WBO President Gustavo Oliveiri has confirmed that the fight between #1 Arnold Barboza Jr. and #2 Jack Catterall will be for the WBO interim light welterweight title when they meet on February 15th at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.
Olivieri says this move is due to “uncertainty about the career of Teofimo Lopez”. Teo was all over the place, talking about wanting to move up to 147 to challenge IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis for his belt, calling out Terence Crawford and turning down fights left and right.
Intermediate fight for the WBO title
Teofimo wants to buy out his contract with promoters Top Rank, causing further uncertainty for his career. Some believe his actions are sabotaging it and will destroy what is left.
The winner of the Catterall vs. Barboza Jr. fight. will face Teofimo if he chooses to take the fight. That’s a big if.
Barboza Jr. (31-0, 11 KOs) has a good chance of beating Catterall (30-1, 13 KOs) if he fights like he did in his recent 10-round unanimous decision win over former light welterweight champion Jose Ramirez on Nov. 16.
Arnold looked impressive in this fight, using a powerful jab, nice one-two combinations and, at times, the ability to stick with the former champion.
1/ In light of the uncertainty surrounding Teofimo Lopez’s career, it is in the best interest of boxing and the 140 lbs division to recommend that #WBO Cmte Championship. that Barboza/Catterall will be punished for the interim title & mandatory under certain conditions and time frame
— Gustavo Olivieri, Esq. January 10, 2025
Matchroom-promoted Catterall has turned his career around, winning four straight since losing to Jack Catterall in 2022. In May 2024, he avenged his loss to Taylor, winning a 12-round unanimous decision. Last October, he defeated former two-time 140 lb champion Regis Prograis by a 12-round decision.
Some fans see Catterall as a the poor man’s Shakur Stevensonas it has the same boring hit-and-don’t-hit style and isn’t much fun to watch. With a good cup of strong coffee, one can bear to watch Catterall struggle.
Catterall backs down after throwing punches and holds long to nullify his opponents attack. He’s not fun to watch, but his style works for him. It may not be against Barboza Jr, but he has the home field advantage. Arnold slams on Catterall’s brakes.
So, there’s a chance he’ll win if he’s close. In terms of talent, Barboza Jr. he is higher and should win easily. Catterall’s pitch battle makes it difficult to predict.
2025-01-10 19:50:00
