Jack Catterall expects victory on Saturday over Shakhram Giyasov to prove the final hurdle ahead of him achieving his dream of winning a world title.
Four years on from so controversially being denied the undisputed junior-welterweight championship against Josh Taylor he fights Uzbekistan’s Giyasov for the WBA “regular” welterweight title in the belief that he will then secure a showdown with Rolando Romero, who holds the “super” title, or inherit his status as champion if he does not.
It is on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven at the pyramids of Giza in Egypt that the 32 year olds will fight, and so soon after Catterall had expected to be matched with Jose Carlos Ramirez in what was ultimately his attempt to pursue the WBO champion Devin Haney.
Haney had become the Englishman’s target when a defeat by Arnold Barboza Jnr in February 2025 contributed to him stepping up in weight, but Haney represents the world’s leading welterweight and, though it was previously a less defined one, the route to the WBA title is by comparison within reach.
Before his most recent fight, the win in November over Ekow Essuman, Catterall recruited the respected Derek “Bozy” Ennis to replace his then long-term trainer Jamie Moore. Saturday’s date will instead come under the leadership of his compatriot Stephen Smith, but he continues to speak positively of the influence of Ennis and to the extent that he remains open to fighting under him again in future; more immediately he also knows that what happens against Giyasov could prove make-or-break.
“I’m led to believe, in the contract, the ‘super’ champion’s gonna fight the ‘regular’ champion,” Catterall told BoxingScene.
“You could put [Giyasov] as one of the best I’ve boxed. He’s right up there. Olympic silver medallist; won a lot of amateur tournaments. He’s been out of the ring for little over a year, but he’s had a lot of experience with southpaws; he’s boxed six southpaws in his 17 fights, so I’m excited. I’m really buzzing. I’ve got a spring in me step, and I’m buzzing for it.
“He’s got that eastern European style that works for him. He’s had a lot of success in the amateurs and translated it well to the pros. His footwork; his angles. He does things well; he’s had success. He likes to fight on the front foot but he likes to pot single shots – not loads of combinations. He likes to work to the body. Overall he’s a very good fighter.
“But I see flaws and fortunately enough I’ve been given time to prepare and watch him fight and that’s what I’ve been doing. He squares up when he throws his right hand; his back hand. After certain things he looks for the single shots; single counters; they can be taken apart if he’s only looking for certain shots; certain patterns. If he’s only getting that one shot off then it gives us room to take advantage of that.
“Activity’s key a lot of the time. I stay in the gym; I’ve been fortunate enough the last couple of years I’ve been kept busy. I’ve also been in Shakhram’s [less-active] position; the inactivity; before the first Taylor fight I was out of the ring for well over a year and I come back; had a great performance. That being said, I won’t be underestimating the work he’s been doing whilst he’s not been in the ring. He’s been ranked number one with the WBA; he’s been pushing for the title fights. He’s had something to focus on and he’s keeping fit and I’m expecting the best of him.”
Shortly before Giyasov’s past fight – the victory over Franco Ocampo on the undercard of Jaron “Boots” Ennis’ defeat of Eimantas Stanionis in April 2025 that Giyasov believed would lead to his own shot at the WBA title – he endured the death of his infant daughter, and of his ability to proceed with fighting and then win, Catterall said: “Every credit to him. It takes a lot. I’ve not been in that position so I couldn’t say I’d do the same – I’d like to sit here and say I would. You just don’t know what’s going through his mind, so it shows unbelievable character and strength.”
Reflecting on the more aggressive performance he produced against Essuman under Ennis Snr, he said: “Philadelphia was great. I’d probably fallen in that trap of I was very comfortable where I was training in Manchester. Maybe got too familiar. I think it took me leaving the gym; being in different environments and getting that spark back and that fire. I give credit to me previous coaches but it’s nice after all them years to be in a different place and have different people watching and different perspectives, and as soon as I’ve been in different environments the pressure’s on and I thrive under pressure of performing and impressing and trying to work harder and I’ve felt good since that.
“The mindset shifted. I left the gym and I knew I had to mix it up a little bit and I feel like over this last six, nine months I’ve been working on – being a defensive fighter and not taking unnecessary punches, but – really going through the gears and showing that aggression that I got.
“I’m in a great place. I’m training really well. I’ve got great sparring partners. After the Ekow Essuman fight I knew what worked and it was about building on that and keep moving forward with it.
“I thought we was gonna fight Ramirez. Sam [Jones, my adviser] had been in touch with DAZN; Matchroom; the fight was proposed. We come to an agreement but, for whatever reason, it didn’t happen. It was frustrating ‘cause I was excited at going across. Stylistically, Ramirez would have been a good fight. But it didn’t happen. I’ve been in the gym training since a week after the last fight. The fight was on; it was off; the date changed, then ultimately it felt through. I was in the gym, didn’t know what I was preparing for, and this fight come out of the blue, so over the moon with it.
“Ramirez would have been a great fight, stylistically. He was coming off of the defeat to [Devin] Haney; it’d have been nice to see what damage I could have done to him. But it’s a better fight [against Giyasov]; one door closes and this one opened up, on a great bill in a country I’ve never been before, on a Usyk bill.”
