Jack Catterall and Harlem Eubank lay their ‘Cards on the Table’
Jack Catterall and Harlem Eubank went head-to-head in Matchroom Boxing’s latest episode of their ‘Cards on the Table’ series ahead of Saturday’s huge all-British Welterweight showdown at Manchester’s AO Arena, shown live worldwide on DAZN.
Watch Catterall vs. Eubank ‘Cards on the Table’ on the Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel.
Catterall, a former World Title challenger, faces off across the table with his undefeated 147lbs rival Eubank. No host, no promoter and no referee between them – just two fighting men going man to man.
Chorley’s Catterall (30-2, 13 KOs) makes the move up to 147lbs following his razor close split decision loss to the USA’s Arnold Barboza Jr in their interim WBO Super-Lightweight World Title clash in February.
Brighton’s Eubank (21-0, 9 KOs) is yet to taste defeat since joining the professional ranks back in 2017, and the 31-year-old stopped Belfast’s Tyron McKenna in nine rounds to pick up the IBF Intercontinental Title in his hometown last time out in March.
Below is a selection of quotes from their latest face off.
Jack Catterall:
What does this fight mean to me and my career?
“It means everything. Like every fight, it’s a big opportunity. I’m coming off the back of a defeat. The fact that I’ve been given an opportunity to fight in Manchester, again headlining, against a Eubank, is a big moment. It’s a great domestic fight and I think it’s these fights that excite me the most. It means everything, and it always will.”
Is this my hardest fight to date?
“Who knows? There’s a lot of questions to be asked from my side and Harlem’s. It’s not a question that I can answer, I guess, until after the fight.”
Rank myself and Harlem; world class, good or average.
“I believe I’m world class, I’ve yet to achieve capturing a World Title. I believe it’s coming. I’d be stupid to believe that I’m not world class. I’d say Harlem is above average. He’s fought some domestic fights, guys that I fought quite a few years ago. He beat them, and he probably beat them in better style than me. I probably set the blue print for him. I’d say Harlem is a good fighter.”
Who has the bigger ego?
“I don’t know. I’d like to think I’ve not got an ego. I guess everyone has got an ego in some respect. When I’m on my own and I’m in the gym; it’s just work for me. It’s just work work work. I’m not telling everyone about it every day, it’s just work. I’m just doing it for me.”
Who has more chance of becoming a World Champion at 147lbs, any why?
“I’m going to say it’s me. I believe a victory on July 5 will put me that one step closer. I’m peaking now. I’m pretty much the same age as Harlem, 31 now. I live clean, I look after myself. I believe it’s my time.”
Harlem Eubank:
I’ve said I can take Jack Catterall out. What do I mean by that?
“What I mean by that is that I know what I’m capable of. On the night it will show. I know that on paper, it might not make sense, but, I know what I’m capable of in the ring.”
Why is now the right time to fight Jack?
“You’re in your prime. You had a slightly lacklustre performance last time out but when you’re fighting at the highest level time and time again, sometimes the performance is going to dip slightly. We’ve seen you’ve taken yourself out to America, and we believe we’re getting the best version of Jack Catterall. That is why the time is now, because you’re at your best.”
Rank myself and Jack; world class, good or average.
“I think it’s one of them where it’s all to prove. You should have been undisputed champion. I’ve always told you that. I’m straight up. I thought you should have been champion. I want to fight the best, and we’ve selected you because I think you’re the best. I need to beat you to go on to achieve world honours as well.”
Who has the bigger ego?
“To be in this sport you need an ego. If you don’t have an ego and you’re taking yourself to the gym every day to try and be the best fighter in the world, you can’t do that without an ego. You have to back yourself. Even if you’re trying to prove it to yourself, you have to have an ego to do that. You can’t be in this sport without an ego. It’s your ego that drives you to be the best.”
What is this fight my opportunity to do, and to prove?
“This is my opportunity to prove that I will be World Champion. Jack is the guy, and he is in my way. He’s prove time and time again that he is world class. This is my opportunity to prove all of the doubters wrong and reinforce what I’ve said, that I will become a World Champion.”
Who has more chance of becoming a World Champion at 147lbs, any why?
“I believe Jack has had a lot of opportunity at world level. I haven’t had my opportunity yet, and this is my opportunity. I plan on taking it with both hands. The door has been closed for me for a long time. I’ve been kicking it down, and now it my opportunity to prove myself at the world level.”
Catterall vs Eubank headlines a big night of action in Manchester; former Super-Featherweight World Champion Joe Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs) returns at Lightweight against Mexico’s Jaret Gonzalez Quiroz (17-1, 13 KOs) – with the WBO Global Title on the line, Lancashire Lightweights Aqib Fiaz (13-1, 2 KO) and Alex Murphy (13-1) meet in a local derby, Manchester Cruiserweight Pat Brown (2-0, 2 KOs) takes on High Wycombe’s Lewis Oakford (6-2), York Heavyweight hope Leo Atang makes his highly anticipated professional debut, Manchester’s big-hitting Super-Welterweight William Crolla (8-0, 6 KOs) meets Aberdeen’s Fraser Wilkinson (11-2, 2 KOs) over eight rounds, Australia’s former Featherweight World Champion Skye Nicolson (12-1, 1 KOs) returns for her first fight at Super-Bantamweight against Carla Camila Campos Gonzales (9-3, 8 KOs), local Featherweight Alfie Middlemiss (3-0) faces York’s Mohammed Wako (1-5) over four rounds and Stockport Super-Middleweight Niall Brown (15-0, 5 KOs) kicks off the show against Victor Ionascu (14-6, 10 KOs).