Arnold Barboza not worried that home cooking might favor Jack Catterall in Manchester

Arnold Barboza Jnr, from Los Angeles, is unfazed about fighting away from home and in his opponent Jack Catterall’s nearest city. 

Barboza, ranked No. 1, and Catterall, ranked No. 2, will contest the WBO interim junior welterweight title this Saturday at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England – just a few miles away from Catterall’s hometown of Chorley.

British judges have been accused of not giving American fighters a fair shake in recent years. “Honestly, you know, it doesn’t bother me,” Barboza told BoxingScene. “I’ll fight him in his living room if he wants to. You know what I mean? Like if it’s for the belt, you know, we’re fighting wherever. At the end of the day, you’re in the ring, so it doesn’t really matter.”

Barboza, in his most recent contest, defeated former unified 140lb champion Jose Carlos Ramirez in a fight that was not so easy on the eye. Barboza controlled Ramirez on the backfoot and took a wide unanimous decision. When asked if he would use similar tactics against Catterall he replied: “The fight’s going to go the way I want, and the way I see in the ring.” 

“We have a great game plan, but things could change and things are going to go the way we want. Just know that I’m going to win. That’s it. If the knockout comes, it comes. If not, the decision’s fine.”

Catterall, on the other hand, is coming off two entertaining victories against former titleholder Regis Prograis and former undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor. 

“Yeah, he did good, you know, Jack’s a good fighter, man,” said Barboza on Catterall’s performances. “He’s a good fighter and now you got the number one and the number two fighting. Which is, I’m number one, he’s number two and that’s how it should be. You know, it should be number one versus number two for a belt. So that’s what’s happening.”

Prior to his victory over Ramirez, Barboza claimed a win over Sean McCombe in a fight many saw him losing. 

“We just had an off night,” he said. “I think every fighter has it. That’s my first fight that was a little off. Every other fight has been unanimous decisions. But you got to just get back in the gym, put your head down and grind. That’s what I did.”

The WBO interim title that Barboza and Catterall will contest for will earn the winner a shot at champion Teofimo Lopez’s belt. Lopez, however, insists he has no plans to face the winner and is likely to make the jump to welterweight or face IBF champion Richardson Hitchins.

“I think he might vacate, but who knows?” said Barboza. “I mean, maybe he might. With him, you don’t know what’s going to happen, so it’s kind of like a present, it’s like a surprise every time you open it. You know, we’ll see. Like I said, not looking past Jack [Catterall]. He’s going to be a tough opponent, especially at his home. So we’re looking forward to it.”

However, if Barboza is successful on Saturday and manages to get Lopez in the ring, he believes he becomes world champion.

“I’m confident going into every fight,” he said of a fight between him and Lopez. “You know what I mean? I feel like I’m the best 140 pounder and I’m confident in every fight.”