By Sam Brookes

Copyright independent

The undercard for Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn’s rematch has been confirmed, with Jack Catterall, Ekow Essuman and Adam Azim all set to get their chance to shine on the biggest stage.

Catterall and Essuman will face each other in a welterweight clash, while Azim will be returning to the ring for the first time in over nine months to take on Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev.

But what is at stake for the three Brits when they step between the ropes at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

Here, we assess why November 15 promises to be such an important night for all three men.

Catterall has every right to believe his career could have gone very differently in recent years.

Back in February 2022 he challenged undisputed super lightweight champion Josh Taylor for his belts and produced the performance of his life.

Catterall scored a knockdown and outboxed the Scot across 12 rounds. At least, that’s how most fans and ringside observers saw the fight. But the judges gave the nod to Taylor via split decision and Catterall narrowly missed out on becoming the man at 140lbs.

He worked his way back into contention by picking up four straight wins after that – a run that included exacting revenge on Taylor.

But he hit a speed bump in February when he lost another split decision, this time to Arnold Barboza Jr, when the WBO interim super lightweight title was on the line.

This cost him a shot at full champion Teofimo Lopez, and he opted to move up to welterweight to face Harlem Eubank in July.

Catterall won on a technical decision after the fight was ended early due to a clash of heads, but it was a largely forgettable contest.

He subsequently made the decision to switch training teams, parting ways with Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis to join Derek ‘Bozy’ Ennis, the father of ex-world champion Jaron Ennis, over in America.

Catterall is now 32 and does not have time to waste if he wants to finally get his hands on a world title.

All four governing bodies have him ranked inside their top 15 but he is yet to establish himself as a standout name at 147lbs and his recent performances have not got fans calling for him to be involved in big fights.

Catterall needs to beat Essuman in style to get people talking about him again. If he fails to deliver in London on November 15, he will be at risk of falling down the welterweight pecking order.

Essuman was born in Botswana but has lit up the British boxing scene since turning professional in 2016.

He became British and Commonwealth champion in 2021 and successfully defended his titles three times before losing on points to domestic rival Harry Scarff in November 2023.

That defeat appeared to indicate Essuman had found his level, but he has recovered to win his last three fights, and his most recent outing changed his career trajectory.

Essuman travelled over to Scotland to face former undisputed world champion Josh Taylor in front of his home fans in Glasgow.

Few gave Essuman a chance of pulling off the upset, but after a slow start he ramped up the pressure to dominate the second half of the bout.

He deservedly got his hand raised at the final bell, while Taylor announced his retirement shortly afterwards.

That performance put the welterweight division on notice, and Essuman is now positioned at No 10 in The Ring’s rankings.

He possesses an incredible engine that makes him a threat for 12 rounds and Catterall will have to be wary of this on fight night.

Essuman is 36 years old and his fight with Catterall could be a make-or-break moment for him.

If he loses, his world title dream may well be over. But a victory in front of 60,000 fans just months after beating Taylor would catapult him straight into contention for a title shot in 2026.

Azim has emerged as one of British boxing’s biggest talents but has endured a frustrating 2025.

After taking apart former world champion Sergey Lipinets in February, he looked set to burst onto the world stage.

But Azim has not boxed since after he had a fight in June cancelled at the last minute.

Still only 23, Azim has time on his side and has made good progress through the ranks after moving to 13-0 (10KOs).

His fight with Abdullaev ought to be the perfect opportunity for him to remind fans that he is a special talent.

Abdullaev has only lost two of his 22 professional bouts, falling short against Devin Haney and Raymond Muratalla.

The defeat by Haney came six years ago when he retired on his stool after four rounds. Haney has since gone on to win world titles in two separate divisions.

He was then beaten by Muratalla earlier this year, losing a unanimous decision to miss out on the IBF interim title. Muratalla was later elevated to full champion.

Abdullaev has only lost when fighting world-level fighters and Azim now has the chance to prove he can mix it with the best at 140lbs.

If he can do a better job than Haney and Muratalla this would send out a statement that he is ready for the biggest challenges in 2026, which could include a world title fight with domestic rival Dalton Smith.

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