LONDON, England - Jack Catterall put himself in contention to challenge for a world title with a brutal, comprehensive 11th-round stoppage victory over Ekow Essuman at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The win was Catterall's first inside the distance for over six years and put him in the WBO's No. 1 position.

Off the back of a disappointing technical decision win over Harlem Eubank in the summer, Catterall upped sticks and made the move across the pond to work with trainer Derek 'Bozy' Ennis.

Essuman enjoyed the greatest win of his career over Scottish legend and former undisputed 140-pound champion Josh Taylor in May, and aimed to continue riding the crest of a wave against more world-level opposition.

Catterall, a man who was denied undisputed status of his own in 2022, showed his levels in a match-up he needed to win in order to assert himself into title contention once again - this time at welterweight.

The pair squared off in the co-main event of Chris Eubank Jr.-Conor Benn at Spurs, live on DAZN PPV.

Catterall started the fight in typical fashion, boxing off the back-foot but patiently waiting to land his jab and left hand.

Essuman struggled to get going with his own jab and paid for waiting by taking a stiff one-two to the face midway through the third round. Happy with his success, it was Catterall who ended the round on the front foot, hunting for more connects with his back hand.

It was in the fourth round where Essuman found himself in serious trouble.

Cut and bleeding from the bridge of his nose, "The Engine" attempted to land a left hook but was countered with a right hook by Catterall, who followed it up with a hard straight left to put the Nottingham man flat on his back on the canvas.

The fifth round was another brutal one for Essuman, who wouldn't stop pressing forward, something which played perfectly into Catterall's hands. The Chorley man landed left after left, blood and sweat splattering into the air with each impact.

Catterall, completely in control of the fight at the midway point, utilised jabs to the body to wear the bloodied Essuman out even further. Tough as they come, the former British 147-pound champion continued to plod forward.

At the start of the seventh, Essuman's right eye looked to be completely shut and only will and determination would get him any kind of result, for Catterall was displaying all the incisiveness he'd hoped he would gain back by moving stateside for training camp.

The eighth round saw Catterall continue to control the centre of the ring. Both his left and right hand were landing at will while Essuman could only punch air, with half of his vision impaired.

Essuman looked physically depleted in the ninth round and stumbled back on unsteady legs after Catterall landed another one of his stiff left hands. The 10th was another gruesome one for Essuman, who shipped yet more punishment despite his courage to continue fighting.

In the 11th, Essuman hit the canvas again and this time he would not get up. Catterall landed a blistering combination which put Essuman through the ropes and nearly onto the arena floor. Referee Lee Every waved it off almost immediately.

Much has been made of Catterall's style of fighting over his last few contests, but he showed himself to be a ruthless operator at 147 pounds and looked all the more better after making the move to Philadelphia earlier this year.