Castano: This Is The Most Important Fight For Argentina In The Past 20 Years
Brian Castano has become an integral part of notable sports talk in Argentina.
The unbeaten junior middleweight from Buenos Aires is one win away from becoming the first from his nation to ever claim undisputed champion status. Castano is considered a live underdog to achieve that goal, as he brings the WBO title into his showdown with lineal/WBC/WBA/IBF champion Jermell Charlo (34-1, 18KOs). The bout takes place this Saturday, live on Showtime from AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
“This is the most important fight for Argentina in the past 20 years,” Castano insisted during a recent press conference ahead of Saturday’s main event. “It’s my hardest fight. Charlo is a good fighter, he’s strong. I am, too. July 17, we are coming for war.”
The fight is the first for Castano since claiming the WBO junior middleweight title in a lopsided points win over Brazil’s Patrick Teixeria this past February in Indio, California. This weekend’s action also comes on the heels of the Argentina national football team winning the 2021 Copa America men’s football championship, its 15th title in the tournament’s 105-year history.
Argentina’s national team will now set its sights on qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as they are currently ranked second in the CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation) standings.
Castano (17-0-1, 12KOs) can bring home boxing’s version of the World Cup with a win on Saturday. While it’s fair to argue that his feat won’t be nearly as celebrated, it will prove all the more rewarding knowing the manner in which he will have achieved such a goal.
“The glory will be the same for both accomplishments. However, football is different,” Castano noted when asked to compare the two. “You can rely on ten other teammates. Lionel Messi has ten teammates to pass the ball to when things get tough.
“I’m in the ring by myself. When things get tough in the ring, I am on my own.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home.
