Having been forced to go eight months between fights prior to Saturday’s win, Brian Castaño hopes for a much quicker turnaround for his next ring assignment.
A showdown with the best junior middleweight in the world and within the next three months will certainly do the trick.
“If Julian Williams needs a challenger (for his next fight), here I am,” Castaño (16-0-1, 12KOs) told BoxingScene.com and other reporters following a recent 5th round injury stoppage of Wale Omotoso, in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
Williams (27-1-1, 16KOs) earned a slew of junior middleweight hardware following a career-best 12-round win over previously unbeaten Jarrett Hurd this past May in Fairfax, Virginia. Their Fight of the Year-level war was the most notable among a massive changing of the guard atop the division within the past year, with the fight both entertaining and significant enough to warrant a return go.
A rematch was tentatively slated to take place Dec. 14 in Brooklyn, New York, only for Hurd (23-1, 16KOs)—who served as part of the Fox Sports ringside broadcast team for Castano's win—to decide to move his career in a different direction in the short term.
The fighting pride of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is now slated to land a homecoming appearance for his first title defense - with Jeison Rosario in the other corner - on January 18th at the Liacouras Center.
Feeling fresh following his most recent win, the winner and still unbeaten junior middleweight is more than willing to fight Williams next or at some point in 2020.
“That would be a great fight,” Castaño stated of the matchup. “I am willing to face Williams if (he needs an opponent). Otherwise, I am willing to face anyone.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox