World Boxing Organization president Gustavo Olivieri said on Wednesday he was “seriously considering” a Feb. 15 fight between 140-pound champion Jack Catterall and Arnold Barboza. Arnold Barboza) was set to be the interim champion of the division.
In light of WBO champion Teofimo Lopez’s inability to reach an agreement with his promoter Top Rank for a March 15 title defense against former champion Subriel Matias, Olivieri said he The hope is to keep the division “vibrant” and will empower the interim champions to pursue a new opportunity. The championship shot to victory.
“With this situation with Lopez and Top Rank, it looks like he’s either going to make weight or get into legal action,” Olivieri told BoxingScene. “In order to keep the division moving and active, I am seriously considering making Barboza Cattrall the interim belt, with the winner fighting Teofimo next.”
If Lopez refuses the request, his belt will be stripped and Barboza-Catrall’s winner will become the official champion.
Olivieri said he has not yet made a final decision on his move as it would require approval from the WBO board of directors.
“But it’s definitely under consideration,” Olivieri said.
Lopez is 21-1 (13 KOs) and hasn’t fought since June, with two 2024 decision wins over lesser-known Steve Clagett and Jermaine Ortiz, but the performance was mediocre and Cratchit entered the game with seven losses.
Barbosa, 31-0 (11 KOs), who is currently training for the Cattrall fight in Manchester, England, said he was “honored to finally have the opportunity” to compete for the belt.
Barbosa, 33, a former Top Rank fighter who excelled under the more famous Lopez, defeated former unified 140-pound champion Jose Ramirez on Nov. 15 in Saudi Arabia.
Cattrall, 30-1 (13 KOs), defeated former undisputed 140-pound champion Josh Taylor in May, followed by a unanimous decision win over former champion Regis Prograis in October.
“I would be happy if the World Boxing Organization (WBO) did it. Our fight is first versus second, me and Jack are the best versus the best,” Barbosa said. “That’s how it should be. Teofimo has fought a lot of other guys and lost seven of them.
“That’s how Jack and I should be. The winner gets the title.”
Lance Pugmire is an American senior writer at BoxingScene and an associate producer at ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first with the Los Angeles Times, then The Athletic and USA Today. In 2022, he received the Nat Fleischer Award from the Boxing Writers Association of America for career excellence.
