After his last scheduled fight, a decision loss to Jack Catterall this past Saturday, October 21, 2023, Jorge Linares announced his retirement from professional boxing. Linares ends his career as a 3-division champion who captured fans appreciation for aesthetically pleasing, foot forward speedy boxing, whose capable right hand led to major knockdowns (the only man to ever knockdown Vasily Lomachenko in a professional bout) and combinations that truly tested Devin Haney’s chin.
Catterral vs Linares
In het highly anticipated boxing match, which garnered significant attention from boxing’s hardcore world, the showdown between seasoned veteran Jorge Linares and Jack Catterral, whose still somewhere between a known entity and up-and-coming contender ranks, yet experienced, turned in a much tighter affair than many had expected.
Linares, despite the passing years, once again demonstrated his exceptional ring prowess by taking the younger Catterall into deep waters, exposing his lack of KO power and vulnerabilities to a double jab. The display underscored Linares’ remarkable experience and ability to hold his own against formidable opponents. However, as in-person and TV spectators anxiously observed Linares’ skills on display, it still prompted thoughts of his impending retirement.
The actual fight with Jack Catterall was slow paced, but Catterall was at one point able to hurt Linares. For his part, Linares was able to lean on his experience to prevent a KO and at times his double jab was well placed for Catterall’s predictable movement. Perhaps, the weight allowed Catterall to bully Linares at times.
At the second round, Linares already had a cut, not from the exchanges themselves, but from the scar tissue surely gathered after a stellar career!
During his career, Linares held the WBC Featherweight Title, the WBA Super-Featherweight Title and the WBC, WBA & Ring Magazine Lightweight Titles so he progressed with his weight as he aged.
Born in Barinas, Venezuela, Linares rose from the ranks and made a name for himself first in Japan, then in the United States. His first fight took place in January 2002 in Japan where he scored a KO in front of an audience in the Osaka prefecture, Japan.
Even in his losses, Linares was able to reveal deficits in his opponents and his own merit shone through.
Linares highlights: