69-65, 69-66, 69-66, and he is now 31-2(13), with him having rebounded from a close decision loss to Arnold Barboza Jr. Eubank loses his unbeaten record in going 21-1(9).

Catterall’s Cut: Fight Stopped

What some felt might have resulted in a good, exciting action fight instead became a messy fight, and now, with Eubank calling for an immediate return, Catterall has to look at his options. Bottom line: a win is a win. And Catterall will get a “big fight” next, according to Eddie Hearn. Hearn seems to have zero interest in seeing last night’s fight run back, with him saying instead that Catterall will now go into a big fight at welterweight, perhaps a world title fight of some kind.

“I think it was the right decision [to stop the fight], Jack’s cut was awful,” Hearn said in speaking to The Stomping Ground after last night’s fight had ended. “But at the same time, for me, the referee and the doctor inspecting Catterall’s cut, I thought they were letting him continue. So anyway, I went in the ring, and I asked the ref, ‘Whose cut are you stopping it for?’ And he said, “Both.’ But anyway, I think it was the right decision [overall]. A herky-jerky start, but Jack, I think, would have got to him. Eubank didn’t really want to engage; he was making it tricky like he does. I feel like Jack’s quality was starting to show.”

Catterall’s Next Big Welterweight Fight

So, who next for Catterall?

“Jack is going to be looking at a big fight at 147 now,” Hearn said last night. He’s going to be ranked in the top 10 in both governing bodies (IBF and WBA). The division is red hot now.”

Names such as Ryan Garcia, Rolly Romero, and even Devin Haney (who, of course, has a big fight coming up with Brian Norman) have been mentioned as possibilities for Catterall.

As for Eubank, he unfortunately failed to shine in his big fight chance last night, and it could be a case of him going back to the drawing board.