HARLEM EUBANK has made legendary boxing uncle Chris proud once again after BEATING French star Nurali Erdogan by a unanimous decision.
But Eubank survived a point deduction and a huge gash above the eye to come out on top.
And it means he has stretched his unbeaten record to 20-0-0.
- RESULT: Eubank beat Erdogan
- FREE live stream: My5
- TV channel: Channel 5
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
Follow ALL the action from the Walker Dome with our live blog below…
Eubank: Erdogan just wanted to tie up!
During his post-fight interview ringside, Harlem Eubank gave the feeling this was a bittersweet return. 378 days out of the ring, the headline attraction boxed nicely enough to win a scrappy contest and perhaps more importantly “felt strong” against a big welterweight.
“He just wanted to tie up, it was a tricky style and very frustrating but I’m happy, got the cleaner punches in up close, grabbing made it difficult but I got the cleaner work in and outside,” he stressed.
“We’re ready for a big year ahead, excited for what’s next. It [the cut near his right eye] will heal up in a few weeks and we’ll be back to business,” he laughs. As you do.
Harlem’s emotional interview
The boxer gave SunSport a tear-soaked interview to discuss the tragic passing of cousin Sebastian and his father Simon.
Seb – who Harlem was extremely close to thanks to a shared love of martial arts and spiritualism – suffered a heart attack in Dubai in 2021.
And last year Harlem’s dad Simon died aged 61 after a gut-wrenching battle with dementia that the tough former fighter just could not win.
There have been such dark days in the family but the 30-year-old Brighton ace has beautifully explained how they are now trying to live all together in the light.
“Chris Sr in a good place right now,” he beamed.
“He, like all of us, went through a very tough time. He has had to deal with some very painful things.
“Maybe he was exploited a bit, around that time and put in the limelight when he shouldn’t have been.
“He went through a dark time but he has come through the other side now.
“And it is great to see Chris Eubank Sr in true Chris Eubank form.
“It’s difficult. It’s something that stays with you. I don’t think you ever overcome it, it stays with you.”
‘Big name’ for Harlem next
Harlem Eubank’s promoter Nisse Sauerland said last night his star will be up against a big name opponent next up.
Sauerland said: “We’re working on opponents, it’ll be a big name and a step-up, something to look forward to. I saw him at the hotel today and he looked so excited, like it was his birthday tonight, good to be back.”
Is a fight against Adam Azim back on?
Harlem looking ahead to 2025
Harlem Eubank spoke of the big 2025 in store for him after what was a frustrating night against Nurali Erdogan in Newcastle.
Eubank said: “He just wanted to tie up, it was a tricky style and very frustrating but I’m happy, got the cleaner punches in up close, grabbing made it difficult but I got the cleaner work in and outside,
“We’re ready for a big year ahead, excited for what’s next. It [the cut near his right eye] will heal up in a few weeks and we’ll be back to business.”
Credit: Reuters Needing to tread carefully…
While it’s easy to dismiss this as little more than banishing ring rust after a long layoff, we still don’t know where Harlem Eubank stands as far as world-level contention. Couple that with now moving to welter, a deceptively difficult division among the elite, you have an established guy with a famous surname people will gravitate towards.
Yet bouts like these, his R11 TKO win over Timo Schwarzkopf and UD10 win against Miguel Antin across the past 20 months just exemplify examples he must learn from under coach Charlie Beatt, too many preventable tendencies that will be exposed against sharper boxers.
He should’ve been deducted a point much earlier and got away with one being patiently marshalled by referee Ron Kearney, who didn’t afford Erdogan the same leash. Could’ve been a different story…
Sauerland: Erdogan was awful, belongs in MMA ring
Harlem Eubank’s co-promoter Nisse Sauerland watched on from ringside and would’ve been one of a few left unhappy at the spectacle they saw overnight in this drab eight-round main event.
“You need to win, Harlem did but Erdogan was an awful opponent, lot of holding, belongs in an MMA ring,” he said, before turning his attentions towards 2025 and a Brighton homecoming.
“We’re working on opponents, it’ll be a big name and a step-up, something to look forward to. I saw him at the hotel today and he looked so excited, like it was his birthday tonight, good to be back.”
Names including Conor Benn and Adam Azim have been mentioned previously for the 31-year-old, who needs to bridge the gap from European to world-level sooner rather than later. Is he ready?
Pattinson back on the winning trail!
In the night’s final action which finished just shy of midnight, there was a morale-boosting return to action for hometown hero Cyrus Pattinson as he outpointed a deceptively stern test in the form of Andrei Antonov 60-55 after an entertaining six rounds.
