Jack Catterall’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, hopes his WBO light welterweight title eliminator against Arnold Barboza Jr. will be for the full belt when they meet on February 15th at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.
Will Teofimo Vacate?
The Matchroom promoter, Hearn, is counting on WBO 140-lb champion Teofimo Lopez vacating 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 does not work in Hearn’s favor because Catterall (30-1, 13 KOs) may not get past the more talented Barboza Jr. (31-0, 11 KOs) on February 15th.
The only thing that works in Catterall’s favor for this fight is that it’s in his neck of the woods in England, which means that he might win a decision that he doesn’t rate. If the rounds are close, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they’re given to Catterall.
Barboza Jr. To Ruin Hearn’s Vision
Barboza Jr. is the far better talent of the two and figures to win this fight based on the advantage of his offensive skill. Catterall is like a UK version of Shakur Stevenson, an imperfect imitation of the real thing. Jack has the same exact moves as Shakur but without the speed, reflexes, and ring IQ.
“It is a final 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 already be an undisputed world champion,” said Hearn. “And there is no better way than to prove that he has earned his place at the very top by beating Arnold Barboza Jr in what is a fantastic fight in the 140lbs division.”
The comment from Hearn about how Catterall should be the undisputed world champion already is due to his controversial loss to Josh Taylor on February 26, 2022. Hearn is still bellyaching about that loss, but it wasn’t controversial. Taylor landed the harder shots all night and was the one on the attack.
If Catterall wanted to win, he should have stayed in the pocket instead of using his Shakur-esque three-feet step-back approach each time Taylor came forward. It was so boring to watch, and it was obvious that Catterall was trying to get a cheap win. The judges weren’t having any.
Catterall was unwatchable in his recent fight against Regis Prograis on October 26th in Manchester. The old warrior, Prograis, dropped Catterall in the fifth and had him on the run throughout the 12-round contest.
The judges gave Catterall a 12-round unanimous decision, but it was like watching one of Shakur’s fights. So boring. If the contest had been held in the U.S., the fans would have booed Catterall out of the arena that night. You have to be able to entertain in this era.
Fighters like Shakur and Catterall are relics of the past and don’t belong. Hearn will have a lot of work on his hands trying to promote the Catterall-Barboza Jr. event on February 15th.
