by Catterall has emerged as a leading figure in British boxing over the last year, having beaten Jorge Linares and Josh Taylor in headline fights in Liverpool and Leeds in the last 12 months.
He will complete a trio of major northern English cities this weekend against Prograis, whose last fight was a slight defeat in his WBC light welterweight bout against Devin Haney almost 11 months ago.
Organizers Matchroom are hoping for almost 10,000 fans at Co-Op Live on Saturday evening for the first major boxing event at the Manchester venue. Chairman Eddie Hearn said the fight was a welcome return to British shores after several major bouts in the Middle East.
“With all these big fights and nights going to Saudi Arabia, it’s nice that we have nights like this,” he told BBC Sport. “It’s a really good fight, it deserves a world championship – it’s one of the best fights you can do in the division.”
Hearn added that a win on Saturday would put Catterall in position to fight for the title in 2025 and earn him more respect in the boxing world after Prograis previously branded him “nothing special”.
“Because Jack doesn’t have a big mouth, he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves,” Hearn said.
“People say, ‘He doesn’t do anything special,’ then they get in the ring and realize he has sneaky power, the best jab in the division. His movements are really good, he can box you for a long time. In the ring.” So far, no one has managed to crack the code.
“Prograis is a serious fighter and he has 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 back off and say all these big fights are going to Saudi Arabia. Let’s go to the biggest arenas, get close to 10,000 fans and put the flag in the sand for British boxing.”
