Exclusive: Jack Catterall Knows His Time Has Come for WBO Championship Glory

Jack Catterall has revealed why he wants to win the WBO belt more than any other as he aims to take another huge step towards becoming a world champion.

Positioned at number two on the sanctioning body’s latest rankings in the super lightweight division, the 31-year-old from Chorley faces the number one challenger to Teofimo Lopez’s crown - Arnold Barboza Jr - at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena this weekend.

Mandated as an official eliminator for a shot at Lopez’s crown, the winner of Catterall’s clash against the undefeated American could yet be awarded the title if its current holder decides to vacate. 

Having previously worn the WBA’s Intercontinental strap, Catterall is also well positioned on the list of possible suitors to Jose Valenzuela who holds their version of the title.

But, speaking exclusively to SportsBoom, he admitted that, given the choice, superseding Lopez would be his preferred route to the top rather than following the WBA, WBC or IBF paths.

“The WBO is personal to me,” Catterall said. “I defended their international title something like 10 times in order to get a shot at Josh Taylor a few years ago." 

"That’s how I got that fight so the WBO, from my perspective, is always going to be special. It’s always going to mean something to me."

“I find myself at number two with them now. Arnold is number one. For me, this is personal. This (the WBO) is the one I want first if I’m given the choice. It means something personal to me.”

Having claimed one of the WBO’s secondary honours by beating Cesar David Inalef a decade ago, Catterall actually made nine successful defences before being awarded a shot at the then undisputed champion Taylor in 2022. 

Although he was controversially beaten on points, with many ringside observers insisting he had done enough to get the verdict, Catterall avenged the only loss on his 31 bout professional record when he faced Taylor again last May.

That victory was followed by another success, this time over former WBC and WBA holder Regis Prograis, while Barboza Jr’s most recent outing was against Jose Ramirez on a Riyadh Season card three months ago. 

Ramirez previously held the WBO title, as well as the WBC’s, until being dethroned by Taylor.

An ex-British champion, Catterall’s relationship with the WBO, whose headquarters are in Puerto Rico, was initially cemented when he became their European title-holder before that triumph over Inalef. 

WORLD TITLE TILT

Given the plethora of honours he has collected during his career, Catterall could be forgiven for feeling aggrieved at being forced to wait so long for another world title tilt.

“I’m not the first choice for these champions which, to be honest, I probably take as a back-handed compliment,” he said. 

“The big names are all talking about fighting each other and hopefully they do."

“I believe I’ve got to keep pushing. I can’t sit and wait around. I need to put myself in a position where they’ve got no choice but to fight me which, hopefully, this next one will."

“You can never take anything for granted in boxing. But I believe, God willing, I’ll become interim champion and then Teofimo has no choice but to fight me or vacate.”

“I want to be involved in great fights,” Catterall added. 

“I want to test myself against the likes of Teofimo, Devin Haney and Josh Taylor."

“I enjoy my life boxing and my career. I don’t think about becoming world champion. I’ve learned to take it one day at a time, fighting whoever is put in front of me and beating them."

“Hopefully everyone can fight and we can see who comes out as the best.”