David Papot Drops Harlem Eubank Three Times Wins UD

David Papot travelled to London, floored Harlem Eubank three times and left the Copper Box Arena with a unanimous decision, which placed a substantial dent in the Brighton man’s world-title ambitions.

The judges scored the 12-round welterweight contest 113-111, 115-110 and 115-109 for the seasoned French southpaw, who improved his record to 31-1-1 and collected the vacant IBF International title. Eubank fell to 22-2 after a bruising contest in which courage was plentiful but tactical discipline occasionally went missing.

Eubank was knocked down in the second round and twice more in the tenth, although the third count appeared debatable. He did manage to floor Papot with a left hook in the seventh, raising hopes of a recovery, but could not undo the damage accumulated during his reckless advances.

The opening round was cautious enough to require patience from those at ringside. Eubank used his lead hand to measure the distance while attempting to pressure Papot, who moved laterally from the southpaw stance and waited for opportunities to counter. Little of consequence landed until the final minute, when the tactical inspection finally began to resemble a prize fight.

Eubank increased the tempo in the second and found Papot with a right hand, but his enthusiasm proved expensive. He lunged forward during the closing minute, missed badly and was caught flush as Papot sent him to the canvas. With only seconds remaining, the bell arrived at a most convenient moment.

Papot’s left hand remained the most dangerous weapon in the ring. He landed it heavily again in the third, opening damage around Eubank’s right eye and momentarily placing the home boxer in difficulty. Eubank steadied himself well, responding with an uppercut and lead hook, but the warning was already clear: every careless rush was likely to be met by something unpleasant.

Eubank attempted to cut off the ring through the fourth and fifth rounds, stalking Papot towards the ropes and trying to create opportunities for his right hand. The trouble was that Papot was perfectly comfortable giving ground. He was not retreating in panic but drawing Eubank forward, inviting him to overreach and then driving the straight left through the opening.

There was also the familiar danger presented whenever an orthodox boxer meets a southpaw. Their lead feet and heads repeatedly came into close proximity, and Eubank’s facial damage worsened as the fight developed. By the ninth, he was marked around both eyes, while Papot had also suffered a cut.

Eubank’s best work came in the sixth and seventh. A solid right hand and a whipped left hook appeared to stiffen Papot’s legs in the sixth, although the Frenchman used his experience to smother the follow-up and reach the bell without further difficulty.

The breakthrough arrived in the seventh when Eubank caught Papot with an excellent left hook and dropped him. It was a clean knockdown and earned Eubank a 10-8 round, bringing him back into a contest which had been sliding away. The crowd sensed a change, and for a time so did Papot.

Eubank continued his recovery in the eighth. He began with his right hand and was increasingly successful when he approached from behind, using quick feet and angles rather than charging directly forward. A fierce exchange near the end of the round showed that neither man was inclined to conduct the remainder at a gentlemanly pace.

Yet Eubank’s technical inconsistency remained his undoing. When he moved laterally and changed the angle of attack, Papot’s defence could be opened. When he advanced in straight lines with his chin exposed, he was repeatedly struck by the left hand.

The decisive round was the tenth. Eubank started brightly and appeared determined to build on his middle-round success, but again became overambitious. Papot caught him with a heavy left, sending him crashing down and leaving him in serious trouble.

Eubank beat the count, but Papot pursued him, and the Brighton boxer soon touched down for a second time in the round. There was controversy over whether the final fall resulted from a legitimate punch, a forearm or simply Eubank losing his footing. The referee ruled it a knockdown, leaving Eubank facing an almost impossible arithmetic problem.

He showed considerable resolve to survive the round and return for the eleventh. Papot landed another strong left hook, but Eubank refused to surrender and attempted to force the pace through sheer effort.

By the final round, however, only a stoppage could realistically rescue him. Eubank attacked despite the blood around his eyes, while Papot boxed sensibly, tied him up when necessary and ensured that no late calamity spoiled his work. It was not particularly glamorous, but glamour is rarely required when carrying a lead into the final three minutes abroad.

The verdict was entirely justified. Papot had produced the cleaner punches, the more disciplined tactics and the greater number of decisive moments. Eubank’s knockdown in the seventh demonstrated his quality and resilience after the three counts showed his courage, but neither was enough to compensate for the repeated mistakes that put him in danger.

Eubank later admitted he had started slowly, credited Papot as the better man and expressed interest in a rematch. His honesty was admirable, although a return contest would require more than increased effort. He must learn to approach southpaws without repeatedly walking onto the rear hand.

Papot, whose only defeat came against Liam Paro, now possesses a useful IBF ranking belt and a convincing victory on foreign soil. For Eubank, the route towards a world title opportunity has become considerably longer. Boxing, as ever, has little sympathy for surnames or ambitions.