Teofimo Lopez vs. Jack Catterall: Purse Bids Due Today

The Teofimo Lopez Catterall fight has until the close of business Eastern Time on Thursday, October 22nd to be agreed, when the WBA’s negotiation window for Lopez’s ordered welterweight title defence runs out. Eddie Hearn says the choice is simple: Lopez fights Jack Catterall or he vacates the belt.

Catterall has already made his position clear. He posted “READY FOR A FIGHT” on social media and tagged DAZN Boxing so the network could not miss it.

For me, Hearn holds the stronger hand. Catterall won the WBA regular title by beating Shakhram Giyasov in May, he has now waited five months for the mandatory to produce a ring date, and Hearn says he has written assurances to back his place in the queue.

Teofimo Lopez vs Catterall Deadline: What Happens On Thursday

The deadline is the end of the official discussion window set up by the WBA. It is not an automatic guarantee that Lopez gets stripped on the spot.

If no deal is reached, the WBA can move towards a purse bid. An appeal is also still pending, and that ruling will dictate who Catterall faces and how quickly he gets back in the ring.

Key point	Detail
Deadline	Close of business ET, Thursday, October 22nd
Title at stake	WBA welterweight (Lopez as super champion)
Catterall’s route	Beat Shakhram Giyasov in May for the WBA regular title
Time waiting	Five months
Lopez camp’s alternative	Ryan Garcia unification, early 2027
Fight date and venue	None set

What Eddie Hearn Said: Fight Catterall Or Vacate

Hearn, who promotes Catterall, spelled out the situation to iFL TV. He said Lopez’s side has pushed back on the order: “Teofimo has pushed back and said, ‘We don’t think we should have to fight Jack Catterall. We’d like to try and make another fight,'” Hearn said.

He was just as direct about the paperwork. “We’ve had multiple dozens of assurances in writing through the resolution,” Hearn said. “We’ll let the WBA do their work, and I’m sure they’ll act appropriately.”

He also accepted the money gap. “I get it. It’s not a fight that pays you as much money as Ryan Garcia, but it’s a good fight that pays you a lot of money, and it’s your mandatory challenger. So do as champions should do and make the fight.”

Teofimo Lopez Next Fight 2026: The Ryan Garcia Problem

The reason for the standoff is Garcia. Lopez’s manager Keith Connolly met Garcia’s manager Lupe Valencia in San Diego earlier this month and posted, in a screenshot shared by Dan Rafael: “Boxing fans get ready Mega Fight coming.”

Connolly did not name the fight or announce a deal. Lopez’s side has since tried to get special permission to pursue a different opponent, looking at a Garcia unification for early 2027. Catterall is the roadblock, because the WBA has already ordered its super champion to face him next.

Garcia holds the WBC welterweight title, so a fight with Lopez would be a title fight either way. Signing for it would still leave the Catterall mandatory unresolved, and unless the WBA grants permission first, Lopez could have to give up his belt to make it.

What It Means For British Boxing

This is a British fighter waiting on an American champion’s decision, and the outcome decides whether Catterall gets a world title fight of his own or watches Lopez move on to a bigger pay day.

Callum Smith is waiting too, in a different way. DAZN has confirmed its coverage of Dmitry Bivol’s December 12th defence against Smith at the UMMC Arena in Yekaterinburg, Russia, where the Briton challenges for the WBA, IBF and WBO light heavyweight belts. By fight night Smith will have been out for almost 22 months, since his February 2025 win over Joshua Buatsi, after a training camp injury forced him out of an April 18th defence against David Morrell in Liverpool.

Check our boxing on TV today page for what is live and when.

Jack’s Verdict

I think the WBA has to hold the line here, because Catterall did everything the sanctioning body asked: he won the regular title against Giyasov in May, he has waited five months, and Hearn says he has dozens of written assurances. Letting Lopez walk into a Garcia fight with the mandatory still open would tell every contender that a mandatory only counts when the champion has nothing better to do. I accept the other side, because Garcia is far bigger money than Catterall and Hearn himself admits as much, and a Lopez v Garcia fight in early 2027 is one fans would want. But the best outcome is the simple one: Lopez fights Catterall in the next few months, keeps his belt, and earns the Garcia fight afterwards.

Your questions answered

When is the Teofimo Lopez v Catterall deadline?

The deadline is the close of business Eastern Time on Thursday, October 22nd. That is when the WBA’s official negotiation window for the ordered welterweight title fight ends. It does not automatically strip Lopez, but it lets the WBA move towards a purse bid.

What time is the Teofimo Lopez v Catterall fight in the UK?

There is no UK start time because no date or venue has been set for the fight. The only fixed time is the negotiation deadline at close of business Eastern Time on October 22nd. Once the WBA rules or a deal is signed, the ring date will follow.

Why does Teofimo Lopez want to fight Ryan Garcia instead?

Money. Hearn admits a Garcia fight would pay Lopez far more than Catterall. Lopez’s manager Keith Connolly has met Garcia’s manager Lupe Valencia and teased a “Mega Fight”, and Lopez’s side has sought permission to pursue a unification for early 2027. The WBA’s mandatory order still stands in the way.

What did Eddie Hearn say Lopez must do?

Hearn said Lopez “will have the decision to fight Jack Catterall or vacate the belt”. He said Catterall’s team holds written assurances from the resolution process and that he trusts the WBA to act appropriately. He also said that champions should make the fight against their mandatory challenger.

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