JACK Catterall has thrown his hat into the ring, hoping to secure a world title shot against the winner of Paddy Donovan and Lewis Crocker’s welterweight rematch.
It was back in 2022 when the Chorley man launched a promising stab at world honours, only to then drop a highly controversial split decision to Josh Taylor.
As a result, he was denied what should have been a monumental victory which, with the undisputed crown glued to his head, could have seen him reign supreme at 140lbs.
Since then, Catterall, 31-2 (13 KOs), has exacted his revenge over Taylor while also outpointing former world champion Regis Prograis, yet a lukewarm performance then saw him lose to sturdy contender Arnold Barboza Jr earlier this year.
The defeat, however, inspired a jump up to 147lbs where, against Harlem Eubank, ‘El Gato’ comfortably outboxed his opponent before a head clash saw him suffer a truly horrendous cut.
But despite the unsatisfactory end to his outing last month, Catterall nonetheless claimed a technical decision victory and, in doing so, has taken the first step towards establishing himself as a top welterweight contender.
Donovan, 14-1 (11 KOs), and Crocker, 21-0 (11 KOs), meanwhile, are gearing up to collide for the vacant IBF world title at Windsor Park, Northern Ireland, on September 13.
Their first encounter, which took place last March, ended in controversial fashion after Donovan floored his rival with a shot that landed just moments after the bell.
Due to the Limerick man’s infringement, Crocker emerged victorious but, following an appeal from Team Donovan, he was then ordered to enter an immediate rematch.
“It’s definitely a fight that we’re going to be watching and keeping an eye on,” Catterall told Boxing News when asked about the pair’s all-Irish dustup.
“I’ll certainly be putting my name forward for [the winner of] that fight. I understand that it’s a business, and obviously [Hearn and Matchroom are] going to want the guys with the biggest profiles, who have had world titles before, but I’ll be ready if that opportunity comes.
“I would just love to fight for a world title. I’d be absolutely honoured to fight over here, or in Ireland, against the winner of Crocker-Donovan [2].”
