LONDON — Eddie Hearn insists Jack Catterall will not step aside to allow WBA "super" welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez to pursue a unification bout with WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia, and says no amount of money will change his mind. The Matchroom Boxing chief says the WBA has ordered Lopez to defend against Catterall, the organisation's "regular" champion, next.
Hearn maintains the situation stems from an official arrangement made by WBA president Gilberto Mendoza Jnr to allow then-"super" champion Rolando "Rolly" Romero an optional defence against Lopez before facing mandatory challenger Shakhram Giyasov. Under that resolution, Giyasov instead faced No. 6-ranked Catterall for the vacant regular title, with the winner guaranteed to face Romero for the super championship within 160 days. Catterall, 33-2 (14 KOs), the 33-year-old from Lancashire, won a 12-round unanimous decision over Giyasov in May to become regular champion, while Lopez won a majority decision over Romero in August to capture the super title. Per WBA rules, Lopez inherited Romero's championship commitments, including the obligation to next face Catterall, though Lopez and his team have indicated a desire to face Garcia instead.
“Let me make one thing clear about Jack Catterall and Teofimo Lopez,” said Hearn. “As a champion, you have an obligation to fight your mandatory challengers. Jack Catterall having beat (Shakhram) Giyasov was written in a resolution in black and white, clear as day and we've had it confirmed dozens of times by the WBA. There is absolutely no movement. He was supposed to fight Rolly Romero. They allowed the fight between Rolly Romero against Teofimo Lopez on the condition the winner must fight Jack Catterall immediately and that is what is happening.”
Hearn said rumours linking Catterall with WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney are categorically false. “We know Devin Haney is looking for an opponent. I had a very brief conversation with Devin Haney and DAZN where they said maybe Jack Catterall could be the opponent, and Jack Catterall said, ‘You could not pay me any amount of money in the world to not get my shot at the WBA Super championship against Teofimo Lopez. I have worked my whole life for this. I have should have been undisputed champion years ago. I am not stepping aside for nobody. My time has come.’” Hearn added: “Teofimo against Ryan Garcia ain't even that big a fight and Ryan Garcia has come out now saying he's fighting Floyd Mayweather. So, stop running around. Just fight your mandatory. If it's not a tough fight, no problem, make your money and move on. Jack Catterall will be fighting for the world championship in his next fight and it will be with the WBA.”