Jack Catterall Vs Jorge Linares

Jack Catterall is looking to build on his impressive victory over Darragh Foley. The Chorley fighter fights seasoned veteran Jorge Linares this evening in Liverpool.

The Brit is aiming to get back into the world rankings in the junior welterweight division after his contentious points defeat to Josh Taylor. He faces Venezuelan Linares at the M&S Bank Arena live on DAZN.

1. Jack Catterall (27-1) vs. Jorge Linares (47-8)

Jack Catterall has been impressive in the first three rounds. He’s a bit cagey, not wanting to make a mistake early on and giving the experienced Linares a chance to feel out his opponent, but his work is crisp and hurtful.

Linares is showing his age but still has a great deal of talent. His best days may be behind him, but he can still stun fighters like Devin Haney and knock down Vasiliy Lomachenko. The 38-year-old is a tough nut to crack at junior welterweight, and he’s the man that many British contenders have seen their dreams of a title shot dashed against.

This is the kind of fight that could go either way. Linares has the power to stop Catterall, but the slick southpaw has the speed and experience to match the veteran. Catterall won’t be afraid to push the pace, and that will give him a better chance of taking rounds off the veteran.

Round 2

Both men start to come in a little more, trading jabs and looking to put each other on the back foot. Linares catches Catterall with a big right hand, but the Scot is strong and holds his ground well.

The ring is starting to fill up, and the crowd is getting into the fight. Catterall continues to pressure the older fighter, landing a good right and left hook and forcing him to use his reserves early. Linares tries to get back into the fight with a looping right, but the British fighter is solid and moves out of range.

The third round begins and the pace picks up. Linares is starting to tire, and Catterall lands a nice right to take the round. The pair trade punches in the fourth, but Catterall is able to land a few big counters to close out the round. The Briton has shown he can be a real threat in this division.

2. Predictions

Jack Catterall is hoping to build on his regulation win over Darragh Foley when he faces a seasoned Jorge Linares this weekend. The Chorley fighter suffered a controversial points loss to Josh Taylor last year and had hoped for a rematch, but that was pushed back as Taylor chose to fight Teofimo Lopez instead. The Brit has been forced to turn to other opponents in the interim, and this is an important test against a veteran.

Linares is a world-class technician who once claimed titles at featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight. He has beaten the likes of Oscar Larios, Rocky Juarez, Kevin Mitchell and Anthony Crolla during his impressive career. He is 37 years old, though, and his best days may be long gone, despite still being a dangerous foe in the ring.

He has lost three of his last four fights, including a ten-round points defeat to Zhora Hamazaryan and a competitive loss to Devin Haney. It’s tough to see him returning to his former glory against the talented Catterall, who could potentially be a future challenger for the vacant unified light welterweight title.

The Englishman’s southpaw style is an asset, as he tries to box behind his jab and move around the ring. He can also hit with a big left hand and is an excellent counter puncher, something that will be important against the Venezuelan.

Catterall will likely start the fight on the front foot, looking to use his speed and power to hurt Linares early on. He might tire in the second half of the contest, but he has the ability to pick apart the 38-year-old and earn a quick stoppage. If he can do that, it will give him the perfect opportunity to secure another world title shot in 2024. He is a hugely popular fighter, and his fans will want to see him get a second wind. They will be encouraged by the fact that he is favourite to beat Linares at sportsbook odds of -650. That is the best price we have seen so far.

3. Lineup

Jack Catterall faces Jorge Linares in the main event of a great British night of action. The two lightweight veterans will fight in Liverpool at M&S Bank Arena on Saturday, October 21. The fight will be streamed on DAZN.

Linares is a former three-division world champion and is still considered one of the top fighters at his weight. However, the 38-year-old Venezuelan has lost two of his last five contests and is a shadow of his former self.

Catterall, on the other hand, is riding high following his widely outpointing win over Darragh Foley in May. The Chorley native has a handful of fighters on his hit list, including a rematch with Josh Taylor should he beat Linares.

The fighters make their way to the ring, with both looking focused. Linares is the more experienced fighter, but he is not coming into this fight in his best physical condition. He looks to be carrying some ring rust and he is not the quick, mobile fighter that he once was.

Both men exchange a few combinations, but they do not really open up the fight. Catterall is a little more active, but he does not seem to have the same punching power as his opponent. Linares is trying to come in closer, but he is not as fast as he used to be and this could be a big mistake.

Linares lands a good left hand. Catterall is happy to let him do that and he is able to stay out of trouble for the most part. However, he cannot avoid the counter punches that are landing on his head and body.

At the end of the round, a cut is seen on the forehead of Linares, but it does not appear to be particularly bad. The second round begins with more of the same. Linares is trying to get inside, but he is getting caught with some counter punches and his accuracy is dropping.

In the co-main event, Liverpool amateur sensation turned 7-0 professional super bantamweight Peter McGrail will take on Vitoria, Spain-based 26-year-old Fran Mendoza for the vacant Continental Super Bantamweight title. The fight will be contested over 10 rounds.

4. Betting

After a robbery defeat against Josh Taylor, Jack Catterall will be keen to get back to winning ways over the weekend in Liverpool. The Chorley man faces a tough test against former three-weight world champion Jorge Linares, but the bookmakers have Catterall as the clear favourite on boxing betting sites.

The 30-year-old was impressive in his last outing, putting Darragh Foley to the canvas for a first-round stoppage win. Catterall’s strength and power were key factors in the victory, and the Brit has namechecked Devin Haney and Regis Prograis as targets for a future challenge for major titles at lightweight.

Linares, on the other hand, is starting to show signs of fading. The 38-year-old has won a number of big fights in the past, including a pair of victories over Kevin Mitchell and Anthony Crolla, but the Venezuelan’s last outing was a humbling home loss to Zaur Abdullaev. That loss will have lowered Linares’ punch resistance and durability, and he could find himself outgunned by the speedy Catterall.

While the Brit is not a power puncher, he does have a strong ability to wear down his opponents with fast combinations. Linares is unlikely to be able to cope with that in Liverpool and we are backing the former three-weight world champion to fall early.

Catterall isn’t a particularly active fighter but he has plenty of energy in the ring and he is very quick-handed. That gives him the chance to overwhelm Linares late in the bout, especially in the UK where referees are often quicker to call fights off if a fighter is clearly in trouble.

Despite his age and decline, Linares is still a dangerous competitor in the ring and he has won a number of close fights over the years. He is a very experienced operator and has won 55 professional contests. We expect him to try to take advantage of that experience by fighting a cautious fight and avoiding the big blows that have seen him down several of his recent opponents.