Jack Catterall and why the grafting won't stop

He might still be on Cloud Nine, but Jack Catterall is getting ready to go again

Saturday night, did it feel how you’d always hoped it would feel?

Yeah, yeah. It was a special week for me and it was unbelievable. I was lost for words after the fight and it’s took some time still. I’m still, what day are we on now? Tuesday. I’m still on a high. I got back late, Sunday night, midnight. The kids were straight back in the morning, nine o’clock and it’s been full on but it’s just been a whirlwind but it’s been amazing.

And I suppose it was, what made it better was the performance, right? You went into what was supposedly a 50-50 fight and really showed what you could do.

Yeah, it was. So I was mandatory for the WBO title or at least I was number one and I found myself in a tricky position where you’ve got Devin Haney as the WBO champion. I was mandatory for the WBO at 140 some years ago and I was chasing the belt and it went from Maurice Hooker, Ramirez, Taylor and I got sat out for quite a while.

So, when I become number one in the WBO, I was told that it could be up to a year before they call the mandatory which sucks really and I understand it. So, then my argument was, well, I’m not prepared to sit and wait. I’m 32 now.

I feel like I’m coming into good form. I’ve looked after my body. So, when the fight got proposed, it was a straight yes.

Another maturing fighter, and Shakhram found himself in that position as well. He was mandatory for Rolly [Romero], battling out for a year and we both agreed to fight within 24 hours and I’d had a bit of time to watch him. He’s boxed a couple southpaws.

So, I backed myself every day of the week and I knew that a victory here will definitely put me in a much greater position, whether that be for the super champion against Rolly or whether any of the other 147 fighters want to get it on.

How important was it to start fast? You dropped him in the first round.

Yeah, you know what? This would be the third fight at 147. Unbelievable training camp. I felt strong. I stayed in the gym. So, I boxed in November. Went straight back in the gym the week after. Thought I was going to fight February, March. Ended up landing in May. But I’d used that time wisely, working on strength, staying in the gym, practicing. Went into that fight feeling good and I knew I had to get a foothold in the fight, I think.

From my experience, he was a high-level amateur. As soon as you let them get into kind of their flow, it was important for me to let him feel how strong I felt, fire some shots early, gain that respect and break his rhythm.

And it’s nice though, like you’re putting on these performances and people aren’t using the B [boring] word anymore.

Yeah, listen, I’m under no illusion. The next fight I could put on another clinic and people would say it’s boring. I’m past listening to advice of people that are not in my shoes.

But I guess it’s nice in some respects. I know I can fight, I do the work in the gym. Sometimes I’m my own worst critic and I’ve gone out there and beat people, probably in gear one and not done enough.

And I found myself cut short last year against Barbosa where it was a nip and tuck fight and he won it by a split decision and I could have done more. Went back to the drawing board, made the adjustments and I’d say slightly more conscious of winning the rounds more clearly and putting more work in.

Are you staying with trainer Stephen Smith now? Is this the team?

This is the team. So I left the gym with Jamie [Moore] back end of last year. I needed a gym to tick over whilst I was at home in England. Found myself through a friend of mine in Four Corners Gym in Liverpool with John Gillies and Stephen Smith.

Very grateful for them letting me use the gym. Then I went out to Philadelphia. I had a camp in Philadelphia which was great.

It was kind of just for me a break from what I was used to. Been in the same environment for many years. A fresh set of eyes.

Had the camp in Philly, that was great. Come back home, had the fight. Straight after the fight, I was straight back in the gym in Liverpool and initially thought I was getting back to Philadelphia.

January come, February come. Still no fight, still no fight, in this awkward position. Mandatory. Nobody’s willing to give me a shot. Didn’t know how long I was going to wait. We looked like we were going to fight Ramirez. That fell through. Got offered this opportunity on an eight-week notice. It was a yes straight away. I was in good form. I’d been sparring, I’d been training. I’d really gelled with the coaches in Liverpool.

For me, it was done. I was staying in Liverpool. Packed my bags, moved to Liverpool, stayed there Monday to Friday, put the work in.

More than happy with what the team produced and the work that we did in camp.

It’s only Tuesday, but you’ve gone straight to it, chasing down Rolly on socials.

You know what, it makes sense from my understanding. I was with the WBA president over the weekend and he’s going to push to make that fight. Now, we’ve seen stuff on social media, Rolly’s retired, he’s not boxed in a year, etc.

That would be, I would say, the easiest fight to make, but aside from that, I think I’ve shown that I’m willing to switch it up. I was going down the WBO route, I’ve gone down the WBA route now, but I just want to carry on fighting.

Do you know when you might be out? I did speak to, just because of the fight, I spoke to Peter Fury earlier and he was talking about Rico being September or October.