Said to have been immersing himself in delivery driving and other odd jobs hopeful he’d keep his mind intact after suffering a career-threatening eye injury sparring, the Alnwick resident gave those still in the building a far more exciting contest than the one preceding it.
Antonov had never been stopped and gave as good as he got in some frantic spots, while it’ll be interesting to see where the 30-year-old – who boxed almost exclusively under Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom banner – goes from here now as far as matchmaking is concerned.
Cyrus Pattinson to finish the night…
Hometown hero Cyrus Pattinson boxes over six rounds in the evening’s final contest, a big ticket seller and one who is talented enough to still make noise at light-middleweight or below in future.
Estonia’s Andrei Antonov will relish playing the villain on enemy soil, but we’ll find out how long he lasts and whether this passionate Newcastle crowd depart into the weekend armed with a triumphant mood after the scrappy main event showing we’ve just witnessed.
We’ll have extended coverage over the coming hours, including more post-fight reaction after Harlem’s difficult-but-determined return to action. Stay tuned but until next time, thanks for following this commentary and goodnight!
Eubank: Erdogan just wanted to tie up!
During his post-fight interview ringside, Harlem Eubank gave the feeling this was a bittersweet return. 378 days out of the ring, the headline attraction boxed nicely enough to win a scrappy contest and perhaps more importantly “felt strong” against a big welterweight.
“He just wanted to tie up, it was a tricky style and very frustrating but I’m happy, got the cleaner punches in up close, grabbing made it difficult but I got the cleaner work in and outside,” he stressed.
“We’re ready for a big year ahead, excited for what’s next. It [the cut near his right eye] will heal up in a few weeks and we’ll be back to business,” he laughs. As you do.
SCORECARDS: The decision…
Erdogan is visibly unhappy and appears to be making everyone close enough aware of such, but the Frenchman only has himself to blame after a patchy performance here.
77-73, 79-70, 77-72: Harlem Eubank bt. Nurali Erdogan via UD8, improves to 20-0
77-73 is perhaps the fairest scorecard from the trio of ringside judges, after a stop-start affair that never really ignited as many hoped it would.
Eubank vs. Erdogan R8
Erdogan targets the cut upclose, as you’d expect he would, the referee has been rather busy in this showdown and his intervention has only intensified with more time rather than the other way around.
Another point deduction for wrestling this time, Erdogan looks dumbfounded at the perceived double standards here… he’s not wrong in fairness.
Eubank’s cut has worsened but now, he just needs to finish strong. Instead, he’s deducted a point for leading with his head in the final seconds of a bout that really didn’t live up to expectations. Drab affair.
Eubank vs. Erdogan R7
The pair take a tumble, their third of the contest early in this seventh… Erdogan complains to the official, but his protests fall under deaf ears as the visitor knows he must press now more than before.
Another good left hook buzzes Harlem after some disguised body punching, the Brighton man gets his final warning and dodges a wild haymaker in the corner with 20 seconds remaining on the clock.
As they head back to their respective corners, Harlem appears to be cut around his right eye after an accidental head clash. Not a good sight for an ambitious boxer increasingly desperate for activity.
Eubank vs. Erdogan R6
Erdogan gets, what appears to be a final warning (how many is that?) from the referee before Harlem is stung again by the left hook and needs to improve what feels like increasingly intermittent attacks right now, should this go to a decision.
Hmmm… perhaps hold that thought! The referee has eventually seen enough and stops them in centre ring, deducts a point from Erdogan gesticulating excessive holding and pushing.
If this scrappy-but-competitive fight was close on the scorecards before this round, it isn’t any longer. See how quickly things can change, just like that..
Eubank vs. Erdogan R5
I mean, what do you say about another iffy round like this? Harlem eats a perfectly-placed left hook with 30 seconds left and, having seemingly controlled large periods of this stanza with movement aplenty, probably lost it right there.
I’d have it 3-2 either way through five rounds, depending on what you prefer to see when judging.
Eubank vs. Erdogan R4
“Harlem needs to stay smart and stop trying to wrestle,” is the commentary’s analysis through nine minutes and well, they’re not wrong.
He’s best at middle distance, with some separation and is able to chain attacks together, rather than trying to outmuscle a naturally bigger man.
Erdogan connects on a right, just as we hear a background story about a coach pinpointing the left hook as Harlem’s area of defensive weakness.
Eubank lands single shots up close but that’s merely empowering his French opponent to fire back just as fiercely, another close round for judges to score.
