Arnold Barboza Jr. wins a must-have challenge for Teofimo Lopez’s WBO title

Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-0, 11 KO) was the WBO Light Welterweight Champion after a 12-round split-decision victory with Jack Qatar (30-2, 13 KOs) on Saturday night in Manchester. This is a must-have challenger for Teofimo Lopez. Barboza Jr’s manager says Teofimo will need to fight him on Alcatraz Island next June or July.

(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)

Calling Alcatraz

That would be an interesting battle for the former Alcatraz prison. Theo could lose to Barboza Jr. on the island, putting him in a position where all three fight contracts with Torki al Sheikh would be lost. If you’re Turki, hopefully he will put an escape clause in his contract so that he can abandon Theofimo if he loses the battle of Alcatraz.

Barboza Jr. will give Theofimo a similar problem to what Jamaine Ortiz did on February 8th last year. The difference is that Barboza Jr. doesn’t run out of gas. If Theo had hoped to fight Barboza, he would have already had since he was his first choice for a long time and called him. Teofimo will not fight him and he knows this guy is likely to continue from where George Kambosos Jr. left off.

Interestingly, many boxing fans feel this is an easier victory for Theofimo than Barboza. If you see the fight tonight and his previous battle with Jose Ramirez, you’ll know that he’s a nightmare for Theo. That’s what Brooklyn, from New York, wants nothing to do with him.

Teofimo doesn’t have an opponent for his next fight yet, but there have been talks about him fighting a unified match against IBF champion Richardson Hitchins. But Hitchens promoter Eddie Hearn says there was no deep conversation in the fight.

Catterall gave it a good attempt, but lost in the score:

115-113-Barboza Jr.
115-113 – Catterall
115-113-Barboza Jr.

“We’re going to continue working harder and train more than ever, and we’re ready to go next,” Arnold Barboza Jr. said. Post-war press conference After defeating Jack Cantal at Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England tonight.