Jack Catterall drops and dominates unbeaten rival in masterclass on Oleksandr Usyk card

Jack Catterall put on a fantastic display to beat Shakhram Giyasov in Egypt.

British star Catterall was looking to cement his world title ambitions on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s clash with Rico Verhoeven in Egypt.

He was up against the stern test of undefeated Shakhram Giyasov for the WBA regular welterweight title.

Victory would be a brilliant step for ‘El Gato’ who knew capturing the title may even see him upgraded to full title holder given Rolly Romero’s situation.

And he did it in truly brilliant fashion, taming the unbeaten rising star with real dominance and class.

He dropped his opponent in the maiden round with a swift shot which was a sign of things to come.

And Giyasov showed little during the fight to match the masterful Catterall who cruised to a unanimous win on the judges’ scorecards.

The verdicts read all in his favour at 118-109, 119-108, 116-111.

On his victory he said: “I can’t put this into words. I’m the happiest man in the world.

“I wasn’t going to be denied tonight – it was always going to happen.

“Sometimes I like getting into the matrix and figuring out the puzzle; I felt comfortable in there tonight.

“This is my third fight at welterweight – I feel strong, I feel good. I’m absolutely buzzing.”

Catterall vs Giyasov – how it happened

British star Catterall was looking to put himself in a fantastic position to be upgraded to a full world title-holder by capturing the WBA regular welterweight title.

It was a chess match early on between the technically gifted pair, but it was the Chorley technician who made an early breakthrough.

Catterall dropped his rival to the canvas with close to two minutes on the clock, with a sweeping southpaw backhand sending Giyasov to the canvas.

A fantastic start for the Briton who had the undefeated Uzbek hurt, but he managed to hang in and survive.

Giyasov was struggling at the halfway point with Catterall neutralising him for long spells despite limited periods of success.

It was blood to the nose of Giyasov from a neat combination from the Briton as he cemented his dominance going into the second half of the fight.

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Catterall was comfortable with three rounds left, far outlanding his opponent and seemingly cruising to victory.

Giyasov tried to switch on in the final two rounds and let his hands go with a bit more urgency, but it was too little too late.

Now a potential showdown with Romero could lay in wait, or even his long sought after world title.