Catterall Tops ESPN's British Title Hopefuls List

Jack Catterall sits atop ESPN's list of British boxers most likely to capture their first full world title, with the Chorley welterweight ahead of heavyweight Moses Itauma and junior welterweight Adam Azim in the outlet's latest rankings.

Catterall already holds the WBA 'regular' welterweight belt after dropping Shakhram Giyasov en route to a unanimous decision in Cairo in May, per ESPN's Nick Parkinson. If WBA world champion Teofimo Lopez declines to face him next, the 33-year-old will be elevated to full champion without another fight. Catterall lost a controversial split decision to Josh Taylor for the undisputed junior welterweight crown in 2022 but avenged that setback two years later when no titles were at stake.

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Itauma's Heavyweight Promise Despite Hrgovic Setback

Itauma checks in second despite his ninth-round stoppage loss to Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title earlier this year. The 21-year-old from Kent built a commanding lead before punching himself out in Round 8 and was carried from the ring on a stretcher after the finish. ESPN projects the heavyweight will secure another title shot in 2027 at the earliest, citing his punching power and footwork as reasons he remains a strong contender for multiple belts down the line.

Azim ranks third after his sixth straight stoppage victory in May, a three-round dismantling of Steve Claggett that followed his patient 12th-round finish of Kurt Scooby last November. The 24-year-old from Slough sits No. 4 with the IBF and No. 3 with the WBC at junior welterweight. Olympic gold medallist Galal Yafai lands fourth on the list, though the Birmingham flyweight has not fought since June 2025 when his points loss to Francisco Rodriguez Jr was overturned to a no-contest after the Mexican tested positive for a banned substance. Yafai was slated to challenge unified champion Ricardo Sandoval in June but withdrew injured.

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Conor Benn rounds out the top five ahead of his WBC welterweight title shot against Ryan Garcia at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. Benn returns to 147 pounds for the first time since April 2022 after his last five outings at middleweight or catchweight. Light heavyweight Ben Whittaker, junior lightweight Sam Noakes, and featherweights Andrew Cain and Josh Padley complete ESPN's top 10. Whittaker faces Conor Wallace in an IBF eliminator in Birmingham on October 3, with the winner in line to challenge Dmitry Bivol for three belts in 2027.

Source: espn.com