Jack Catterall is seeking to evolve, not reinvent himself, as a fighter under the guidance of Derek “Bozy” Ennis.
The welterweight is working under the in-demand Ennis at the trainer’s increasingly respected gym in Philadelphia; his fight with his fellow Briton Ekow Essuman, 36, at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jnr-Conor Benn II therefore represents their first test.
Catterall separated from his long-term trainer, the Manchester-based Jamie Moore, following his victory over Harlem Eubank, also of Britain, in July. The victory over Eubank was his first following his move from welterweight; his intention, ultimately, is to secure a fight for the title of the WBO.
That Ennis is recognised as a trainer of aggressive, offensive fighters perhaps almost makes it inevitable that a partnership between he and the often defence-minded Catterall, 32, doesn’t necessarily appear the most obvious fit.
Catterall, however, has no intention of abandoning the style that has proven so successful. Training alongside Jaron “Boots” Ennis, Andy Cruz and Stephen Fulton, among others, his intention is simply to fight with greater “spite”.
“I’m never gonna be a completely different fighter,” he told BoxingScene. “I’m always going to be Jack Catterall, but if I can spend time in an environment with coaches learning new things, watching other fighters, you can certainly add to your game.
“I know you’ve said he’s an aggressive coach but from what I’ve seen this week, the fighters in there are very defence-minded, but with that switch to be able to go and attack on the front foot; [be] more spiteful. I’m brand new here this week but I’m already learning stuff and practicing stuff, so I do believe come fight night you’ll see that extra bit of spite and that extra couple of percent.
“It’s exciting for me. He was training [in ‘Boots’ Ennis] one of the best welterweights of this era; there’s a lot of experience in the gym; we’re talking about ‘Bozy’ but there’s quite a few coaches in the gym; family members, and they’ve had that experience of training fighters at the highest level. To be in there, getting that same work, I’d be grateful.
“I’d met Stephen Fulton a few times. He was over in Manchester some years ago helping Carl Frampton prepare for his fights. In the gym there’s a lot of good sparring, and they’re quite busy with the sparring – there’s a lot of gyms travelling to Bozy’s gym for sparring. I’ve only been in there for a couple of days this week and there’s been so much quality sparring, so I’m certain I’m going to get that work.”
Before recruiting Ennis, Catterall had considered the merits of the Las Vegas-based Cuban Ismael Salas and of Brian “Bomac” McIntyre, the trainer of Terence Crawford, regarded by many as the finest fighter in the world.
By committing to training in Philadelphia he has had to leave behind in Chorley, England his wife Lauren, their four-year-old daughter Riley, and Cody, their two-week old son.
Under Moore and Moore’s assistant Nigel Travis he deserved to be crowned the undisputed junior-welterweight champion when he was denied victory by errant judging in his infamous fight with Josh Taylor in 2022. His second defeat, against Arnold Barboza Jnr in February, proved his last at 140lbs and, for all of the sacrifices involved in him reshaping his career, he is relishing the feeling of his “back against the wall”.
“I’ve got an unbelievably supportive family; I became a father of two just a little under two weeks ago – which it was such a hard decision, and not a decision I took lightly,” he explained. “If I didn’t think it was the right move I wouldn’t have pushed the button, but me wife’s unbelievable; the kids are unbelievable. I’m out here for work – this isn’t a holiday. I’m in an Airbnb half a mile from the gym; I’m in the gym, back to the house, food, rest, back to the gym, and that’s what I’ve got to do until fight night.
“When I’m at home I’m training with Jamie and Nigel, who are phenomenal trainers in their own right and there’s so much respect there, but it probably felt like maybe a little bit too much respect; too comfortable for me. I’m out here now and I’m in a gym where I’m hitting the bags and working on drills and watching other fighters; I’ve been in the gym in Salford with Jamie for nine years and seen a wave of fighters come and go, and found meself – I don’t want to put meself on a pedestal – but the leader of the pack in a way. Aside from Dave Allen, I’m probably the most experienced professional there. I’m in a gym now where, not that nobody gives a fuck, but I’m looking round and in a position now where me back’s against the wall and I’ve got to perform and got to be better and put the work in and prove to people that it’s the right decision.
“I’d sat down with Sam [Jones, my adviser]. We looked at a few coaches – I didn’t want to get over involved in a conversations with the coaches, I left it to Sam. We’d been in dialect with Bozy; I’d been in the gym and seen what was going on and how they were working with the fighters, and [Jones had] reached out, had a conversation; we talked about what the plan was; the fight dates; the opponents; what we can work on, and it was something [Ennis] wanted to help us with and we pushed the button and we’re here now.”
