Jack Catterall exclusive diary: When opportunity comes, I’m going to be more than ready

After Jose Ramirez beat Maurice Hooker to unify the junior welterweight division, the WBO called for my mandatory shot to take place.

Great.

Well, now the WBC have also called their mandatory, which is Viktor Postol. It seems like that fight is more than likely gonna happen before mine now for reasons beyond my knowledge and I believe that that fight is going to take place in November. It’s the politics of boxing.

That’s where we’re up to. I was on the phone to my manager the other day. He told me that he knows how frustrating it must be for me but if I’m honest, I’ve sort of come to terms with it all now. I’m not happy about it but what can I do? Trust me, everybody better believe that when I get my opportunity I’m going to be more than ready for it.

I did wonder if Ramirez might choose to fight Postol over me and vacate the WBO belt but with the other champions now only having one belt each, in his mind he has the power going forwards. If he were to somehow beat Postol and me, and then he goes in to negotiations for a third world title then it will be hard for him to give up one of the belts and that power. If you go into negotiations with another champion and you only have one belt each, it would be frustrating to have given one up.

I think that if Maurice Hooker would have beaten Ramirez it would have been different. I reckon the WBO would have called for the fight straight away and I’d already be training for a fight with him. As it is, I’m in the gym training – as always – and I’ve been told I might fight in November. We’ll see.

I was in Spain last week. I caught up with my old opponent Thomas Stalker out there and got a few good sessions in. I felt sorry for my stablemate Carl Frampton having his fight cancelled at the last minute after that freak injury. I was going to go over to Philadelphia but I’ve just bought a house and I’ve been tied up with that. I was gutted for him though. It’s unbelievable isn’t it?

Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis have been away on holiday but they’re back in the gym this week and we can get right back into it. It isn’t hard to train but it is, if that makes sense. I’ve been in the gym and in shape all year but I’ve been on and off all year. When the WBO called for my fight, I was buzzing. It put a spring in my step, then I get the WBC news. All I can do is stay in shape and keep making sure that I’m doing my part.

I thought Ramirez was ok in the fight with Hooker but I’ve fought plenty of tall fighters and I honestly believe I’d have done exactly the same to Hooker. I’d seen him fight a few times and had never been too impressed with him. With Ramirez, me and him is a much better fight.

Ramirez throws more punches and is a similar height to me. He’s got that Mexican style and I think that plays into my hands a bit more. I’m under no illusions that when I go in to that fight I can’t be overly tactical. I’ve got to go in there and rip the belt off him. The way he comes forward throwing punches, I’ll get miles more opportunities to land and do what I need to do.

If and when the fight does happen, it’ll be nice to go out to California to fight. It’s likely it’d be in his hometown of Fresno. I know it’s on a different level but I went to Liverpool to fight Tom Stalker, I went to Leeds to fight Tyrone Nurse, and I went to Belfast to fight Tyrone McKenna. I’ve never seen it as an issue. Its a fight and you go wherever you need to for it. It’s all new experience and I’m looking forward to it already. My family and friends will be coming over to America to watch me fight for a world title. It will be special.

Look, I’ve been sat on my own in the back of a taxi on the way up a mountain to go and spar Canelo Alvarez. Now that’s nerve wracking. This will be enjoyable.

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