By Jake Donovan

On the heels of his recent knockout win over Maurice Hooker, unbeaten and unified 140-pound titlist Jose Carlos Ramirez was faced with the dilemma of choosing between two mandatory challengers.

That choice has now been made for him.

The next order of business for Ramirez is to negotiate terms for a mandatory title defense versus England’s Jack Catterall. The pairing of unbeaten super lightweights was formally ordered by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) on Tuesday.

“The parties have thirty (30) days upon receipt of this letter to negotiate and reach an agreement regarding the WBO Jr. Welterweight Championship Contest between champion Mr. Jose Ramirez, and mandatory challenger Mr. Jack Catterall,” Luis Batista Salas, chairman of WBO championship committee stated in a letter submitted to both boxers and their respective promoters, Top Rank and Queensberry Promotions. “If an accord is not reached within the time frame set forth herein, a Purse Bid will be ordered pursuant with the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests.”

Should the matter go to purse bid, the fight will be eligible for all WBO-registered promoters, providing the winning bid is at least $150,000.

Either side can also request a purse bid at any point during negotiations.

Ramirez (25-0, 17KOs) scored a career best win in his last outing, boldly traveling to Hooker’s home region in claiming a 6th round knockout this past July in Arlington, Texas. The bout gave Ramirez his second belt, having won the World Boxing Council (WBC) title in a 12-round decision over Amir Imam last March and has now defended three times.

Catterall (24-0, 13KOs) was elevated to the mandatory position this past January, three months after scoring a 12-round win over Ohara Davies. The 26-year old southpaw from Leicester, England has fought exclusively in the United Kingdom throughout his seven-year career but figures to travel abroad for his first career title fight.

Absent another promoter winning a purse bid, the bout will likely land at the destination of Ramirez’s choosing. The defending titlist—who turns 27 this month—is a massive draw in California’s Central Valley region, routinely selling out the Save Mart Arena in Fresno, Calif.

Waiting in the wings is former titlist Viktor Postol, whom has resurfaced as the WBC mandatory challenger. It was decided, however that the WBO was first up in the rotation as per a pre-fight agreement made between the sanctioning body, Top Rank on behalf of Ramirez and co-promoters Roc Nation Sports and Matchroom Boxing on behalf of Hooker.

An agreement to first stage a unification bout ahead of a mandatory title defense “set forth the provision that the winner must face within 120-days after the bout, the mandatory challenger to be designated by the WBO World Championship Committee.

“Moreover, said provision was to be confirmed and acknowledged by both participants.”

It’s bad news for the Ukraine product and could get worse. Ramirez has actively targeted the winner of the World Boxing Super Series finals between Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor for his first big fight of 2020.

Prograis and Taylor are due to collide on October 5 at a United Kingdom venue to be determined, although the date has yet to be formally announced. The winner will come out with two major titles at 140, thus making a showdown with Ramirez (or Catterall, should he score the upset) for the division’s undisputed championship.

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