Jack Catterall faces Arnold Barboza in Manchester for Interim world strap
Final eliminator has Teofimo Lopez waiting for the winner
JACK Catterall and Arnold Barboza Jr meet in the Co-op Live Arena, Manchester, on Saturday evening. The vacant WBO Interim super-lightweight title is on the line, but victory opens the door to the top table at 140 pounds for two men often overlooked and undervalued.
Catterall is awkward, tricky, and negative to the point of tedium as you wait for him to step out of the Rigondeaux shell and let the paws fly.
Saturday night will provide a level check to see where Catterall, 30-1 (13 KOs) and Barboza Jr, 31-0 (11 KOs) are at in their respective careers.
“Nothing matters until after Saturday night. I’ve got to be 100 per cent focused on Arnold,” Catterall said at Thursday’s press conference when the subject of full champion Teofimo Lopez’s name was mentioned.
Neither man has sat on the shelf too long since their previous ring appearances. Barboza boxed in November and Catterall in October, so there will be an element of freshness between two fighters who need to impress, as opportunities won’t come along often.
Neither like to lead off or take many risks, so to say it’ll be cagey and defensive is an understatement. In May 2024, Catterall managed to get past Josh Taylor, the man who had been blocking him from world level. Catterall would argue that he should already be undisputed champion following a controversial first meeting with the Scotsman.
Catterall may feel the weight of expectation through home advantage. Could that lead him to adopt a more offensive position to make things happen and calm a restless crowd?
He felt the need to step on the gas in his last outing. The Prograis fight was tight until Jack separated himself in round nine with a bout of needed aggression.
As part of Riyadh’s inaugural Latino Night, Barboza pushed past his own blockage by beating Jose Ramirez, the man above him in the promotional pecking order at Top Rank in the West Coast battle for relevance.
I saw a different fight between Barboza and Ramirez where the commentators thought Ramirez’s antagonism in a dire fight was the difference. I saw Barboza stepping off, dictating with the jab and landing some quality combinations.
Barboza, however, struggled with the southpaw smarts of Sean McComb, who led him a merry dance with his high-energy lefty tactics in New York.
Catterall can do that and better. I’m picking him to win on points but I reckon it’ll be close. Barboza is a good boxer with skills and a burning desire to reach the likes of Haney, Hitchins and company. This one could go right down to the wire.
How do you see it playing out?
About Steve…
Current existence: Online editor at Boxing News Magazine.
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