Jack Catterall reveals what it was really like to spar Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez ahead of world title fight at the Pyramids of Giza

EXCLUSIVE: Jack Catterall has given a fascinating insight into what it was like to trade punches with Floyd Mayweather and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

On Saturday night, ‘El Gato’ will battle it out with Shakhram Giyasov for the WBA (Regular) welterweight world title, in a historic event at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, on the undercard of the heavyweight clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven.

Jack Catterall had a fantastic experience sparring Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez

Today, fans know Jack Catterall for being an incredible fighter, capable of bamboozling his opponents with his slick skills. And it was during sparring sessions with the best in the business where he sharpened the tools he utilises so brilliantly in the ring today.

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, the 32-year-old reminisced: “It was 2015, in the build-up to when Floyd Mayweather fought Manny Pacquiao. I went over there with a previous coach and some training partners. It was Mayweather’s hand-wrap guy, Bob Ware, who got us the sparring. We spent a number of weeks in The Mayweather Gym. I’m very grateful for the experience, and I describe it as almost like a degree condensed into a couple of weeks, the learning and experience of being in a gym with not just Floyd, but a stable of good fighters. It was unbelievable.

“Off the back of that, I got invited to get a flight over to San Diego to spar Canelo Alvarez. He was preparing for another southpaw in James Kirkland, so within those couple of months, aside from the two big names I sparred, I was sparring a lot of good fighters in between. I would pass on a message to the next generation of fighters: go out there and get out of your comfort zone. Obviously, you have to manage the sparring; you can’t be sparring every day, but it’s good to be surrounded by great people. It’s fantastic if you’re fortunate enough to get in there with a Mayweather or a Canelo, I’ve been in with a list of great fighters, including Amir Khan and Kell Brook. You’ve got to soak all of it up and try and take a little bit of everything from all the experiences.”

Jack Catterall has gone on a remarkable road to his fight with Shakhram Giyasov

After turning professional at Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester, UK, back in 2012, the Chorley boxer had no idea that almost 14 years later he’d be battling it out for a world championship belt at one of the most stunning locations on Earth.

Catterall reflected: “What a mad journey. You’ve got to enjoy every moment — the ups and the downs. A few weeks ago, I was on the cusp of fighting in America, a totally different fight, and then, within 48 hours, a day after they announced the Usyk vs Verhoeven match, I got a call saying, ‘Do you want to go and fight in Egypt’? I replied, ‘Of course I want to fight in Egypt’. I’ve never been shy and turned down a fight, and then, they proposed the opponent, an unbelievable boxer, for a great title, on an amazing card. I’ve never been to Egypt before, so what an opportunity for me, and a great story for the future.”

Fans can watch Jack Catterall vs Shakhram Giyasov and Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven, live on DAZN PPV

Featured Image Credit: Getty/Sportsman Boxing