Jack Catterall will try to fend off a 31-0 contender in a high-stakes WBO title eliminator bout.
Jack Catterall, fresh off his upset win over Regis Prograis in October, will face arguably the toughest test of his career when he squares off with Arnold Barboza Jr. on February 15th in Manchester.
Matchroom Boxing announced the Catterall vs. Barboza Jr. fight on Sunday. The bout is a WBO super lightweight title eliminator for Teofimo Lopez’s belt, amidst speculation Lopez could potentially vacate the division.
After the announcement, Catterall didn’t take long to make his first pre-fight statement on social media.
“See you in Manchester [Arnold],” Catterall tweeted Sunday.
Catterall returns to the ring after defeating Prograis for the vacant WBO international light welterweight title. He’s won four fights in a row since a controversial decision loss to Josh Taylor, including getting his revenge against Taylor in their May rematch.
Jack Catterall vs. Arnold Barboza Jr. adds to the stacked February slate
Catterall will now face one of the hottest boxers in the sport, Barboza, who most recently defeated Jose Ramirez last month. He retained the WBO inter-continental light welterweight title by defeating Sean McComb in April.
Barboza earned wins over the likes of Alex Saucedo, Jose Pedraza, and Antonio Moran during his boxing career. Barboza’s stock rose sharply after an impressive win over McComb as the co-main event to Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney.
Lopez is targeting a potential super fight against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis in 2025, as Catterall and Barboza battle for top contender status. He most recently defeated Steve Claggett by unanimous decision in June.
Teofimo Lopez could face Catterall/Barboza winner for WBO title defense
Catterall vs. Barboza adds to what should be an eventful month for boxing in February 2025. The February 22nd Riyadh Season card features the returns of Daniel Dubois, Joseph Parker, and Vergil Ortiz to go along with the light heavyweight title rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Meanwhile, it’s uncertain as of this writing if Catterall vs. Barboza will serve as the main event for the February 15th card in Manchester. The full fight lineup for the card is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.