The WBO wrote: "One year and seven months have elapsed since Teofimo Lopez Jr., won the WBO junior welterweight championship, making his mandatory title defense obligation due. However, the WBO had not determined a definitive and legitimate mandatory challenger to initiate negotiations. Consequently, the WBO ordered an elimination bout between the top two available WBO contenders in the division: #1 ranked Arnold Barboza, Jr. (31-0-0), and #2 ranked Jack Catterall (30-1-0). Both contenders presented compelling cases for mandatory challenger designation, leading the WBO to sanction an elimination contest. After a proposed title defense of Lopez vs. former IBF champion Subriel Matias fell through, the WBO upgraded Caterall-Barboza to an interim title fight.

 

"The WBO Championship Committee has now ruled that as WBO (and world) junior welterweight champion, Lopez must discharge his mandatory title defense obligation against the winner of the Catterall vs. Barboza interim title bout within 180 days after their bout, which is scheduled for Saturday, February 15th. [This will] terminate the interim champion status and ensure a single [WBO] champion in the 140-pound division. Failure to comply with the conditions outlined herein will trigger WBO intervention for the enforcement of WBO regulations of world championship contests."