Jack Catterall

Jack Catterall was born on July 1, 1993, in Chorley, Lancashire, United Kingdom. He is known for his scrappy boxing, cat-like reflexes that support his nickname "El Gato" (the cat), ambitious nature, and for being an excellent stablemate, even for fighters like Chantelle Cameron. Alongside his trainer, Nigel Travis, Catterall pushed Cameron to excel in boxing to the point where both Cameron and Catterall's opponents hesitated to face this rising dynamic duo. This speaks volumes about Catterall's work ethic alone.

Like many blue-collar fighters early in their careers, Catterall, before dedicating himself to boxing full-time, attended college and worked to fund his gym sessions, similar to his rival, Joshua Taylor. This showcases the strong work ethic instilled in many United Kingdom fighters early on, emphasizing the commitment to improving their craft in every aspect of life.

In 2012, Catterall made his professional debut and steadily climbed the ranks with an impressive string of victories. His dedication to the sport and his commitment to improving his craft have been evident throughout his career. On October 25th at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, Catterall had the opportunity to face Tom Stalker, a United Kingdom representative in the 2012 Olympic games. Catterall dropped Stalker twice in the first two rounds of the fight, eventually earning a TKO victory and becoming the WBO European light-welterweight Champion. In his first major world championship bout for the undisputed light-welterweight championship against Josh Taylor on February 26, 2022, Catterall suffered his first defeat to Taylor by decision. Catterall's defeat was one of the most controversial moments in European boxing history.

As seen in his bouts against Taylor and Darragh Foley, Catterall's background in various sports during adolescence played a significant role. He was introduced to grappling sports like wrestling and Judo before transitioning to boxing at age 10. The influence of grappling sports is still evident in his boxing, as he excels in the over-under clinch position, one of the most common positions in martial arts. With this move, he can control the center of the ring, back his opponents into the ropes, avoid damage, and engage in close-quarters combat.

As his nickname "El Gato" (the cat) suggests, Catterall has a tendency to pounce on his opponents, much like a cat hunting helpless house mice. He employs pawing jabs and feints to set up precision combinations, using his effective footwork to swiftly move out of his opponent's range of attack. However, when facing more aggressive fighters like Taylor, he employs the over-under position to adjust the fight's pace. This highlights his ability to adapt to different opponents and gives him one of the best abilities to control the pace within the super lightweight division. Controlling the pace has become a hallmark of his high ring IQ, as he wears down his opponents, frustrates them with his defensive abilities, executes in-and-out combinations, and maintains focus on the target. Even when forced to box defensively, Catterall is skilled at unleashing devastating combinations on the fly, as seen in his split decision loss to Josh Taylor in 2022.