It was revenge and not repeat in California, as Jermell Charlo regained the WBC Super Welterweight Title with an eleventh round knockout of Tony Harrison.
Harrison had won their first meeting on points, in what was a controversial affair and it was widely expected that Harrison would use a tactical approach to the rematch, but he mostly ended up fighting on the front foot.
Both men traded big shots in the second round, and it was Charlo’s heavy hands that scored him a knockdown.
As the two exchanged shots, Charlo connected with a left-right combination that floored the champion.
Harrison rose and recovered boxing well with an impressive jab and good work on the inside. Rounds were hard to score, and it looked as though the contest would go to another controversial points decision, but Charlo rendered the judges redundant in the eleventh.
A big left hand landed flush on his compatriot’s chin forcing his legs to wobble and a follow up attack bundled him to the canvas.
The Michigan man rose unsteadily and on the resumption, more sledgehammer left hands and a frenzied attack left Harrison slumped on the ropes, with the referee rightly waving the action off.
IT. IS. OVER. Jermell Charlo reclaims his 154-pound belt with an 11th round stoppage! #HarrisonCharlo2 pic.twitter.com/vW2PC2cj5D
— PBC (@premierboxing) December 22, 2019
“I got that belt back,” Charlo said post fight. “It took me a little while. I got it out in 11, but I didn’t leave it up to no judges.”
Harrison admitted that his opponent had earned his victory, as he was bitterly disappointed in defeat.
Elsewhere on the card, Andre Dirrell made a low key return, but had way too much for Juan Ubaldo Cabrera, dropping the Mexican in rounds three and five, before he was stopped on his feet later in the fifth.
Heavyweight hope, Efe Ajagba had to survive a scare before stopping Iago Kaladze in five rounds. Ajagba was dropped in the third round after knocking the Georgian down in the second. Kaldze tired though and his corner eventually threw the towel in after a knockdown in the fifth.
