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Jack Catterall said it was his “time in the sun” as he prepared for a third headline fight in a year against Regis Prograis on Saturday night.
Catterall faces the former two-time world champion in a super lightweight bout that tops the bill at Co-Op Live in Manchester.
The Chorley-born fighter was given a rousing reception by his supporters at the weigh-in on Friday evening in Manchester.
And the 31-year-old said that, while Prograis has celebrated world titles in the past, he would be the one to pick them up in future.
“Every fight is a big fight, a step closer to a world title,” added Catterall. “Regis has had his time in the sun – [it’s] my time now.”
Catterall came in marginally the heavier of the duo, bang on the 140lbs (63.5kg) weight limit.
Prograis was 139.7lbs (63.3kg) and afterwards faced the hostility of Catterall’s home Lancashire crowd for the first time.
The American’s post weigh-in interview was interrupted by shouts of “Chorley, Chorley”, while he was sent from the stage with a couple of loud expletives from the crowd.
“I’m ready, I’m excited, stupid excited,” said the New Orleans native. “I’ve been calm and confident all week. Now I’m ready to go.
“Everything hinges on this, I’m ready, that’s why I took this challenge. He’s [Catterall] got a few people back there…”
Despite this, the weigh-in at the National Football Museum largely passed without major incident.
It followed a surprise-filled press conference on Thursday in which Prograis revealed private voice notes from 2021 sent by Catterall’s now-manager Sam Jones, saying the American would “flatten” the Briton if, and when, they fought.
‘A flag in the sand for British boxing’
Catterall has emerged as a leading light in British boxing in the last year, following wins over Jorge Linares and Josh Taylor in headline fights in Liverpool and Leeds over the past 12 months.
He will complete a trio of major northern English cities this weekend against Prograis, whose last contest was a tepid loss in his WBC light welterweight encounter with Devin Haney nearly 11 months ago.
Promoters Matchroom are hopeful of nearly 10,000 fans at Co-Op Live on Saturday night for the first major boxing event at the Manchester venue, with chairman Eddie Hearn saying the fight was a welcome return to British shores after several major fights in the Middle East.
“With all these big fights and nights going to Saudi Arabia, it’s nice that we get nights like this,” he told BBC Sport. “It’s a really good fight, it deserves to be a world championship – it’s one of the best fights you can make in the division.”
Hearn added victory on Saturday would put Catterall in position for a title fight in 2025, and earn him more respect in the boxing world after Prograis branded him “nothing special” in the build-up.
“Because Jack is not a big mouth, he doesn’t get the credit he deserves,” said Hearn.
“People say, ‘he doesn’t do anything special’, then they get in the ring and they realise he has sneaky power, the best jab in the division. His movement is really good, he can box you long. In the ring, no-one has been able to crack the code yet.
“Prograis is a serious fighter, and he has got to win. It’s a really good fight, against one of the big stars of British boxing.
“It’s a big fight, because we can’t just retire and say, all these big fights are going to Saudi. Let’s go to the biggest arenas, get close to 10,000 fans and put the flag in the sand for British boxing.”
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