WBO President Gustavo Olivieri confirmed that No. 1 Arnold Barbosa Jr. and No. 2 Jack Cattrall will fight on February 15 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England. Competing for the WBO interim light welterweight title.

Olivieri said the move was due to “There is uncertainty surrounding Teofimo Lopez’s career. “ Teo has been talking about wanting to move up to 147 to challenge IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis for his belt, calling out Terence Crawford , and refused to fight left and right.

WBO interim title fight

Teofimo wants to buy out his contract with the Top Rank promoter, further creating uncertainty about his career. Some believe his actions undermined it and will destroy everything that remains.

If the winner of Catterall vs. Barboza Jr. chooses to compete, he will face Teofimo. This is a big assumption.

Barbosa Jr. (31-0, 11 KOs) has a good chance of defeating Cattrall (30 Win 1, lose 13 times) November 16th.

Arnold looked impressive in that fight, using a powerful jab, nice one-two combinations, and was able to match up with the former champion at times.

1/ Given the uncertainty surrounding Teofimo Lopez’s career, it is in the best interest of boxing and the 140-pound division to advise #worldboxingorganization Champion Cmte. Barbossa/Cattrall will be given a temporary title and enforced under certain conditions and time frame

— Mr. Gustavo Olivieri (@OlivieriLaw) January 10, 2025

Cattrall, who is promoted by Matchroom, has turned his career around, winning four straight fights since losing to Jake Cattrall in 2022. In May 2024, he avenged his loss to Taylor, winning by unanimous decision in 12 rounds. Last October, he defeated former two-time 140-pound champion Regis Prograis in 12 rounds.

Some fans view Cattrall as a poor man’s Shakur Stevenson because he has the same hit-and-don’t-get-hit style. Cattrall retreated after punching and defended heavily to neutralize his opponent’s attacks. He doesn’t look interesting, but his style suits him. It may not be against Barbosa Jr., but he has home court advantage.

So, if the score is close, he has a chance to win. In terms of talent, Barbossa Jr. is at a higher level and should easily win. Playing on Catterall’s home field is difficult to predict.