JACK Catterall knows full well that, against Harlem Eubank – the name, alone, carrying a great deal of weight – anything less than a statement performance would, more than likely, see him fade into the boxing wilderness.
In other words, the magnitude – and therefore pressure – attached to his next outing has only added an extra layer of motivation, keeping the bit clamped firmly between his teeth.
The 31-year-old has, to his credit, become something of a headline attraction in recent years, and yet, with a loss this Saturday, or even a below-par display, that level of glamour could just as easily come crashing down.
With that in mind, it is unsurprising, really, that Catterall, 30-2 (13 KOs), feels a rush of adrenaline, perhaps more so than he did a matter of months ago, whenever the name ‘Eubank’ is mentioned.
In any case, the pair will square off at the Manchester Arena later this week, with their matchup representing an intriguing juncture for both men.
While Eubank, 21-0 (9 KOs), comes off a string of impressive performances, it could equally be said that each victory was secured at several tiers below world level.
Catterall, on the other hand, has competed at the elite level – or at least, has remained not too far removed from it – for around three years.
Ignited with an egregious split decision defeat to Josh Taylor, the Chorley man’s surge on the world scene has been defined more so by his crafty movement, rather than a series of devastating knockouts, at 140lbs.
But now, with Catterall coming off a second defeat to Arnold Barboza Jr, we could soon witness a drastically different version of the slick southpaw up at welterweight.
Indeed, ‘El Gato’ has been galvanised since the announcement of his next assignment, not least because Harlem’s cousin, Chris Eubank Jr, is coming off a much-talked-about victory over Conor Benn.
Add to that an expected fight night appearance from Chris Eubank Sr, too, Catterall – though claiming a home advantage – knows that his back could be pressed up against the wall.
“I could’ve accepted a 10-round international fight, boxing on an undercard somewhere,” he told Boxing News.
“But at 31 [years old], that does nothing for me, whereas this one [against Eubank] makes me feel the pressure.
“He’s an undefeated fighter, who’s hungry, and is stepping up in levels. He believes that I’m the best [British fighter] at 140lbs [now stepping up to 147lbs] and he’s coming to beat me.
“That makes me think, ‘s***, I need to perform now.’ I need to go out there and put on a statement.
“No disrespect to Harlem but, if his name was Harlem Smith, then I probably wouldn’t be interested.
“The fact that he’s a Eubank, and his cousin’s coming off a great win, means that people know who he is.
“And the fact that Eubank Sr’s going to be there – and I’m going to beat his nephew – should also bring more eyes to the event, which can only be a good thing for me.”
