Talks continue for Jack Catterall to take on former unified junior welterweight champion Jose Carlos Ramirez with May 30, in Fresno, California, looking ever more likely.
Catterall has been pushing for a shot at world honors, and following his victory over Ekow Essuman in November, is now ranked at No. 1 with the WBO. The current WBO beltholder is three-division champion Devin Haney. Catterall has been trying to entice Haney into a bout ever since Haney collected the strap with a dominant victory over Brian Norman Jnr in November, but to no prevail. Haney has been granted a voluntary defense by the WBO and has not yet been ordered to face Catterall.
Now Catterall could sit and wait for his opportunity at Haney’s welterweight title or stay busy with another fight. Ramirez, the previous owner of the WBO junior welterweight title when Catterall was mandatory for many years, is the man that looks likely to be Catterall’s next foe. The pair should have met down at 140lbs, but Ramirez lost his WBO strap to Josh Taylor in a battle for all four titles in 2021. Catterall had stepped-aside to allow the undisputed clash to happen, and then faced Taylor for all four belts in 2022, losing a highly controversial split-decision.
Talks between Catterall and Ramirez have been underway for some time, but it now looks like a date and location for the bout is taking place.
“We are continuing talks for Jack Catterall against Jose Ramirez,” Eddie Hearn, the promoter of Catterall, told BoxingScene. “That fight could take place in California at the end of May.”
