Teixeira-Castano Title Fight: WBO Orders November 12 Purse Bid
By
Jake Donovan
Published On Fri Nov 6, 2020, 04:51 PM EST
Having exhausted all options, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) has now taken matters into its own hands regarding its junior middleweight championship.
A purse bid hearing was formally ordered by the Puerto Rico-based sanctioning body for a mandatory title fight between defending champ Patrick Teixeira and unbeaten Brian Castano. The session will take place November 12 via Zoom conference call, open to all WBO-registered promoters.
The WBO will conduct the session from its headquarters in San Juan. The minimum accepted bid for the session will be $200,000.
Teixeira’s promoter, Golden Boy Promotions was given a 10-day deadline to deliver the reigning titlist or a reason for his inability to defend his title within the parameters set by the WBO. With the order came the threat of the matter heading to a purse bid, thus potentially taking promotional control away from Golden Boy and instead landing in the hands of the highest bidder.
Such appears to be the fate for a fight that has been more than 11 months in the making.
“On Monday, October 26, 2020, this Committee issued a “Resolution” granting Golden Boy Promotions (1) 10 days upon issuance of our ruling to confirm the official bout date, place and venue for the WBO Jr. Middleweight Mandatory Championship Contest between Patrick Teixeira and Brian Castaño; (2) the current immigration status of Teixeira; and (3) Teixeira’s arrival date in the USA,” Luis Batista-Salas, chairman of the WBO Championship Committee stated to Golden Boy and TGB Promotions (Castaño) in an official letter, a copy of which has been obtained by BoxingScene.com.
“The preceding information was to be certified and evidenced in writing to this Committee within the term provided therein. Furthermore, Golden Boy Promotions was advised that failure to comply with the Committee’s ruling would trigger calling the Teixeira/Castaño bout to a purse bid procedure pursuant to WBO Rules and Regulations. Having the term provided in the “Resolution” transpired, and having Golden Boy Promotions failed to comply with the conditions set forth in our “Resolution”, the Committee must proceed accordingly.”
Brazil’s Teixeira (31-1, 25KOs) and Argentina’s Castaño (16-0-1, 12KOs) were first ordered to fight last December, immediately upon Teixeira receiving an upgrade from WBO “interim” to “World” junior middleweight champion at the sanctioning body’s annual convention. Teixeira won the interim belt in a 12-round upset win over unbeaten Carlos Adames on November 30 before receiving full title status just five days later.
With it came the obligation to next face Castaño as his mandatory challenger. The two sides were able to reach terms in avoiding a purse bid, with Golden Boy prepared to present the bout as part of a loaded April 25 show from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. The event was shut down due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has also left Teixeira unable to leave his native Brazil.
Such travel status has been the holdup in moving forward with this fight. Castaño was able to make his way to the United States, having been training in Los Angeles for more than a month in anticipation of a fight date.
Rumors swirled of the two colliding on December 5, as part of a Golden Boy and DAZN show headlined by a lightweight clash between Ryan Garcia and Luke Campbell. The undercard has since been announced, not including the aforementioned junior middleweight title fight and leaving the WBO with unanswered questions.
“There is no doubt that WBO Participants Teixeira and Castaño are bound by the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests,” Batista-Salas confirmed in the October 26 order. “It is an uncontested fact that Golden Boy Promotions, as the official bout promoter, must secure a bout and T.V. date, place, and venue; furthermore, as the promoter of WBO Jr. Middleweight Champion Teixeira, they are exclusively responsible for arranging, coordinating, and producing said fighter in the United States of America, the jurisdiction where the bout will be staged.
“To date, such assurances have not been met, and there is no certainty as to when will Teixeira’s visa issues will be resolved and be allowed entry to comply as ordered with the WBO Jr. Middleweight Mandatory Championship Contest against Castaño.”
The matter was met with sympathy for Teixeira’s situation. At the same time, as much understanding was granted to a request submitted by Tom Brown, head of TGB Promotions on behalf of Castaño to move forward with the title fight whether in some form.
“[T]his Committee agrees with TGB Promotion’s argument to the extent that Castaño currently is immersed in an uncertain state due to Teixeira’s pending visa issues, which to date, are still unsettled by the corresponding U.S. and national security government agencies,” notes Batista-Salas. “Nonetheless, we cannot acquiesce the petition that Teixeira be designated as WBO Champion in “Recess” because such designation is non-existent in our rules and is contrary to our institutional policies.
“We are aware of the circumstances concerning the Covid-19 pandemic and its implications. Likewise, there is no dispute as to the involuntary cancellation of Teixeira’s visa appointment in the U.S. Embassy in Brazil as evidenced to this Committee. Nevertheless, the current state and circumstances are untenable. Wherefore, this Committee must take affirmative action and remedy the situation by issuing a fair and reasonable resolution whereby all relevant parties’ rights and interests are protected as well as the remaining WBO contenders in the Jr. Middleweight Division.”
Castaño (16-0-1, 12KOs) has been out of the ring since a 5th round stoppage of Wale Omotoso last November in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Teixeira has not fought since his aforementioned title-claiming victory over Adames.
.......yea I'ma take the word of the best fighters in the game. A couple of which are canelo's competition.