Do you feel like you will be in that similar time frame?

I believe so. I enjoy training, I enjoy being in the gym, but I understand my body. I’m going to have a week off this week, spend some quality time with the family, but I’ll be back in the gym next week, taking things easy and I would say September, October, that would be ideal.

Rolly’s obviously had a lot of fights over in Las Vegas. Is that something you would love to do, to get over to the T-Mobile or the MGM Grand and get on a big bill over there?

Of course. As amazing as Cairo was, fighting in the pyramids, once that bell goes, it doesn’t matter where the ring is.

We had an unbelievable fight week in Egypt, but listen, I’d love to fight Rolly in Manchester, but I think an American trip would be nice. It doesn’t bother me.

Well, that was my next question. Is there a dream? People always have these dreams and whether it’s a stadium or not, do you have anything on your bucket list or does it just keep going?

You know, it’s just keep going. I think the last couple of years, I was very, very grateful and very fortunate that I’d managed to headline and that was always a dream.

I’d been on a lot of great undercards over the years. I’ve boxed on Fury’s cards, big bills in Manchester, up and down the country and always been on the undercards. So to headline Manchester three times, twice at the Co-op, once at the AO, headlined Liverpool and Leeds.

There were some unbelievable nights. I just want to carry on fighting, carry on winning. I’d love to unify and pick up more belts.

You’ve come through so many obstacles, were there times when you thought it wasn’t going to happen for you?

Yes and no. I’ve stayed in the gym since I turned professional. I love fighting. I love the combat. I love everything about it. For me to be able to make a career and a living and provide for my family doing something I love is unbelievable. I got over that Taylor fight, I would say relatively quick because I was very fortunate to have a great run of fights after the fight and get back in the mix. Getting the rematch was unbelievable.

Frustrating because it wasn’t for the belts, but still that was another thing kind of off my conscience that I got the rematch and I beat him. He probably gave me a better fight the second time around and I raised my level and beat him again. I just want to be involved in big fights and if that’s where the world titles are, then brilliant.

So what was it then? Did you have to get yourself to snap out of it? If you were just like, yeah, this isn’t going to happen and then the devil on your shoulder saying, just jack it in, it’s not happening and you were saying, shut up, I’m going to the gym and I’m going to make it work.

I’m going to make it work. I’ll find a way no matter what, but yeah, like I said, I love being in the gym. If for one second I thought I wasn’t performing and I wasn’t like, I spar everybody and anybody and if I come home and I thought, you know what, I’m losing it, then I’m not daft. I’d pack it in, but year on year I keep feeling better. I’ve done a lot of great sparring with a lot of great lads up and down the country over the last couple of months and I’m finding my form again. So I’m not taking my foot off the gas.

Do you feel like a different fighter, a 147? Do you feel like you are more offensive?

You know what, it was probably just a shift in mindset. I’d left the gym where I was at, been there for quite some time and I wouldn’t say I got comfortable, but things became probably a little bit comfortable and I needed to snap out of it, made the transition, left the gym and put myself in some new situations, my back against the wall, finding myself needing to, wanting to prove myself again and that’s what I’m doing.

Obviously, I know this Rolly fight is on the radar, but when you look at the guys in and around your weight class, obviously some of them tied to Matchroom, there’s big opportunities. I saw today there’s speculation that why not you and Lewis Crocker if he gets through the Paro fight?

Yeah, of course. So you’ve got Devin Haney, I believe he’s fighting Shakur, Conor Benn, Ryan Garcia, Rolly, hopefully me, Crocker, Paro. There’s a lot of great fights to be made.

So while it’s hot now, I’ve got my piece of silverware, I’m going to keep plugging away, stay in the gym and I believe that I’ll get some more this year.

When you say stay in the gym, like what, were you in today, tomorrow?

No, so I’ll have this week off. This fight landed nice for me, boxed on the Saturday, very grateful we had our parents, both sides of the family looking after the kids.

We’ve come back, it’s half term now, so it’s been nice just to not get up and rush about in the morning, but next week I’ll be back in the gym, I’ll be back training. The gym’s great at the moment, there’s a lot of fighters in the gym, a lot of stuff going on, and I like being in there. I like helping the fighters, sparring the kids, just doing what I can, but I’ll be out next week, I’ll be grafting.

Jack, thank you for the time. I’ve been pleased to see you get credit for your boxing.

No, I appreciate that, Tris, it was a good feeling Saturday. I know there was a lot of respect for Shakhram, Olympic silver medalist, world champion, amateur champion, a lot of experience with a lot of different styles, and I felt like I went in there, did my job, nullified him, put the work in, and I was over the moon with it.

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