Eubank Stays Unbeaten in Scrappy Win Over Erdogan
Harlem Eubank maintained his unbeaten record with a points victory over Nurali Erdogan in a scrappy contest at Newcastle. The 30-year-old collected his 20th professional win, despite a largely uneven performance in his debut at welterweight.
Uneven Performance in Welterweight Debut
Eubank, who was fighting in a higher weight class for the first time, struggled to find his rhythm against France’s Erdogan. All three judges scored the fight in favor of Eubank, with scores of 77-73, 79-70, and 77-72.
“I went in there to get the job done,” said Eubank after the bout. “A unanimous decision win, I’m happy.” Despite his victory, the performance left much to be desired, with Eubank acknowledging the challenges of his opponent’s grappling style.
Frustrations in the Ring
Eubank’s fight was marred by grappling tactics from Erdogan, who repeatedly tied him up, making it difficult for the Briton to establish a clean rhythm. Eubank noted, “The grabbing made it difficult,” pointing out the frustration of the fight. He was also warned multiple times for holding, while Erdogan was deducted two points for the same offense in the second half of the bout.
In the fifth round, Eubank was briefly rocked by a left hook from Erdogan but otherwise remained in control. Eubank, who endured a cut over the last two rounds, was eventually deducted a point for holding in the final stages of the fight. However, Erdogan’s earlier point deductions secured the win for the Briton.
Looking Ahead to 2025
Eubank, the cousin of Chris Eubank Jr, was originally slated to face Adam Azim at light-welterweight, but the bout never materialized. Though neither Eubank nor his team mentioned Azim post-fight, they stated their intention to target “big things” in 2025.
- External Link: BBC
- Internal Link: Eurasia Sports
