JACK CATTERALL HAS signed a long-term extension to his promotional relationship with Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions, one that has taken him from Central Area title level to the brink of world title success.

‘El Gato’, 27, linked up with Hall of Fame promoter Warren in 2014 and was speedily propelled into title contention against high calibre opponents. First the then unbeaten Nathan Brough was accounted for, via second round stoppage, to claim the Central Area belt, before decorated amateur and previously unbeaten pro Tom Stalker was stopped in the eighth three months later with the WBO European super lightweight title at stake.

The following year Catterall won the WBO Intercontinental title and has subsequently made eight defences of the belt to put himself into mandatory position for the shot at the full world title.

Inbetween times, the Chorley man won the British title by defeating Tyrone Nurse in October 2017 and scored notable victories over domestic rivals Tyrone McKenna and Ohara Davies.

Now 25-0, Catterall is awaiting a delayed shot at full world honours that has been held up, firstly due to former champion Maurice Hooker taking on and losing a unification fight against Jose Ramirez. The Californian was subsequently ordered to fulfil his WBC mandatory against Victor Postol before taking on Catterall, with the fight being held up due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Ramirez and Postol are reported to be scheduled to fight in August.

“I am delighted we have got a new deal done and I believe now is the right time to sign this new contract, having beaten everybody I needed to beat to get to this position,” said the stylish southpaw.

“I believe Frank is the one, along with BT, to deliver more big fights for me.

“Of course it will be great for us to see the job through together, from the Central Area through to the British and up to No.1 with the WBO. It will be nice to cross the line to being world champion with the promoter that has guided me all the way through.”

Promoter Frank Warren has longed banged the drum for the quietly-spoken Catterall, confidently predicting his world title credentials all along.

“Jack joined up with us as a relatively unheralded prospect, but I quickly identified that he was one who could go all the way.

“He jumped straight into tough fights against unbeaten opponents and proved that he had something special about him, so we set about building his world ranking and he currently occupies the No.1 spot with the WBO and is mandatory challenger for the world title.

“I am delighted that he is sticking with us for the long-term so we can see the job through and enjoy many more successful nights in the future.”

Sam Bowen has had his opponent confirmed ahead of his next fight.

The Leicester Jr. Lightweight will return to the ring this weekend, exclusively live on BT Sport.

Bowen had been set to defend his British title in his first fight under his new promoter Frank Warren.

‘The Bullet’ will face Argentina’s Horacio Alfredo Cabral on Saturday.

The vacant WBO Inter-Continental crown at 130 pounds will be at stake at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, as part of the supporting cast to Jack Catterall’s WBO Jr. Welterweight title eliminator against Ohara Davies.

Cabral has a record of 21-2 with eight early and was last in action in April when he lost a defence of his WBC International Silver title.

Double Olympic champion Nicola Adams will face Isabel Millan for the vacant WBO interim Jr. Bantamweight female title on the bill, billed ‘The Time Is Now’, while English heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois faces a step-up against America’s Kevin Johnson on the same card as Nathan Gorman and Joe Maphosa return and Lyon Woodstock’s clash against Archie Sharp in a defence of his WBO European super-featherweight crown.

James Branch, Mark Heffron and Ryan Hatton are also set for action on the bill.

By Elliot Foster
https://www.boxingscene.com/sam-bowen-face-argentine-wbo-regional-belt-stake–132333

JACK CATTERALL has revealed that he is the man doing all the talking ahead of his big fight against Ohara Davies.

The Chorley man believes regular chats with gym-mate Carl Frampton are playing a key role ahead of his WBO Intercontinental Jr. Welterweight title defence against the Londoner at Leicester’s Morningside Arena on October 6.

WBO ranked No 2 Catterall (22-0) and two-weight world champion Frampton are both trained by Jamie Moore and the Chorley ace said: “Carl’s win over Luke Jackson and Rocky Fielding’s world title upset has brought a good vibe in the gym.

“Carl has been at the highest level and I can pick his brains. I am not afraid of asking people like him questions.

“I have been at the side of him for a couple of camps and I have never been scared of going up to him and asking about opinions.

“My chats with Carl has definitely brought me on.

“I have been in the WBO rankings for a couple of years, I have earned my stripes and once I come thorough Davies I don’t believe that world title shot is far away.”

Catterall, 25, will be having his fourth fight under Moore which has so far yielded a pair of first round stoppages and a hard fought points win against Tyrone McKenna.

He added: “I feed off everybody’s energy and the gym environment is only going to help me learn and progress in my fight.

“McKenna was a good learning fight. It was only my third with the new team and the previous fights both only went a round.

“It was nice to get the rounds in with Jamie and Nigel Travis in the corner.”

Davies (18-1) has a reputation as one of boxing’s greatest trash talkers, but so far has stuck to his promise not to goad Catterall ahead of their much anticipated showdown.

