Brian Castano has heard everything that Patrick Teixeira and his team had to say over the past several months.
The only thing he hasn’t heard is when his overdue title shot will materialize.
“Look, I’m asking myself the same question,” Castano told BoxingScene.com. “I’m in training and waiting for the date to be confirmed. This is my second camp here in America to get ready for Teixeira. I came here back in January but the fight was postponed because of the pandemic.
“I’ve travelled again to California. I’ve been training for over a month now and I’m still waiting for a date.”
Argentina’s Castano (16-0-1, 12KOs) has waited throughout the pandemic for his mandatory crack at Teixeira’s WBO 154-pound belt to see the light of day. The two were due to meet this past April in Indio, California, only to get shut down by the initial wave of the ongoing global health crisis.
Efforts to reschedule have thus far proven futile, with the WBO at point calling for Teixeira’s promoter, Golden Boy Promotions to provide a firm answer by mid-October on a revised date and location. Representatives from the sanctioning body have declined specific comment to BoxingScene.com, though the sense is that the heart of the problem is Teixeira’s inability to leave his native Brazil due to ongoing travel issues affected by COVID.
That very dilemma is why Castano’s team made sure to bring the unbeaten former titlist back to the United States, to ensure that the 31-year old will be primed and ready for whenever that date comes.
“I don’t know why they didn’t announce a new date and why he isn’t here already,” notes a frustrated Castaño, who has been out of the ring since a 5th round stoppage of Wale Omotoso last November 2 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. “All I know is that he’s been trash-talking me on Instagram. That is the only thing I know about him at this time.”
Teixeira (31-1, 22KOs) claimed the interim WBO title in a 12-round decision win over previously unbeaten Carlos Adames last November 30 in Las Vegas. Less than a week later—on his 29th birthday, no less—came an upgrade to the real thing, though with the mandate to next face Castaño. The two sides agreed to terms to avoid a purse bid hearing, with Golden Boy remaining in control of promotional rights.
There are whispers of the fight landing on a December 5 DAZN-USA show topped by a terrific lightweight clash between Ryan García (20-0, 17KOs)—whom Golden Boy also promotes—and England’s Luke Campbell (20-3, 16KOs). Those plans will have to be firmed up this week if a purse bid hearing is to be once again avoided.
“That is what we are training for,” reveals Castano. “We’ve been working hard and waiting for news. Like I said, I don’t know anything about his whereabouts. All I know is that he talks on Instagram. Sometimes he says he is waiting for me. The next day, he wants to fight Tim Tszyu, then the next he wants to fight (Jermell) Charlo.
“I don’t know whom he wants to fight against. I’m here training and waiting for the moment I have him in front of me so that I can take his belt away from him.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox