Promoter Eddie Hearn feels the question for tonight’s fight is whether Jack Catterall (29-1, 13 KOs) can withstand the power of former light welterweight champion Regis Prograis (29-2, 24 KOs) the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.
(Credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing)
Is Prograis too powerful for Catterall?
If Catterall can’t handle the heavy hitting from Prograis, he won’t last long in his fight. That will not make Hearn happy because he has already planned for Catterall to challenge for the IBF light welterweight title against Liam Paro or Richardson Hitchins.
We haven’t seen Catterall face an A-level fighter before during his career, and he could fall tonight when he takes on Prograis. Catterall beat Josh Taylor in his last fight, but he was completely fired up, and he wasn’t who he had been in the past.
“The big question in this fight is whether Jack Catterall can withstand the power of Regis Prograis?” Eddie Hearn said Matchroom Boxing about tonight’s fight between Catterall and Prograis in Manchester. “How much does Regis Prograis have left?”
“The question points are, who is the king of the 140 lb? The loser of this fight may still be in big fights, but the winner will go on and challenge for the world title,” said Hearn. “Huge pressure on Saturday night. Big crowd at Co-op Live. First time boxing has been held in the arena.
“Both men have to win if they want to secure a world championship shot in 2025. You are going to see a war in Manchester.
“My fighting style, the highest level of boxing he does. Sometimes, I’ve been a victim of falling short when I’ve boxed a lesser caliber of opponent, and my levels have gone down,” said Jack Catterall. “I think you will see with Regis that the better opponent, the better. I will be. If I win on Saturday, I will go for Liam Paro.
“I keep saying over and over again, this is one of the biggest fights you can do at 140 outside of the belts that are on the line,” Prograis said. “I feel like this is the perfect time and the perfect fight for me and for him.
Prograis is correct about his fight against Catterall being one of the biggest in the light welterweight division because there aren’t many big names. Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney are inactive, and both will likely move to 147. Teofimo Lopez is expected to do the same soon. Liam Paro is not doing well in the United States, and not a star.
