Harlem Eubank (19-0, 8 KO’s) passed the toughest test of his career with flying colors, dropping Timo Schwarzkopf (22-6, 13 KO’s) twice and stopping the German based Kosovan in eleven impressive rounds in front of his hometown fans in Brighton.
Neither fighter wasted any time. Schwarzkopf, 140lbs, grabbed the center of the ring and looked to push Eubank, 139.6 lbs, back. He landed the first significant punch of the fight with a big right hand while Eubank looked to use plenty of lateral movement and time his left hook. Another right hand from Schwarzkopf seemed to register with Eubank who fell into a clinch.
The roles were quickly established. Schwarzkopf set his stall out to be the aggressor whilst the slicker Eubank enjoyed success when punching off his movement. Neither fighter seemed particularly interested in working inside but Schwarzkopf again came close with a chopping right hand.
Eubank got Schwarzkopf’s attention with a left hook early in the third and followed it up a few seconds later by putting a hard right hand behind an uppercut. Schwarzkopf went down with a stunned look on his face. He jumped up and instinctively fired back but didn’t have his feet underneath him and Eubank poured on the punishment both hands as Schwarzkopf sat on the ropes. Schwarzkopf bravely rode out the storm and worked his way off the ropes.
Eubank’s left hook had worked perfectly from the very start of the fight but Schwarzkopf had regathered himself after the disastrous third round and once again began the task of walking down Eubank. The fourth was much better for him, he took a nice uppercut from Eubank well and seemed to have warmed to his task.
Eubank picked up warnings for punching below the belt in the third and fourth rounds and lost a point in the fifth having strayed low again. Most of the fight was being fought on Eubank’s terms but Schwarzkopf had managed to regain some kind of foothold after that tough start.
Eubank found his rhythm again in the sixth, moving nicely around the ring and quickly closing the distance before creating space with clever little shoulder nudges. Schwarzkopf struggled to pin Eubank down was outfought inside as Eubank re-established a real sense of control.
Eubank received another warning for punching low in the seventh round but was moving nicely, making Schwarzkopf miss with some good upper body movement and finding a home for his jab.
Schwarzkopf appeared to be in need of some kind of fight changing moment but although he kept pushing forward, the snap seemed to have left his punches. When they found themselves working inside, Eubank’s short hooks and uppercuts were the effective blows. The eighth ended with both landing clean right hands.
Eubank wouldn’t let Schwarzkopf sustain any pressure. Every time he found himself backed into a corner, Eubank would either slip and move and then take his turn to attack or fight his way out of trouble.
As the fight entered the championship rounds, Schwarzkopf needed to conjure up a spectacular moment, instead it was Eubank who put the seal on an impressive performance. As Schwarzkopf got close and let his hands go, Eubank turned over a hard, short right hook. Schwarzkopf went down heavily and although he got to his feet, he was in no position to continue. Referee, John Latham, stopped the fight after 42 seconds of the eleventh.
Eubank won the WBO Global super lightweight champion and will now look for big names at either 140lbs or launch an attack on the welterweight division.