Jack Catterall may be one of the most in form fighters in world boxing but he will face a totally different challenge when he meets Arnold Barboza Jnr in their interim WBO junior welterweight title fight on February 15th.

Over the past 16 months, Catterall has strung together decision victories over Jorge Linares, Josh Taylor and Regis Prograis, all former world champions but fighters who had already reached the top of the mountain.

In Barboza Jnr he faces somebody who is as hungry for world honors as he is.

Both fighters have been boxing professionally for over a decade but Catterall believes that he will be the one who moves to within touching distance of the sport’s summit when they fight at Manchester’s Co-Op live Arena next Saturday. the show will be televised worldwide by DAZN.

Catterall, 30-1 (13 KOs), turned professional all the way back in 2012. He is now ranked No.2 by Ring Magazine but battled away for years and strung together 26 victories before getting his first world title shot. When it finally arrived in February 2022, he gave then undisputed 140lb champion, Taylor, all he could handle and was deemed extremely unfortunate to lose a controversial decision. The 31 year-old from Chorley in Lancashire has been working his way back to this position ever since.

Barboza Jnr , 31-0 (11 KOs) and Ring Magazine’s No. 9 ranked junior welterweight - turned professional in 2013 and is unbeaten in 31 fights. In April, the 33 year-old scraped past Ireland’s Sean McComb courtesy of a disputed split decision but stamped his ticket to this interim title fight with a career best win over former unified champion, Jose Carlos Ramirez, in Saudi Arabia last November.

Catterall recognizes the long, circuitous climb Barboza Jnr has had to make but doesn’t think his caliber of opposition is remotely close to his own.

"Of course I respect his ability. Again, he's said it before, he's been working hard to get to this position,” Catterall said during a live ‘Face Off’ with Barboza Jnr.

“I can only think of two opponents that he's boxed. Sean McComb, who beat him, and Ramirez - who I didn't think was in the best form that night. None the less, give him his credit, he turned up and did what he had to do. It's a whole different ball game next weekend.”

Time and time again, Catterall has proven his ability to maintain his focus and discipline over the championship distance but Barboza Jnr has yet to complete the championship distance. Strangely for a fighter of his caliber, this weekend’s fight will be his first scheduled twelve round fight. Catterall adopts a detailed approach to his preparations and has noted the gap in Barboza Jnr’s CV.

“You've never seen 12 rounds and you're not going to see the 12 round distance,” Catterall said. “I think he knows what he's up against. Listen, we don't get to this stage in these big fights by overlooking the opponents. I think he's in for a shock.”