Jack Catterall claims contract mandates fight with Romero-Lopez winner

Jack Catterall believes his current contract entitles him to a fight against the winner of the Rolando Romero and Teofimo Lopez contest. The WBA welterweight title fight between Romero and Lopez is scheduled for August 22 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Catterall intends to be present for the Las Vegas event. He stated that the winner of that bout has until November 19 to reach an agreement to fight him. The British contender noted that this contractual requirement was established following his previous fight and follows a period of 180 days since his last bout in Egypt.

Despite the contractual claim, the winner of the Romero-Lopez fight faces significant commercial pressure. High-profile opportunities involving Devin Haney or the winner of the Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn fight could offer much higher earnings. These larger bouts may take precedence over a mandatory defense against Catterall.

Catterall's position is supported by Sam Jones and Eddie Hearn, who have reportedly confirmed the terms of his contract. However, the mandatory challenger could face delays similar to those experienced by Shakhram Giyasov, who spent years pursuing a WBA opportunity before eventually fighting Catterall for the interim title.

The situation presents a dilemma for the next champion, similar to the conflict between Janibek Alimkhanuly and Hamzah Sheeraz at super middleweight. While Catterall possesses the ability to disrupt the plans of the champion, the availability of more lucrative fights provides an incentive for the titleholder to avoid the mandatory defense.