Catterall says: “I couldn’t care less if he is ranting about me or keeping his mouth shut.

“It won’t make any difference to what happens in the fight and that is all I am focused on.

“It is going to be a tough fight. He has had some good wins over the last couple of years and he has power, but I believe in my ability to overcome what he has got.”

‘The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

OHARA DAVIES insists he will continue his good boy behaviour and not trash big fight rival Jack Catterall.

The Hackney man’s Twitter outbursts have made him Britain’s most controversial boxer and a target for many of his Junior Welterweights rivals.

He challenges Catterall (22-0) for the Chorley man’s WBO intercontinental belt at Morningside Arena, Leicester on Saturday October 6.

Few believed Davies (18-1) when he faced off with Catterall at a press conference and told his rival he was safe until fight night.

Davies, 26, said: “I haven’t been tempted to start tweeting or saying stuff about Catterall.

“I feel that for this camp my mind is in a different place. I am focusing on the fight – not the cameras, the lights, fame or money like I have been.

“In the past my focus has been the pay cheque and the fame. Now the only thing that matters is not just getting the win, but making sure I win in good fashion.”

Davies is under new trainer Miguel Dapenticul, who hopes to have a licence to go in the corner by fight night to work alongside old hand Barry Smith.

Davies added: “It wont make a huge amount of difference . As long as I’m in the gym learning what I have to learn I know how to pull it off once I get in the boxing ring.

“As long as I get it right in the gym, I can pull off all the moves.”

If Davies triumphs he will take Catterall’s number two ranking with the WBO for their world title held by Maurice Hooker.

But before fighting for a world title he wouldn’t mind silencing Belfast’s Tyrone McKenna, who recently had a thriller with Catterall.

McKenna has been goading Davies, and the Londoner says: “To be honest, I am the man at this weight class.

“Anybody who fights me it’s the biggest fight of their career and their biggest pay cheque.

“I can understand why boxers keep saying bad things about me. It’s because everybody wants to fight me.

“Even though I have taken a loss, I am the most talked about fighter at 140lb. I am not too concerned who says what about me as long as I win my fights.

“I’m not being nasty about him, but one person calling me out is Tyrone McKenna. He has a little bit of a name and if it’s a fight he wants after I dispose of Catterall I’ll dispose of him and then move on to world level.”

‘The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

HALL of Fame promoter Frank Warren will stage a massive night of boxing at Leicester Arena on Saturday October 6.

One of the biggest fights in domestic boxing takes place when Chorley’s WBO Intercontinental Jr. Welterweight champion and ranked #2 Jack Catterall (22-0) meets WBC international champion Ohara Davies (18-1) with both belts at stake.

Londoner Davies isn’t scared of shooting from the lip and the build-up and fight against Catterall where the winner will be primed for a world title tilt will not be for the feint-hearted.

Warren said: “We’re pleased to be back in Leicester and bringing top quality boxing to the East Midlands.

“Jack and Ohara is just a mouth-watering fight and we decided to put it on neutral territory in fairness to them both.

“I am so pleased that we have put together such a strong card stacked with competitive fights for fans and those watching on BT Sport.

Full ticket and press conference details will be announced very shortly.

https://www.boxingscene.com/jack-catterall-vs-ohara-davies-lands-leicester-arena–130533

If unbeaten ex British light-welter king Jack Catterall has any shortcomings as he storms towards a world title shot, lack of self-belief is clearly not among them.

The power-packed Chorley southpaw is currently ranked fifth and rising in the queue to face WBO boss Maurice Hooker from Dallas. However, this weekend, ‘El Gato’, still only 24, gambles all against a much avoided 6ft 1in southpaw, performing in their home city.

When said southpaw is 16-0-1TD ex amateur standout Tyrone McKenna and the home crowd hails from Belfast, the task clearly magnifies.

‘Beating Tyrone in his own backyard will just make the victory so much sweeter,’ quips the clearly non-plussed Lancastrian who has eliminated all 21 prior pro opponents, stopping a dozen (often in spectacular fashion!)

‘I’ve never been to Belfast so that’s a new experience but I’m very aware of how hostile the Fighting Irish crowd is. I don’t particularly want any cups of p*** chucked over me but I’m actually excited by experiencing their passion. They’re a proper fight crowd who’ll make a lot of noise and, whether that’s for me or their man Tyrone, it’s a good thing.’

It isn’t just the crowd that Catterall will need to conquer. ‘Bones’ McKenna is a six-time All-Ireland amateur champion and Junior Olympic medallist who has also swept all before him since shedding his singlet.

‘I’ve studied Tyrone a great deal yet I’ve never seen him in a fight against anyone good enough to cause him problems,’ claims the Jamie Moore coached, MTK Global managed bulldozer who flattened both of his previous 2018 opponents inside the opening frame.

