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Jack Catterall’s promoter Eddie Hearn hopes his WBO welterweight title eliminator against Arnold Barboza Jr. will be for the entire belt when they meet on February 15 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.
Will Teofimo leave?
Matchroom promoter Hearn is counting on WBO 140lb champion Teofimo Lopez to vacate his title to move up to 147 to go after bigger fights, possibly against IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
Whether that happens or not, it still doesn’t work in Hearn’s favor as Catterall (30-1, 13 KOs) may not get past the more talented Barboza Jr. (31-0, 11 KO) February 15.
The only thing going in Catterall’s favor for this fight is that it’s in his neck of the woods in England, which means he could win by decision that he doesn’t rate. If the rounds are close, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they give them to Catterall.
Barboza Jr. To destroy Hearn’s vision
Barboza Jr. he is by far the better talent of the two and can win this fight based on his offensive skill advantage. Catterall is like the British version of Shakur Stevenson, an imperfect imitation of the real thing. Jack has the exact same moves as Shakur, but without the speed, reflexes and ring IQ.
“It’s the last eliminator for the WBO world title – and hopefully it could even be for the world title if Teofimo Lopez gets out of the way. Jack should be the undisputed world champion by now,” Hearn said. “And there’s no better way than to prove that he’s earned his place at the very top by defeating Arnold Barboza Jr. in a fantastic fight at 140 pounds.”
Hearn’s comment about how Catterall should already be the undisputed world champion stemmed from his controversial loss to Josh Taylor on February 26, 2022. Hearn still regrets that loss, but it was not controversial. Taylor landed the harder punches all night and was on offense.
If Catterall wanted to win, he should have stayed in the pocket instead of using his Shakur-like three-foot-step-back approach every time Taylor stepped forward. It was so boring to watch and it was obvious that Catterall was trying to get a cheap win. The judges didn’t have them.
Catterall was unwatchable in his recent fight against Regis Prograis on October 26 in Manchester. The old warrior, Prograis, dropped Catterall in the fifth and chased him away during the 12-round contest.
The judges awarded Catterall 12 rounds by unanimous decision, but it was like watching one of Shakur’s fights. So boring. Had the competition been held in the US, the fans would have booed Catterall out of the arena that night. You have to be able to entertain at this time.
Fighters like Shakur and Catterall are relics of the past and don’t belong. Hearn will have a lot of work trying to promote Catterall-Barboza Jr. event on February 15.