Eubank vs. Erdogan R3
Harlem being told again, don’t use the elbow when you’re looking to land in the clinch.
Erdogan lectured about using his head, not much in the way of noteworthy work despite both swinging wildly.
Eubank pops Erdogan with a deft jab, having dug two body shots moments prior, but in the final half-minute of another exhausting round, the visitor has the last laugh with a shot connecting after the bell.
Eubank vs. Erdogan R2
Erdogan trying to follow Eubank, apply pressure… as viewers are reminded that a point deduction could prove decisive, especially over an eight-round bout.
Harlem is lectured again, the referee almost pleading with them both to tidy it up, Eubank connects on a series of body shots which make the Frenchman instinctively adjust his shorts – he certainly felt that – more rough-housing to finish another competitive round. How do you score this?
Eubank vs. Erdogan R1
“Erdogan looks so big compared to Eubank,” is an early observation from Barry Jones on comms. We’ll see how the physical discrepancies between them play out, the longer this goes.
“Punch out!” bellows the official after some rather scrappy exchanges … the referee separates them on more than one occasion in centre ring, before reading them the riot act with half-a-minute left.
“Keep punching and holding, I’ll take a point off,” Harlem is told. How will that impact his tactics here?
Underwhelming stanza, tidy it up is the command as the pair return to their respective corners. Hmmm..
Right on cue, here they are!
Erdogan wastes no time with his ringwalk, sporting a slick Lyon strip as he strides in… while Harlem is wearing a shirt remembering cousin Sebastian, who died aged just 29 after a heart attack three years ago.
England vs. France was the tagline I heard minutes ago and considering Erdogan has been announced as the country’s former welterweight champion across the Channel, it makes sense.
A recap of tonight’s fights, so far…
Sunderland super-featherweight Eduard Georgiev got us started on this 12-fight card with a R1 KO win over Jack England, while there were a whopping seven decision victories – impressive nods for Niall Brown, Sophie Alisch and Joe Laws’ emotional return after older brother Jason tragically died in a Newcastle explosion last month.
J’Hon Ingram was successful on his UK debut, Codie Smith got back to winning ways while Robert Lloyd-Taylor Junior was perhaps a touch fortunate to stay unbeaten. Lee Rogers moved to 2-0 at Yin Caicedo’s expense, while Ben Marksby and Dan Toward’s TKO victories have energised a crowd starting to get a bit restless waiting for ringwalks…
Main event klaxon!
The PA interrupts a *very* loud musical intermission to urge fans to find their seats again quickly, as the Channel 5 broadcast portion of tonight’s busy card is minutes away from starting now… where Harlem Eubank will box France’s Nurali Erdogan shortly. Ready?
Not before some Sweet Caroline, of course.
UK light-middleweights, beware…
Toward said all the right things after an impressive display and eventual stoppage victory against a relative unknown, even if Nova ultimately showed himself to be a few levels below him.
The visitor looked wild and reckless at times, unable to box well off the back foot in other stages while Toward picked his shots nicely.
Much like the welterweight division discussed earlier, there’s an opening at 154lbs right now – highly-touted prospects mixing with a more experienced crop domestically but Toward will back himself to keep improving against tougher oppposition going forward.
Toward drops, stops Nova in six!
“There’s no crowd like a Geordie one, I’m looking to bring big-time boxing back to the North East,” Dan Toward tells Dave Farrar ringside before outlining an ambitious goal: fight for a world title at St. James’ Park, where the city’s beloved football club play.
Coldwell speaks passionately about his charge shortly afterwards, praising the determined mentality Toward displayed after three knockdowns.
The first was heavy as Nova did well to survive danger, second looked ominous and it was merely a matter of time once he found his footing early.
Toward in total control
The Dave Coldwell-trained talent has flown out of the blocks to start this, scoring a second-round knockdown with a left hand as the visitor doesn’t only bite on every feint in his direction … he also has failed to establish any respect for his punch power and is being peppered by the same shots, lefts and around the midsection right now. Rough!
Toward-Nova up next…
Whenever there’s a delay between respective ringwalks before a fight like this, there’s usually a reason. Gateshead’s Dan Toward (4-0, 3 KOs) gets a warm welcome ahead of what is a seriously stiff test – at least on paper – up against Colombia’s Johan Nova (9-1, 7 KOs).
Toward, a skilled 23-year-old southpaw with an esteemed amateur background and previously part of Team GB, will fancy this. Two fights before the main event, on home soil, not a bad card slot ey?
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
