The WBO’s No. 1 welterweight contender Jack Catterall is hoping to land a bout with beltholder Devin Haney in 2026.
Catterall defeated Ekow Essuman in November to improve to 32-2 (14 KOs) and the 32-year-old from Chorley, England, has been calling for a bout with Haney since assuming the top spot in the WBO.
“This year, that fight will be called,” said Sam Jones, Catterall’s manager. “So at some point this year, Jack Catterall will challenge for the WBO world title, whoever the world champion is. And Jack wants it to be Devin Haney. All Jack wants to do is be involved with and fight the best possible people, so that is going to happen this year. But in the meantime – Jack’s been very active, sometimes probably too active, but he doesn’t want to fight once a year, he wants to fight at least twice a year – we’re trying to make a fight.”
One of the bouts on the table is for Catterall to face another Sam Jones fighter in the in-form Conah Walker, who has won four fights in a row since a narrow defeat to new IBF champion Lewis Crocker.
Walker has since defeated Lewis Ritson, Harry Scarff, Liam Taylor and Pat McCormack. Walker, from the West Midlands, has since cracked the rankings with both the IBF and the WBA.
“Matchroom would like Jack to fight Conah Walker, who I obviously look after as well, which puts me in a very awkward position but at the same time, if that’s the fight that Eddie wants to make, it’s a great fight,” said Jones. “As a fan it’s a great fight. But they’re both going to have to be heavily compensated for it. Conah is coming off an enormous win in Monaco [over McCormack] where he was the underdog and Jack is in a position now, probably only for the second time in his career, where he’s No. 1 and he’s going to get a world title shot.
“So Jack Catterall is a good fight for anybody now because if you fight Jack there’s the carrot there of being number one which is going to be ordered this year. So if I’m in the Jack Catterall business, I’m thinking, ‘Why do I want to fight Conah Walker? It’s a tough fight.’ If that is the fight Matchroom want to make in this country Jack’s going to have to be heavily-compensated, as is Conah Walker.”
Jones is, however, exploring alternative options for both of his boxers.
There are talks to pair Catterall – who is trained by Bozy Ennis in Philadelphia – with veteran Jose Ramirez, and Jones would be keen for Walker to have a homecoming fight in Wolverhampton or Birmingham.
“Jack was meant to fight Ramirez a few years ago and it’s a good fight for Jack and a very good style for Jack. It will compliment Jack’s style,” Jones added.
“Jack is desperate to fight Devin Haney next but Devin’s not going to fight Jack unless he’s ordered to do so, and we know Devin Haney doesn’t duck fights. Devin Haney’s got a very good resume, he fights who’s put in front of him and the business has to make sense, but when it’s ordered, and it will be ordered this year, he’s going to have to fight Jack or vacate the belt.
“If Conah Walker doesn’t fight the Jack Catterall fight, I’d love Conah Walker to headline in the West Midlands, in Wolverhampton or Birmingham, where he deserves, against someone like an Ekow Essuman, to give the fans an absolute barnstormer. Conah has won his last three and two of them as a big underdog, he’s knocked them both out in the 11th [Scarff] and 12th [McCormack] round, great performance against Liam Taylor, and Conah Walker deserves his moment now., He’s proven he’s a world level fighter and he’s a hard night’s work against anybody. So if we can get him a headline fight against an Ekow Essuman, that would be an unbelievable fight. That can only deliver fireworks. I’m a boxing fan and I want to make fights I know I would want to watch, so that’s a fight we’re all going to tune into and say, this is going to be an absolute ding dong.”
Jones has also spoken of his interest in matching Walker with popular Birmingham warrior Sam Eggington.
“Absolutely, if the numbers are right,” said Jones. “Sam has told me directly, and his manager Jon Pegg, that they would love that fight. We could get that fight on, no problem.”
