22:47
BARBOZA EDGES SPLIT DECISION
Arnold Barboza Jr has become the WBO interim super-lightweight champion after edging a fiercely contested split decision against Jack Catterall.
Two 115-113 scorecards swung it in favour of the visitor, while one judge had it 115-113 for the Brit.
Either way, it was a tremendously close fight, though Barboza seemingly thought otherwise.
In his post-fight interview, the American said: “I honestly didn’t have it that close – I thought I won way more rounds.”
In response, Catterall claimed he thought he had done enough to win but, equally, admitted that it was indeed a close fight.
22:40
WE GO TO THE SCORECARDS
While it was almost impossible to pick an 11th-round winner, the final three minutes told a virtually identical story.
Throughout the fight, Barboza showed no signs of being puzzled by Catterall’s footwork, and even created plenty of angles to land his own ferocious attacks.
As we now go to the scorecards, there will almost certainly be a moment of controversy!
22:31
ALL TO PLAY FOR
With just six minutes remaining, it is fair to say that there is barely anything to separate both fighters.
Catterall, though, restored a degree of stability in the last two rounds, slowing down the pace to land more of his straight left hands.
One of which knocked Barboza to the canvas at the end of round ten, but referee Steve Gray ultimately ruled it a slip after spotting that the American’s feet were tangled.
22:25
CATTERALL REMAINS TOO PREDICTABLE
A stern protest from Barboza emerged in round seven, with Catterall landing a series of unanswered shots after the referee called for a break.
Nevertheless, with Barboza now looking far more assertive, Catterall was forced to endure an earful from trainer Jamie Moore at the end of a relatively uneventful eighth round.
22:15
BARBOZA ESTABLISHES HIS AGGRESSION
Barboza has clearly upped his tempo, boxing with far more aggression and urgency in what was a promising fifth round for the American.
Catterall, on the other hand, has seemingly lowered his volume, no longer stamping his authority but instead looking to land the perfect left hand.
At this stage, the Brit appears to be marginally ahead while Barboza enjoyed another spell of success in the sixth round.
22:07
STRONG RESPONSE FROM BARBOZA
A more competitive third round saw Barboza land several thudding right hands, including a well-timed body shot that caught Catterall cleanly.
Catterall, however, continued to drill his spearing left hand down the pipe, just as his opponent began to pile on the pressure in the fourth round.
Towards the end of those three minutes, the American also got the better of a fierce exchange at mid-range.
21:58
CATTERALL FINDS HIS RANGE
Despite an encouraging start from Barboza on the front foot, several blistering flurries saw Catterall get the better of their first-round exchanges.
Unsurprisingly, ‘El Gato’ continued to shift his feet in and out of range throughout the second round, presenting the American with an elusive target while also finding a home for his lethal left hand.
21:46
MAIN EVENT STARTS NOW
Jack Catterall and Arnold Barboza Jr have both entered the ring ahead of what promises to deliver a high-octane chess match.
With the vacant WBO interim super-lightweight title on the line, the winner of this showdown should earn himself a world title shot.
But regardless of whatever happens next, the highly-skilled operators have cemented themselves as two of the most elite contenders at 140lbs.
21:31
AND STILL!!!
Reece Bellotti has retained his British and Commonwealth super-featherweight titles with a ninth-round stoppage victory after producing a measured and relentless performance.
Trainer Mick Jennings prompted the referee to call a halt at the end of the ninth round, leaving Gomez somewhat bemused by the decision.
Either way, Bellotti always looked in control, dishing out a comprehensive boxing lesson while also scoring two knockdowns.
21:24
BELLOTTI SCORES SECOND KNOCKDOWN
Following another punishing body attack from Bellotti, Gomez was forced to suffer a second knockdown in the eighth round.
Despite getting back to his feet, the challenger has demonstrated a lack of impetus to get a foothold in this contest.
Bellotti, on the other hand, has begun to pin his opponent up against the ropes more often, targeting the long torso of Gomez.
21:18
BELLOTTI SUFFERS CUT
An accidental clash of heads saw Bellotti suffer a cut above his eye in the sixth round, presenting something that Gomez may look to capitalise on down the stretch.
And yet, the champion has continued to dart in and out of the pocket on his terms, showing no signs of faltering under his opponent’s fairly unremarkable pressure.
Round seven, after all, delivered an equally convincing spell of success for Bellotti.
21:12
GOMEZ DOWN IN THE FIFTH
With Bellotti maintaining his pulsating movement, another one-sided round saw Gomez open up.
In doing so, the challenger left himself open to a sneaky body shot, dropping him to one knee in the fifth round.
After getting back to his feet, Gomez found himself in survival mode before beating his chest at the end of the 10-8 round.
21:06
GOMEZ KEEPS HIS PATIENTS
Gomez has maintained his stalking approach but, in doing so, has seemingly allowed Bellotti to bank most, if not all, of these early rounds.
At the same time, though, there is a sense that the challenger is conserving his energy, perhaps looking to stun his opponent with an onslaught down the stretch.
Meanwhile, Bellotti looks set to retain his titles in fairly convincing fashion through four rounds.
20:57
MEASURED START FROM BELLOTTI
The opening round saw Bellotti jolt his opponent’s head back with several sneaky uppercuts, always exiting the pocket at an angle.
His busy feet then continued to dance around a static Gomez who, looking somewhat one-dimensional, is yet to put together a sustained attack.
Heading into the third round, Bellotti has certainly established his fluid rhythm.
20:45
BRITISH TITLE FIGHT NEXT
Reece Bellotti puts his British and Commonwealth super-featherweight titles on the line for his rescheduled clash with Michael Gomez Jr.
The pair were supposed to collide last October, before Gomez pulled out at the 11th hour with an illness.
