Victory Over Prograis and the Journey Toward a World Title
Jack Catterall recently secured a win over Regis Prograis at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, marking his fourth victory in the last 17 months. Although he has yet to capture a world title, Catterall has established himself as one of the most formidable fighters in the lightweight division, with wins over former champions like Prograis, Jorge Linares, and Josh Taylor – whom he successfully avenged earlier this year. This latest win has Catterall confident that he is nearing a title shot. “I feel like it’s a resurgence”, Catterall said, expressing gratitude to his team, especially Eddie Hearn and Sam Jones, for propelling his career forward. His win over Darragh Foley last year also opened many doors, granting him multiple opportunities to appear in major UK fights.
In the bout with Prograis, Catterall started cautiously and was knocked down in the fifth round. However, he responded strongly, even knocking Prograis down twice in the later rounds. Although the scorecards were somewhat controversial, with one judge awarding Prograis only two rounds, Catterall believes he deserved the win. After the fight, Prograis also showed respect to his opponent, acknowledging Catterall as the best fighter he has faced.
Ambition for the IBF Title and Potential Clash with Liam Paro
Following this victory, Catterall’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has promised him a title shot in 2025. Hearn also represents IBF lightweight champion Liam Paro, and Catterall believes a fight with the Australian will be easy to arrange if Paro overcomes Richardson Hitchins on December 7. “We’re both under the same promotional team, and the recent fight with Prograis was a risky move to get me into a better position for an IBF title opportunity as early as next year”, Catterall shared. He expressed his readiness to take on any champion, eager to capture the title he missed out on in the past.