‘We’ve been working on stuff we need to combat and expose the flaws McKenna’s known to have. He seems to keep his hands low yet his past history suggests that he’ll come to slug. Against me, that’s the wrong thing to do. Even if he TRIES to box me, he’ll soon return to type. I’ll not have to go looking for him.’

Just 5ft 7in on his tiptoes, Catterall might require a step ladder to locate McKenna’s whiskers but he has always exhibited a relentless and remorseless body attack.

‘I’ve been sparring plenty of tall southpaws for this,’ says joltin’ Jack, a former national CYP champ and England amateur international.

‘I’ve never been the tallest for my weight so I’m used to conceding. Anyway, Tyrone doesn’t make the best of the (physical) advantages he enjoys. He’s no Bradley Skeete. The way Tyrone fights, he’s not the hardest to find. Besides, Nathan Brough was the same size as Ty and what happened to him? Left snoozing! (Catterall iced the World Junior medallist with a single left hand back in 2014).

‘And I’ve beaten several southpaws before. Tom Stalker was a southpaw (stopped in eight). All our preparation has been geared towards southpaws. That said, if Tyrone was foolish enough to come out orthodox I’d quickly adapt. That’s one of my best qualities.

‘Tyrone’s a good fighter but he’ll find I’m better. Yes, he’s older and brings a better amateur pedigree but I’m the more experienced professional, I’ve come through trickier fights. I’ve better speed, power, timing. I’ve got it all.

‘I’ll not be remotely concerned about what McKenna tries to do. I’ll go into the fight and establish myself. He can react to me. If he wants a phone box war, he’ll get one. I’ll be too strong, too powerful and once I land one on his whiskers, he’ll not want to engage.

‘I’m fit and ready for 10 very hard rounds. I’m not daft. I know I’m not Gennady Golovkin and you have to have a strategy. But there’s a good chance I’ll stop him.

‘I’ll need to put on a masterclass to beat a Belfast boy in Belfast and that’s exactly what I intend to deliver.’

TYRONE McKENNA: “IF CATTERALL WANTS A WAR, WE WAR!”

Belfast beanpole Tyrone McKenna believes that a clinical victory over world-rated ex British champion Jack Catterall at The Odyssey Arena in his home city this weekend, could catapult the former Junior Olympic medallist into a world title gig with Dallas’s angular WBO king Maurice Hooker.

‘Hooker v McKenna. Freak against Freak! I’m just concentrating on Saturday but, yeh, let’s bring ‘Mighty Mo’ to Belfast. He’s definitely beatable,’ states the 6ft 1in southpaw – known as ‘Bones’ – who is unbeaten in 17 (one TD) since kickstarting his pro innings on the US East Coast back in August 2012.

‘Once I beat Catterall and establish my name, I want the big fights as soon as possible. I’ve been pleading for these types of fights for a while. I’m ready to take on the world!’

Eight months back, the former six-time All Ireland amateur king was still to venture beyond round six in a slow burning career. However, subsequent gritty and educational 10 round wins over French nugget Renald Garrido and 17-1 city rival Anthony Upton have plugged the gap.

‘You could throw a stone from my garden and hit Upton’s house so there was a lot of west Belfast pride involved; a bit of needle. There’s no way I could’ve shown my face around here, if I’d lost to him,’ says the swift and slingy sharpshooter.

‘Anthony is a tricky, sharp switch hitter, a very good boxer but, on the night, he just wanted to move. It was a bit frustrating because I trained very hard and sparring went unbelievably well. Still, I demonstrated a bit of power to drop him in the ninth and won comfortably enough on the cards. It told me a lot about where I’m at, in fighting terms. He’d beaten me in the amateurs but I got my revenge where it mattered.’

Nevertheless, the crossroads clash against 21-0 ‘El Gato’ Catterall, ranked #3 by the WBO, represents another sizeable step-up.

‘Basically, I’ve had to step in because that mouthpiece Ohara Davies didn’t have the balls. One hundred per cent Davies can have it next, after I win on Saturday. I’ll gladly end his career,’ says the 28 year old Ulsterman who is managed by MTK Global and coached by Danny Vaughan in Glasgow.

‘Jack and I have sparred in the past and we get along, talk quite often on social media. As a fan, I enjoy watching him fight. He’s always entertaining and he’s a solid all-rounder. It’s sure to be a tough night for me.

‘But it’s a test I’m more than ready for. Since switching to Danny two years ago, I’ve grown as a fighter. He’s got me training very hard and eating right. My defence is much improved and I’m finally sitting down on my punches.’

The odds setters enlist McKenna as a generous 4-1 outsider, remarkable given that the southpaw enters with a six inch reach height advantage and enjoys home court……and there’s no home advantage quite like a Belfast home advantage!

