Arnold Barboza Jr. captured the WBO interim junior welterweight title by edging out Jack Catterall via split decision on Saturday night at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. The win positions him as the mandatory challenger to Teofimo Lopez’s WBO belt, but with rumors circulating that Lopez will move up to welterweight, Barboza Jr. believes he may soon be upgraded to full champion.
If Lopez does vacate, Barboza Jr. is eyeing a unification showdown with IBF titleholder Richardson Hitchins, who won his belt in December by outpointing Liam Paro. Barboza, 33, sees this as the quickest path to cement his spot atop the 140-pound division. He even hinted that the potential clash could happen on a rumored Golden Boy vs. Matchroom card - especially fitting after Barboza secured a win over Matchroom’s Catterall.
Despite calling out Lopez for years, Barboza doubts Teofimo will change course and stay put at junior welter. He insists Lopez "has been able to pick whoever he wants" and hasn’t shown interest in facing the top contenders. Barboza's manager Rick Mirigian says he’ll push for the fight to land on the rumored Alcatraz Island event in June, but Barboza is ready to move on to bigger things if Lopez walks away.
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