Jack Catterall vs. Arnold Barboza Jr.: ‘In Focus’

Catterall, 31 years old and from nearby Chorley, will enjoy home advantage this weekend. He will also feel comfortable having already boxed at the arena, which opened its doors last year. Catterall’s previous bout – a unanimous decision win over Regis Prograis in October 2024 – was the first boxing event held at the new venue.

California native Barboza Jr. will be boxing away from America for only the second time in his professional career. The 33-year-old is finally on the brink of fighting for a full version of the world title – something he feels he’s been denied for a long period of time. A win on Saturday would open that door for Barboza Jr.

Some Info On Co-op Live Arena

Before jumping into the boxing analysis, here is some quick info on the venue, which could become fairly well used for boxing promotions. Co-op Live Arena is a multi-purpose indoor venue that has been built close to the City of Manchester Stadium – the home of English Premier League soccer club Manchester City for those who are interested in that kind of thing.

Although its main purpose will be to serve as a concert venue, it is versatile enough to be used as an indoor sporting arena when needed. The major selling point for the arena is that, according to the construction notes, it is the largest indoor arena in Europe in terms of capacity. Officially, it can accommodate 20,500 all seated fans or 23,500 with a standing area. For boxing, the maximum number is probably somewhere between those two figures, depending on how many floor seats are squeezed in around the ring.

With a large capacity and a reported 32 bars, restaurants, and lounges in the building, Co-op Live could become the home of boxing in the UK for bouts that are in demand but not quite at the stadium level.

Catterall Should Be Cautiously Optimistic Ahead Of Saturday

Now for some boxing. On a four-fight winning run, Catterall has dealt with the injustice he felt at being denied victory over Josh Taylor in February 2022 as well as one can. He took a break from the ring then got back to work and has boxed his way back to title contention.

Catterall’s four wins since that controversial night in Glasgow three years ago include gaining revenge on Taylor. Catterall won the rematch between the UK rivals convincingly. Following on from that encounter was Catterall’s aforementioned win over Prograis. Certain elements of that win should fill him with confidence, while others should keep him grounded.

The English boxer was down early in that bout and was losing the fight against the experienced but perhaps shopworn Prograis. A late fight revival, including flooring Prograis twice in the ninth round, saved the day for Catterall, although it should be noted that Prograis looked compromised by an injury at that stage of the contest.

But a win is a win, and considering Catterall firmly believes he won the only bout in the loss column on his record, he will have faith that his boxing ability will carry him to another win on February 15.“I’m ready to smash him [Barboza Jr.] to pieces to cement my spot for the WBO world title. I’m geared up for this one,” Catterall said, according to a press release from fight promoter Matchroom.

Barboza Jr. Is Ranked Number 1 By The WBO

For Barboza Jr., boxing for a world crown has been a long time coming. A holder of a WBO regional title for five years, Barboza Jr. has spoken out in the past about being avoided by title holders in his weight class. He has now boxed his way to a number one ranking – a win on Saturday would pave the way to a full title shot, if not the title itself.

Barboza Jr. boxed three times in 2024 – stopping Xolisani Ndongeni in March before decisioning Sean McComb in April and Jose Ramirez in November. For many observers, Barboza Jr. was fortunate to get the split decision nod over McComb, while his bout against Ramirez was the first time he had boxed overseas as a pro – that fight took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“I feel like my whole career I’ve been the underdog; I feel like I’ve been overlooked,” Barboza Jr. stated in a piece published by The Ring on February 12. “I’m an overall better fighter than him. He calls me B-level, but the only thing special about him is that he’s lefty. That’s it. We’ll find out.”

How Will Catterall vs. Barboza Jr. Look?

The old cliché of “styles make fights” will apply to Catterall vs. Barboza. Both men are boxers, both like to wait, feint, and counter their opponents when the opportunity presents itself. This one could be a slow burner. Also, barring a horrendous cut, this one is going the distance – neither man has the finishing power to deliver a stoppage, and they are both too defensively responsible to get broken apart by an accumulation of punches.

Southpaw against orthodox can’t be ignored when looking at this fight. Barboza Jr. is taller and possesses a longer reach. This, combined with fighting in front of a pro-Catterall crowd, might see Barboza Jr. attempt to take the initiative with the double jab he uses effectively. In fact, Barboza Jr’s jab could be the punch that carries him to victory. He could get his left going if Catterall lowers his right hand – something the English boxer has a tendency to do – Prograis took advantage of that particular trait, and it helped him score a knockdown in the bout. We can assume Barboza Jr. has studied that tape.

From Catterall’s perspective, getting his left hand into the fight often could be the key to victory. We saw how Barboza Jr. struggled badly to defend himself from the left hand of Sean McComb last year. It was surprising to see this, as Barboza Jr. has good head movement, but it’s always different against a southpaw. Catterall also needs to be aggressive and not wait on Barboza Jr. He is comfortable fighting up close and can dirty it up if necessary. Perhaps a few of the rounds will feature this.

Jack Catterall vs. Arnold Barboza Jr. Prediction

With plenty at stake, the hope is that one or both boxers look to take command of proceedings. There is nothing worse than two counter-punchers who are both content to wait it out. It will be more tactical than action-packed, but hopefully, both men won’t wait all night and send viewers to sleep. Both are skilled boxers, so any pockets of action should be worth watching; they just might be few and far between.

Something will have to give though, and with the bout taking place in Manchester, one assumes that some of the close rounds might go in Catterall’s favor. This, combined with the potential damage Catterall could dish out with his left, leads me to believe Catterall will win a unanimous decision on the night.

JACK CATTERALL VS ARNOLD BARBOZA JR. BETTING ODDS

Per DraftKings SportsBook, Jack Catterall is the favorite at -255, and Arnold Barboza Jr. is the underdog at +200.

Jack Catterall: TKO/KO +500; Decision -140

Draw: +1600

Arnold Barboza Jr.: TKO/KO +900; Decision +300