Teofimo Lopez, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis’ next mandatories to be determined in early 2025 bouts

While an IBF welterweight title fight between reigning champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis and WBO super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez is being explored for Spring 2025, fights to determine the next mandatory challengers for each respective beltholder have also been agreed upon.

Representatives for the WBO said at their convention in October that Lopez will have to face a mandatory challenger next. In November, they ordered their No. 1 and No. 2 ranked contenders, Arnold Barboza Jr. and Jack Catterall, to meet in a final eliminator, with the winner earning the right to challenge Lopez.

Catterall, 31, hinted on social media that the fight with Barboza, 33, could take place on Feb. 15 in Manchester. Uncrowned’s Keith Idec confirmed the super lightweight pair have agreed to face each other on that date. The bout will land at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena and stream on DAZN.

Barboza (31-0, 11 KOs) recorded a career-best win in November by beating former unified champion Jose Ramirez on the Gilberto Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith undercard.

The Californian came into the fight with ample pressure on his back after many felt he was lucky to keep his unbeaten record in an underwhelming split decision victory over Sean McComb in April.

Catterall (30-1, 13 KOs) was on the wrong end of a heavily disputed verdict for the undisputed championship against Josh Taylor in 2022. But a four-fight run since signing with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing has seen him pick up big wins in a rematch with Taylor and most recently against Regis Prograis. Catterall is now just one win away from another crack at world title honors.

Uncrowned has also learned that undefeated Irish duo Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan have agreed on a deal to box in an IBF eliminator next, with the winner becoming the IBF mandatory challenger to Ennis.

Crocker vs. Donovan is penciled in to headline a DAZN-streamed fight card on March 1 at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It will be one of the biggest all-Irish fights in recent years.

Crocker (20-0, 11 KOs) and Donovan (14-0, 11 KOs) have been on a collision course since they boxed one week apart on Matchroom shows in 2023. Donovan impressively halted Danny Ball in four rounds, while Crocker dominated Tyrone McKenna for a wide decision win.

They then shared a card two months later. Crocker stopped the undersized Jose Felix in five rounds in the main event, while Donovan struggled in a seventh-round finish of Williams Andres Herrera.

In May, Donovan dispatched a faded Lewis Ritson in the penultimate round. Four weeks later, with Donovan sitting ringside, Crocker edged Conah Walker in a thriller. Hearn declared afterward that Crocker and Donovan would share the ring next.

Not only is an IBF No. 1 ranking at stake for Crocker vs. Donovan, the respective boxers are also rated in the top five of the WBA, presenting another world championship route for the winner.