Jack Catterall insists he’s “back on the hunt” at junior welterweight after taking time to reflect on his narrow points defeat to Arnold Barboza Jr. in February. The 31-year-old Englishman, who many believe was also harshly robbed against Josh Taylor in 2022, acknowledges he didn’t produce his best performance against Barboza and has used the past few weeks to identify what went wrong. Now, as he looks ahead to a ring return this summer, Catterall vows to make the minor changes required to prove he’s still among the division’s best.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has floated several possible matchups - IBF champion Richardson Hitchins, George Kambosos Jr., or rising talent Dalton Smith - but none of those appear immediately next. Catterall says he’s comfortable letting his team finalize the right opponent. The main priority is to correct the mistakes he made while under-performing in Manchester and to ensure he’s fully ready to take another run at a title.
Watch Catterall vs. Barboza Jr. highlights: Watch
With Barboza set to face WBO champion Teofimo Lopez on May 2, Catterall believes his recent conqueror is far from an underdog. “He’s certainly up there,” Catterall said, adding that Lopez “hasn’t looked a million dollars” in some of his recent outings. Regardless of what happens, Catterall remains determined to climb back to title contention and welcomes a chance to face any of the top names in the 140-pound division.
Though disappointed by the Barboza loss, the English southpaw stays optimistic about his future. “I’m down but I’m not out,” he says. “There’s a lot of good fights [at 140]. I want to target the world champions, but beyond that, you’ve got so many fighters at or just below fringe level. I’m back in the gym, making adjustments, and I’m excited for what’s next.”
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Image Credit: DAZN