Jack Catterall will not step aside to allow Teofimo Lopez to pursue a unification fight with Ryan Garcia, according to Eddie Hearn.
The Matchroom promoter insists that no amount of money will persuade Catterall, the WBA “regular” welterweight beltholder, to surrender his opportunity to challenge Lopez for the organization’s “super” title.
Catterall, 33-2 (14 KOs), earned that opportunity in May when he outpointed Shakhram Giyasov over 12 rounds to claim the vacant WBA “regular” belt.
The fight occurred after the WBA upgraded Rolando “Rolly” Romero to “super” champion and permitted an optional defense against Lopez rather than face mandatory challenger Giyasov.
Under an agreement approved by WBA president Gilberto Mendoza Jnr, Giyasov instead fought Catterall, then ranked No. 6, for the vacant secondary title. The winner was guaranteed a shot at Romero’s championship within 160 days.
Lopez subsequently defeated Romero by majority decision in August, inheriting the obligation to face Catterall.
The WBA has since ordered Lopez to defend against the 33-year-old Englishman, but Lopez and his team are pursuing a potentially more lucrative unification clash with WBC champion Garcia.
Hearn, however, insists Catterall’s position is non-negotiable.
“Let me make one thing clear about Jack Catterall and Teofimo Lopez,” said Hearn. “As a champion, you have an obligation to fight your mandatory challengers. Jack Catterall having beat (Shakhram) Giyasov was written in a resolution in black and white, clear as day and we’ve had it confirmed dozens of times by the WBA. There is absolutely no movement. He was supposed to fight Rolly Romero. They allowed the fight between Rolly Romero against Teofimo Lopez on the condition the winner must fight Jack Catterall immediately and that is what is happening.”
Hearn also dismissed suggestions that Catterall, who was exceptionally unlucky not to get the nod over then-undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor in 2022, could instead face WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney.
“We know Devin Haney is looking for an opponent. I had a very brief conversation with Devin Haney and DAZN where they said maybe Jack Catterall could be the opponent, and Jack Catterall said, ‘You could not pay me any amount of money in the world to not get my shot at the WBA Super championship against Teofimo Lopez. I have worked my whole life for this. I have should have been undisputed champion years ago. I am not stepping aside for nobody. My time has come.’
“Teofimo against Ryan Garcia ain’t even that big a fight and Ryan Garcia has come out now saying he’s fighting Floyd Mayweather,” Hearn continued. “So, stop running around. Just fight your mandatory. If it’s not a tough fight, no problem, make your money and move on. Jack Catterall will be fighting for the world championship in his next fight and it will be with the WBA.”