Three extra weeks of negotiations merely proved to prolong the inevitable.

A purse bid hearing has been ordered by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) to determine promotional rights for the 154-pound title fight between its defending champ, Patrick Teixiera and undefeated mandatory challenger Brian Castaño, the Puerto Rico-based sanctioning body announced Friday morning. The session will take place January 29 in Miami, Florida, and will be open to all WBO-registered promoters providing they submit a minimum bid of $200,000.

“As per sections 11 through 14… of the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests, please be advised that a purse bid will be held at 10:00am Eastern Standard Time on January 29, 2020,” Luis Batista Salas, chairman of the WBO Championship Committee announced in a letter formally submitted to the handlers for both boxers.

Brazil’s Teixeira (31-1, 22KOs) is managed by Patrick Nascimento and promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. Argentina’s Castaño (16-0-1, 12KOs) is managed by Sebastian Contursi and fights under adviser Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), with TGB Promotions representing the former titlist in current talks and also included in the WBO’s submitted notice.

Teixeira will attempt the first defense of the title he initially won in interim capacity following a 12-round decision over Carlos Adames last November in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Brazilian puncher was upgraded to full titlist less than a week later, advanced upon the vacancy left behind by Mexico’s Jaime Munguia, who abandoned his title reign in favor of a middleweight run.

Castaño (16-0-1, 12KOs) is a former secondary titleholder with the World Boxing Association (WBA), having vacated the belt this past summer after scrapping plans for a mandatory title defense rematch versus France’s Michel Soro. The two fought in 2017, with Castaño winning a decision but his team having to take Soro’s handlers to court in order to get paid.

The lack of financial assurances or sufficient drug testing was enough to prompt Castaño’s team to bail from history threatening to repeat itself, thus opting to give up the belt. He’s since fought in November, scoring a one-sided injury stoppage win over Wale Omotoso in a bout with a WBO regional title at stake. It was enough to keep his place high among the sanctioning body’s rankings, and sliding into the number-one position following Teixeira’s aforementioned win over Adames.

The title fight was originally ordered during the WBO convention last December 4th in Tokyo. Talks were extended in early January due to much of Puerto Rico being affected by a series of catastrophic earthquakes, causing enough damage for WBO headquarters in San Juan to be shut down for nearly a full week.

Having exhausted all options, the bout has officially become subjected to the highest bidder. An 11th hour deal can still be reached to avoid the purse bid hearing.

The WBO also addressed the possibility of either party being unable to participate.  

“If the WBO champion is injured and depending on the type of injury and needed recovery time, the WBO World Championship Committee, per the WBO Regulations, will determine if the WBO Championship title is declared "Vacant" or if an Interim WBO Championship contest is ordered,” noted Salas.  “If the Challenger is injured or refuses to fight, he loses his position in the WBO World Ratings.

“Accordingly, the WBO World Championship Committee may determine and select the next available contender or orders an Elimination bout between the two best available contenders, and the WBO Champion may be permitted a voluntary defense.”

The winning bidder will be required to file signed contracts with the WBO within five (5) days in order for the bid to be fully honored.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox