Jack Catterall (30-1, 13 KOs) weighed in at 139.75 lbs, and Arnold Barboza Jr. (31-0, 11 KOs) also came in at 139.75 pounds at Friday’s weigh-in for their battle for the vacant WBO interim light welterweight title this Saturday night, live on DAZN at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.
(Credit: Dave Thompson Matchroom Boxing)
Both fighters looked surprisingly good, with neither of them showing signs of being physically drained in appearance. That’s refreshing, given the many fighters in this era who choose to make a career out of manipulating weight.
Most would agree that Barboza Jr. might have a little bit too many skills, size, and power for Catterall to deal with in this fight. The recent performances by Barboza Jr. against Jose Ramirez and Xolisani Ndongeni showed that he’s got the edge in this fight over Catterall.
Catterall’s Level
Promoter Eddie Hearn is counting on his Catterall to win because he’s hoping he can get a chance to fight WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez. That would be a nice payday for Catterall to make life-changing money, but it might be too much to ask for. Teo would never fight a defensive fighter like Catterall, who has a hit-and-run style that has always given the New Yorker problems.
Barboza Jr. looks like the better fighter in this matchup, and the only way I can see him losing is if the judges rob him. He is a visiting fighter from America, and he’s fighting the local lad, Catterall, in his neck of the woods in front of what is likely to be a large crowd filled with 99% pro-Catterall fans. That means if the rounds are even slightly close, they’ll go to Catterall.
Catterall beat several aging former champions recently, defeating 36-year-old Regis Prograis, 34-year-old Josh Taylor, and 39-year-old Jorge Linares. He’s done well against all three, but there’s no ignoring the fact that he’s been raiding the retirement homes.
It’s easy to look good against fighters that are that old. It’s impossible to say how good Catterall is because those three are the only notable names on his 13-year resume. The other fighters are a mix of British domestic-level and European-level guys that aren’t world-class.