‘The size differential makes no difference. I have to punch down but I had well over 100 amateur contests and encountered every style and size. Some highlight that I’ve ‘advantages’ but I’ve never been in the boxing game to jab and move. I love to entertain the fans,’ claims ‘The Mighty Celt’.

‘Boxing a fellow southpaw won’t be an issue either. I’ve done most of my sparring with Tom Stalker, Jono Carroll and Sam Maxwell, who switches. Sometimes I prefer a southpaw for a change.

The collision with Catterall represents Tyrone’s sixth successive start in the Ulster capital.

‘There’s zero pressure on me. Jack holds the belt, he’s the odds -on favourite, he’s the one saying I’m ‘easy work’,’ he says.

‘I’ve fought before at the Waterfront and SSE in Belfast and the fans give you a big, big drive. Our fight is likely to be just before Mick (Conlan)’s big homecoming so the hall should be rammed and I guarantee it’ll daunt Jack Catterall. I believe it’ll affect his performance and inspire me.

‘I’m fit and ready to rumble. If Catterall wants to war, we war!’ He’s talking of making it a hat-trick of one round wins in a row so maybe he’ll steam out for an early ‘kill’. However, if he tries to box instead, I’ll outsmart him. I’ve far greater amateur experience and I’d pitch my boxing brain against anyone else’s in the division. Either way, baby!

‘Jack says he’s not underestimating me but he keeps talking about future fights with Ohara Davies and Maurice Hooker. Hold on …..! First, he’s got to get past a 6ft 1in southpaw who’s a nightmare for any one.

‘I’ve faster hands, faster feet and think speed will be a key factor. With 8oz gloves on, a stoppage is possible. I won’t be looking for it, but I certainly punch hard enough. If I execute my game plan, I expect it to be a comfortable night for me.’

Tyrone McKenna is ready to ride a wave of fanatical home support to victory over world-ranked Jack Catterall in Belfast on Saturday.

McKenna (16-0-1-KO6) and WBO Inter-Continental Jr. Welterweight Champion Catterall (21-0-KO12) put their unbeaten records on the line at The SSE Arena on the undercard of Michael Conlan v Adeilson Dos Santos and although an underdog, McKenna is brimming with confidence.

‘The Mighty Celt’ said: “He said I wasn’t his toughest test and he can believe what he wants to believe. He’ll be unpleasantly surprised.

“I know it’s a tough fight for me but I don’t think he knows how tough it’s going to be for him. We’ll see on the night.

“Taking me at four weeks’ notice isn’t a smart move by him. He’s not faced a tall southpaw like me. I’m not a standard fight.

“I’m well supported in Belfast and it’ll be electric on the night. All Michael Conlan’s fans are my fans too because I’m good friends with him. Everyone will be behind me and it’s going to be very, very loud.

“This is it for me. This fight will make me a star. I’ll show everyone in the UK and Ireland just how good Tyrone McKenna is. It’s a stage I’ve wanted for years and I’m going to shine.”

Catterall v McKenna features on a huge undercard that also includes Jono Carroll v Declan Geraghty, Johnny Coyle v Lewis Benson, Tyrone McCullagh v Joe Ham and more.

http://fightnetwork.com/news/6664994:tyrone-mckenna-rides-wave-of-belfast-support-ahead-of-jack-catterall-clash/

Unbeaten Super-Lightweights Jack Catterall and Tyrone McKenna will collide in Belfast on June 30 after McKenna’s original opponent Phil Sutcliffe Jr suffered an injury.

News of Sutcliffe Jr’s withdrawal was quickly followed by confirmation that Lancastrian Catterall (21-0, 12 KO’s) will put his WBO Intercontinental belt on the line in a colossal bout with McKenna (16-0-1, 6 KO’s) at The SSE Arena.

Far from complaining about facing such a high-quality replacement at four weeks’ notice, home fighter McKenna has welcomed the opportunity to pit his wits against a former sparring partner.

McKenna said: “When I heard Sutcliffe Jr was out again my heart sank but then I was told Catterall was in and it’s amazing. I’ve wanted that fight for 18 months.

“It’s extra motivation for me in camp now. Catterall is a massive name. I sparred him and I speak to him so I know what he brings to the table.”

Catterall is equally excited to be on another big stage after his recent outing at Elland Road ended in an underwhelming early victory, when opponent Christopher Sebire appeared to sustain a shoulder injury.

Catterall said: “I’ve only had two rounds in the ring this year but I knew sooner or later I would be involved in a big fight. I was expecting a different opponent but this makes perfect sense.

“I fought just two weeks ago and it wasn’t much of a fight so this is brilliant. I’m in shape anyway and Tyrone was training. Both camps and both fighters want it and that’s great to see.”

Tickets for The Homecoming are available to purchase now via www.ssearena.com

By Frank Warren Promotions