MANCHESTER, England Arnold Barboza Jnr edged past Jack Catterall to win a split-decision at the Co-op Live Arena.
Barboza Jnr (11 KOs) narrowly defeated the home favorite Catterall, (13 KOs), in a close contest for the WBO junior welterweight interim title and will hope to fight the full champion Teofimo Lopez next. Their fight, perhaps, was one for the purists both struggled to consistently implement their style and to dictate the pace at which they fought.
There was little to separate them in the opening round. Both had a look at each other, and with so much on the line neither wanted to make a mistake. Catterall 31, edged closer and landed a looping southpaw left.
Again neither truly wanted to commit in the second. Both edged forwards and fired in their jabs. Catterall then landed the shot of the round with a sharp right hand that came over the top of Barboza Jnr’s left. Both started the third waiting to capitalize on a mistake from the other. it took Barboza Jnr whipping in a body shot to bring the fight to life. Catterall took that shot well, and he returned a left hand that knocked Barboza Jnr’s head back.
The action heated up further in the fourth round. Both men had seemed to have found their range and started to throw with more intent.
Barboza Jnr also had a good eighth round, when catching Catterall as he came in and by using his longer arms to land glancing blows as the Chorley fighter came out. Their fight remained finely balanced as the ninth round approached and it proved another difficult one in which to separate them the 10th, similarly, was close to call, but Catterall thought he had made a breakthrough late in the round when he pushed forwards and landed a left to the body that caused Barboza Jnr to tumble backwards.
In the 11th round he caught Barboza Jnr with two well-placed left hands to the bridge of the nose. Barboza Jnr took the shots well and flicked a jab that landed Catterall on his face.
The crowd cheered as the first score of 115-113 was read out in favor of Catterall. The mood then dropped as a second of 115-113 to Barboza Jnr
Barboza was awarded victory score of 115-113 on the final scorecard and he fell to his knees in joy.