Sure enough, there has been plenty of spice throughout the build-up. Let’s hope this one delivers the fireworks that have been promised!
20:34
COMPASSION FROM CROLLA
Anthony Crolla called a halt to the one-sided contest at the end of another difficult three minutes for Davies, with McCormack claiming an emphatic sixth-round stoppage victory.
The promising welterweight prospect showcased his class, utilising his measured footwork while demonstrating a degree of destructive power throughout the bout.
In the end, it was an appropriate corner stoppage from Crolla, with Davies offering little protest.
20:28
MCCORMACK SCORES THIRD KNOCKDOWN
After a torrid fourth round, Davies was caught clean by another of McCormack’s spiteful right hands, that time a looping hook to produce a destructive fifth-round knockdown.
Trainer Anthony Crolla promised to give his charge another chance as he heads into the sixth round, but also added, “I care too much about you to see you taking this much punishment.”
20:20
DAVIES FLOORED IN THE THIRD
With McCormack maintaining his pressure, a dominant third round saw him tuck a short right hand behind his jab, dropping Davies to the canvas.
Just as the Liverpudlian had seemingly found his feet, he then fell victim to another heavy knockdown towards the end of a hellacious three minutes, beating the count to enter the fourth round.
20:12
MCCORMACK STARTS FAST
The opening round saw a bright start from McCormack, who appears to be drenched in confidence while piling on the pressure with his polished feet.
Davies, meanwhile, is yet to land a significant shot, and ultimately found himself getting caught by a blistering four-punch flurry in the second round.
20:03
MCCORMACK ENTERS ACID TEST
Next up is Olympic silver medallist and unbeaten welterweight prospect Pat McCormack, who enters his first acid test as a professional against Robbie Davies Jr.
Former British and European champion Davies comes off an impressive win over Javier Fortuna but, at the age of 35, is now a far cry from his prime.
19:55
DICKENS EMERGES VICTORIOUS
Dickens has just pulled off a sizable upset to outpoint Barrett, with two judges scoring it 97-93 in his favour, while the other gave it 96-94 for the deserving winner.
While every round was competitive, Barrett seemingly never had an answer for his opponent’s southpaw stance, with Dickens always utilising his sharp feet to dart in and out of range.
19:49
STRONG FINISH FROM DICKENS
Dickens has enjoyed ample success with his overhand left, as an encouraging ninth round saw him land the crushing shot several times before pivoting out of range.
The seasoned operator’s feet then continued tie Barrett up in knots, with a strong tenth-round display possibly swinging the closely contested fight in his favour.
19:41
FIGHT CATCHES FIRE
With barely a cat’s whisker to separate both fighters, a more fiery seventh round saw the pair unleash their best attacks thus far.
While Dickens landed several overhand lefts, Barrett responded with greater volume, hoping the judges will favour his cleaner combinations.
The eighth round told a similar story, with both fighters needing a strong final six minutes.
19:33
BACK-AND-FORTH ACTION
Dickens got through with a sneaky right hook half way through the fifth round, with Barrett seemingly struggling to nullify his lead hand.
A few stern words from uncle Pat in the corner, though, saw Barrett land a solid right hand of his own in the sixth, before receiving another of Dickens’ sharp hooks.
19:26
BARRETT UPS THE INTENSITY
A more high tempo third round saw Barrett fight with a greater sense of urgency, sinking several body shots beneath Dickens’ high guard.
And while the Liverpudlian enjoyed a brief spell of success in the fourth – momentarily knocking his opponent off balance – it was Barrett who came on strong later in that round.
19:19
CAGEY THROUGH TWO ROUNDS
A tentative opening round saw little action, with Dickens looking to disrupt his opponent’s rhythm by staying aggressive on the front foot.
Barrett, meanwhile, has maintained a solid defensive shape, refusing to allow Dickens an opening on the inside.
Safe to say, neither fighter has asserted his authority.
19:08
BARRETT AND DICKENS KICK THINGS OFF
The televised portion of tonight’s card is about to commence, with Zelfa Barrett returning for the first time since his emphatic tenth-round stoppage victory over Jordan Gill last April.
Hoping to upset the apple cart is Jazza Dickens, who looks to remind fans that he is still a formidable contender at super-featherweight.
Jack Catterall and Arnold Barboza Jr meet in Manchester this evening for the WBO Interim super-lightweight crown. The winner will be in pole position to face Teofimo Lopez for the full title.
Where can you watch Jack Catterall vs. Arnold Barboza Jr?
Jack Catterall vs Arnold Barboza Jr will be broadcast live on DAZN in the UK and the US.
Official weights for the Catterall vs. Barboza Jr card
12 x 3 mins – WBO interim super-lightweight title
Jack Catterall – 139.9lbs
Arnold Barboza Jr – 139.6lbs
12 x 3 mins – British and Commonwealth super-featherweight titles
Reece Bellotti – 130lbs
Michael Gomez Jr – 129.8lbs
10 x 3 mins – super-featherweight bout
Zelfa Barrett – 129.5lbs
James Dickens – 129.5lbs
10 x 3 mins – welterweight bout
Pat McCormack – 146.7lbs
Robbie Davies Jr – 145.9lbs
6 x 3 mins – super-welterweight bout
William Crolla – 156.6lbs
Ayoub Zakari – 155.6lbs
6 x 3 mins – light-heavyweight bout
Conner Tudsbury – 180.2lbs
Sadaam Caetano – 179.1lbs
6 x 3 mins – lightweight bout
Aqib Fiaz – 135lbs
Lydon Chircop – 134.8lbs
4 x 3 mins – featherweight bout
Alfie Middlemiss – 127.4lbs
Caine Singh – 126.4lbs
