Jack Catterall weighed in at 140 lbs, and former WBA/WBC welterweight champion Regis Prograis came in at 139.7 pounds during Friday’s weigh-in for their 12-round contest this Saturday night, October 26, live on DAZN at the Co-op Live. Arena in Manchester, England.
(Credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing)
Weights:
– Jack Catterall: 140
– King Programs: 139.7
Matchroom promoted Catterall (29-1, 13 KOs) and Prograis (29-2, 24 KOs) will fight for the right to the winner of the next IBF welterweight title challenge against the winner of the 7 December. champion Liam Paro and Richardson Hitchins.
All four of those fighters are with Matchroom, and promoter Eddie Hearn has already said that the winners of those two fights will fight for the IBF belt.
Catterall is the favorite going into Saturday’s fight against the 35-year-old Prograis, who is coming off a career-worst performance, losing by a 12-round unanimous decision to Devin Haney on December 9 in San Francisco , California.
It was a complete defeat for Prograis, who struggled with the advantage of Haney’s skills. There were things Prograis could have done to win, but he didn’t have the right game plan.
Ryan Garcia solved the conundrum in his recent win over Haney, showing that he is vulnerable to left hooks when he comes up to land. Haney did a lot of clinching against Prograis, and he should be prepared for it. Catterall is the same type of fighter as Haney, but uses more movement in addition to his holding.
Prograis feels that Catterall is not a world-class fighter because he has not fought anyone during his 12-year professional career, but former undisputed light welterweight champion Josh Taylor, who he did not see as the same fighter that ‘he was once since his exhausting. 12-time majority decision win over Jose Ramirez on May 21, 2021.
“The winner goes to a fight for the world title. So, the pressure is on,” said Catterall to DAZN after weighing. “Regis has had his time in the sun as a two-time world champion. It’s my time now.”
“Two great professionals, two guys who took care of business in the training camp, and two guys who are going to do it tomorrow night,” promoter Eddie Hearn said of Catterall and Prograis. “It’s a great new place, and it’s a brilliant, brilliant fight.
“It’s the kind of fight we need to see in boxing. Two genuine top-five men in the world fighting for a shot at the world title. Liam Paro vs. Richardson Hitchins come December 7. We represent the two guys. Let’s represent these two guys. The winner fights the winner. That’s the only way I see it.
“Jack Catterall deserves his world title shot, but he’s going to have a tough test tomorrow night. Maybe the toughest of his career. It’s going to be a tremendous fight,” Hearn said.
