By David Finger

For Brazil’s Patrick Teixeira (31-1, 22 KOs) there is going to be no time to sit on his laurels. After winning the WBO interim 154-pound title on November 30, he now finds himself with a mandatory opponent, one that he will need to make his first defense against.

In a unanimous vote, the WBO voted to name undefeated Argentinian Brian Carlos Castaño (16-0-1, 12 KOs) as the mandatory challenger and ordered the Brazilian champion to start negotiations with Castaño and his team. Castaño, the former WBA super welterweight champion, is currently ranked #3 in the WBO but as both the top two fighters above him fought each other for the vacant title there was little question that he would move up to #1. But with the undefeated Argentinian having been named mandatory challenger there is little chance that Teixeira will be given the option to make a voluntary defense of his title.