Jack Catterall’s next fight is being planned for late August in Manchester against possibly former WBA/WBC light welterweight champion Regis Prograis or Arnold Barboza Jr.
Avoiding Matias: A Strategic Move?
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn is interested in using one of those two contenders for Catterall (29-1, 13 KOs) to fight in a title eliminator. Hearn isn’t saying for which title, but it’s likely the WBO, as that’s the one that Catterall has been asking for.
What’s unclear is why Hearn doesn’t set Catterall up for a straight title shot against his fighter, IBF 140-lb champion Subriel Matias. It would be a stylistic mismatch.
It would be easy for Hearn to make that fight, but his reluctance to do so suggests that he feels Matias would be all wrong for Catterall. Matias would expose Catterall’s lack of power and inability to stand his ground and fight.
Catterall’s Shakur-Esque Style
I think it would be a disaster to throw the light-hitting Shakur-esque Catterall in with Matias and watch the feeding frenzy that would take place. Catterall is a six-round fighter who fights like Shakur Stevenson with his ugly ‘hit, run, and hold’ style and gasses out. The last six rounds are holding and running by Catterall.
That style won’t work against Matias. Catterall’s last fight against Josh Taylor last month on May 25th was so ugly to watch with the nonstop clinching and moving he did. Matias would be a pure nightmare for Catterall, and it wouldn’t help Jack trying to hold all night.
“It won’t be in Saudi. We are looking at Jack potentially returning at the end of August in Manchester. Regis Prograis is definitely a name that we like. So is Arnold Barboza. It’s a fight that could put Jack in a mandatory position. So watch this space. We’re working on Jack Catterall’s next fight as we speak,” said Eddie Hearn to Matchroom Boxing.
Difficulties in Securing Prograis
Hearn might need to do some convincing to get the 35-year-old Prograis (29-2, 24 KOs) to agree to fight Catterall in the UK because he wants to fight in Saudi Arabia. That’s where the money is at, and Prograis wouldn’t have to deal with a loud pro-Catterall crowd like he would if he fought him in the UK in Manchester.
Prograis is coming off a loss against the much bigger Devin Haney last December in San Francisco. Not surprisingly, that defeat left a bad taste in Prograis’ mouth after learning that Haney had rehydrated to 165 lbs after the weigh-in.
Would Prograis be willing to fight another one of Hearn’s fighters, especially if it involved fighting a runner & clincher in the UK? It’s not a good deal for Prograis.
Barboza Jr.’s Unlikely Participation
Barboza (30-0, 11 KOs) is ranked #1 with the WBO, and I don’t see why he would agree to fight Catterall. He doesn’t need to fight him to get a title shot against WBO champion Teofimo Lopez, and I don’t think he would want to have to deal with the defensive tactics Catterall uses.
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