WBO title on the line? Hearn’s desire to confront Catterall. Barboza Jr. fight

Jack Catterall’s promoter Eddie Hearn is hoping his light welterweight title win against Arnold Barboza Jr will be the full belt when they meet on February 15 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.

Will Teofimo give up?

Matchroom’s promoter, Hearn, is banking on WBO 140-pound champion Teofimo Lopez, who will relinquish his title to move up to 147 to take on bigger fights, possibly against IBF welterweight champion, Jaron “Boots” Ennis.

Whether that happens or not, it still doesn’t work in Hearn’s favor because Catterall (30-1, 13 KO) may not be able to get past the more talented Barboza Jr. (31-0, 11 KO) on February 15.

The only thing working in Catterall’s favor in this fight is that it’s in his neck of the woods in England, which means he could win a decision he doesn’t appreciate. If the rounds are close, it wouldn’t be a surprise if it was handed to Catterall.

Barboza Jr. destroys Hearn’s vision

Barboza Jr. is by far the better talent of the two and figures to win this fight based on his offensive skill advantage. Catterall is like the UK’s version of Shakur Stevenson, an imperfect imitation of the real thing. Jack has exactly the same moves as Shakur but without the speed, reflexes and IQ.

“It’s the final eliminator for the WBO world title – and hopefully also for the world title if Teofimo Lopez gets out of the way. Jack should already be the undisputed world champion“And there’s no better way than to prove he’s earned his place at the top by beating Arnold Barboza Jr. in a great fight in the 140-pound division,” Hearn said.

Hearn’s comment about how Catterall should be the undisputed world champion actually goes back to his controversial loss to Josh Taylor on February 26, 2022. Hearn is still grumpy about that loss, but it wasn’t as controversial. Taylor hit big shots all night and was the one doing the attacking.

If Catterall wanted to win, he should have stayed in the pocket instead of using Shakur’s style of stepping back three feet every time Taylor went up. It was very boring to watch, and it was clear that Catterall was trying to get a cheap win. The judges had none of it.

Catterall could not be seen in his last fight against Regis Prograis on October 26 in Manchester. The veteran, Prograis, dropped Catterall in the fifth and made him escape throughout the 12-round contest.

The judges gave Catterall a 12-round unanimous decision, but it was like watching one of Shakur’s fights. Very boring. Had the contest been held in the United States, fans would have booed Catterall outside the arena that night. You have to be able to entertain at this age.

Fighters like Shakur and Catterall are relics of the past and do not belong to it. Hearn will have a lot of work on his hands trying to promote the Catterall-Barboza Jr. event. On February 15th.