Brian Castaño (17-0-1, 12 KOs) sat back and listened as WBO Jr. Middleweight belt holder Patrick Teixeira (31-2, 22 KOs) called for an undisputed showdown with unified champion Jermell Charlo.
The Argentinian was incredulous as it seemed as though his opponent forgot that he had to deal with him first. At the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio California, Castaño made sure to remind him.
From the moment the first bell rang, Castaño seemingly ran off his stool and greeted his man with nose-to-nose action. Teixeira though, didn’t flinch. He simply took a few steps back and threw out a number of jabs in an attempt to keep his man at bay.
It didn’t work.
Castaño was undeterred in the pity pat punches thrown in his direction as he simply maneuvered around them and landed several shots of his own. Unlike the light landing shots of Teixeira, Castaño’s firepower thudded throughout the pandemic stricken empty arena.
With Castaño showing his man absolutely no respect throughout the first few rounds, Teixeira went to plan B: Fight fire with fire.
Instead of retreating and attempting to box, Teixeira met him right in the center of the ring and slugged things out.
A smiling Castaño welcomed the onslaught as he continued to let his hands go. At this point, it was a question of who’s chin could hold up better. With the feet of Teixeira beginning to move backward, it was clear Castaño’s will was a bit stronger.
During the championship rounds, things began to get really dicey for Teixeira as his title began slipping through his fingers.
Castaño landed a huge right hand that seemed to rattle his opponent in the tenth. He quickly pushed forward in an attempt to close the show, but the seconds on the clock ticked away too soon for him to end things emphatically.
As the final round came, the belt of Teixeira was essentially being shined on the sidelines as it was being prepared its new owner. Teixeira though, to his credit, emptied the tank as he was seeking a miraculous shot. However, it never came.
To the surprise of no one, Castaño took home the wide decision victory on the night and claimed Teixeira’s world title.
Final Grade For Brian Castaño: A
In no way am I saying that Patrick Teixeira was a dominant champion or even a worthy belt holder.
But Castaño, on the other hand, is.
The constant pressure he places on his opponent is mind-numbing. Even with over 1,100 total shots thrown, those numbers don’t tell the full story.
In short, Castaño was extremely impressive. So much so that Jermell Charlo could be sleeping a bit uncomfortably tonight.
