Boxing politics could force Lopez to deviate from that plan.

Jack Catterall holds a secondary WBA welterweight title and is Lopez’s mandatory challenger. Lopez (23-2, 13 KOs) beat Rolando “Rolly” Romero (17-3, 13 KOs) by majority decision for the WBA welterweight title on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

While the Brooklyn native prefers to face the winner of Garcia versus Benn, England’s Catterall is steadfast that he must be next for Lopez, or else he should be stripped of the title.

“Congratulations on the weekend, but we need to stop all this talk of undisputed and unifying,” Catterall said during an appearance on “Inside The Ring,” which streamed Monday on DAZN. “There’s not been a mandatory defense for the WBA title for about two years now. I was informed by the WBA it was 180 days from my last fight, which lands us in November. I’m good to go. I was ready to fight Rolly. You had a nice touch of the weekend. Let’s get it on. … We've got to reach a deal, or else you’ve got to pass over the belt.”

Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs, 1 NC) is set to defend his WBC 147-pound title against Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) on September 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The card will stream on Paramount+ in the United States and DAZN via pay-per-view and its Ultimate plan in the UK and Ireland.

While facing Garcia or Benn next would make for a much bigger fight, Lopez is open to a bout with Catterall (33-2, 14 KOs).

“I will fight anybody and everybody, and I think you know that,” Lopez said during the abovementioned episode. “That’s why he was rooting for me to beat Rolly.”

Lopez, 29, entered The Ring’s welterweight rankings at No. 5 after Saturday. Catterall, 33, is The Ring’s No. 3-rated contender at 147 pounds.

“I’m glad you won at the weekend because I know you don’t duck nobody,” Catterall said to Lopez. “It’d have been more difficult to get Rolly in the ring. I’m happy for you, but we’ve got to get it on.”

Catterall won the secondary WBA welterweight title with a one-sided unanimous decision over Shakhram Giyasov on May 23 in Giza, Egypt. The WBA ordered Romero, who had the title at the time, to face the British southpaw within 180 days of May 23, which lands on November 19.

“He’s definitely paved the way,” Lopez said regarding Catterall. “He’s been really adamant calling all the champions out, and I remember we talked about in the previous conversations after his win in Egypt, so you never know, man. Everything and anything is possible. I think if he’s the mandatory, then we’ll see with my legal team, and we'’ll work over that.”

Catterall affirmed that he’ll make sure he gets his shot at Lopez next.

“There’s not one ounce of me that will say yes to any step aside to let any unification happen,” Catterall said. “I’m here. I’ve been in this position before years back waiting for [Josh] Taylor for undisputed, and I kept getting sidetracked. There’s not $1 that can persuade me to step aside to allow a unification bout to happen. I’m here to fight.”

Lopez and Catterall’s paths have intertwined at 140 pounds without them stepping into the ring against each other. Catterall was set to rematch Taylor in March 2024 after losing a controversial split decision in February 2022, before the latter was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury.

Instead of immediately rescheduling the rematch, Taylor pivoted to a bout with Lopez in June 2023 because the WBO installed Lopez as his mandatory challenger. Lopez won a wide unanimous decision to become The Ring and WBO 140-pound champion.

Catterall faced Arnold Barboza Jr. for the vacant WBO interim 140-pound title in February 2025, but he narrowly lost a split decision. Lopez faced Barboza (33-1, 11 KOs) nearly three months later and won a one-sided unanimous decision.