Like so many boxing experts, former warrior turned accomplished trainer Jamie Moore is not in favour of living legend Manny Pacquiao’s comeback at the age of 46. But Moore is in a wholly different position to most people. As the trainer of Jack Catterall, Moore’s job, as he says himself, is to get his fighter a world title shot. And if Pacquiao manages to defeat Mario Barrios and become WBC welterweight champion, Moore would find himself in a real dilemma.
On the one hand, he wants Catterall to become world champ, on the other, he would not “feel comfortable” putting Catterall in the ring with such an ageing, past his prime fighter he has so much respect for. Speaking with Spinbet, “Mooresy” said he doesn’t think Pac-Man will actually defeat Barrios next month, but that if he did, he would find himself “really on the fence.”
“I’ll be honest with you; I’m not a big fan of the fact that Manny Pacquiao is fighting again. I think he is one year younger than me, and it’s a dangerous sport at the best of times,” Moore said. “I really don’t see Manny beating Mario Barrios, I just think he is way past his best and it’s a young man’s sport but if the unbelievable happened and Manny won, I would really be on the fence about it because ultimately, my number-one objective would be to get Jack Catterall a world title. I wouldn’t feel comfortable going in there with someone like Manny Pacquiao because, at this stage of his career, he could get hurt. Pacquiao is an absolute legend. I have the utmost respect for him, hence the reason why if that scenario did unfold, I wouldn’t feel comfortable. But also, I want Jack to win a world title, so it would be a hard position to be in.”
31-year-old Catterall would, of course, be excused for getting excited about the chance to share a ring with an all-time great and a legend if a fight with Pacquiao did get offered to him, but it’s easy to see where Moore is coming from. Catterall, though, if he did land a fight with Pacquiao, and with it a shot at a world title, would very possibly be thrilled to be facing a living legend.
That said, would a victorious Pacquiao want to risk his WBC title in a first defence against such a young and hungry fighter who is not that big of a name in the US? If he should defeat Barrios – and, yes it’s a big if – Manny would perhaps look to go into another big money fight with someone like Tank Davis; this a fight Manny and his team have actually mentioned for being “next” after Pac-Man beats Barrios as of course his team are predicting will be the case.
But Catterall, one of the perhaps underrated warriors of the sport, a man who deserves a higher profile, will surely get a world title opportunity sometime down the road, just not against Pacquiao. Catterall, 30-2(13) is coming off a decision loss to Arnold Barboza in a fight that contested the WBO interim title at 140 pounds. Next up, the southpaw from Chorley will face Harlem Eubank in what could prove to be a very interesting fight.