09.10.05 – Photo:Tom Casino/SHOWTIME – By Wray Edwards: Jeff Lacy was not the only “Left Hook” in the Thomas and Mack Arena last night. Jose Castillo brought one with him also, and shared it in liberal fashion with Diego Corrales. In a highly touted re-match Jose and Chico went on to round eleven, picking up right where they left off last May. Good for Jose…bad for Chico. FATE WAS TEMPTED AND DID STRIKE. The match, which was drastically marred by Castillo’s highly unprofessional missing of weigh-in requirements, mutated from a championship clash into a “Twelve Round Special Event”. Showtime personalities scrambled to put a new face on the contest, alluding to the driving force of Chico’s pride, Jose’s quest for revenge, and the seething momentum of an emerging trilogy.
Gary Shaw vented – post-fight – on that subject as evidenced below. There were some very entertaining statements made by several on-stage after the fight.
Suggestions were made that Castillo may have deliberately failed to train, or purge himself, to the agreed weight, as a way to get the upper hand against Chico, who made whatever debilitating sacrifices were necessary to comply.
In a pre-fight interview Jim Gray spoke with the executive director (Marc Ratner) of the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) and attempted to get his views on the pathetic state of Boxing’s weigh-in practices and divisional limits. For the past nine months this and other writers, as well as posters on these pages, have struggled to bring these absurdities to official attention. This writer had extensive discussions with Tony Lato, Jr. (Chief Inspector of the NAC) regarding these weight-shifting issues.
Jim asked the very same, common sense questions, previously found on this site, about how ridiculous is the current state of affairs, and what can be done to get rid of the mess. Mr. Ratner agreed that there is an immediate need to make changes. Tighter limits on weigh-in to fight weight differentials were mentioned, as well as moving weigh-ins to fight day. Objections based on statements that more injuries will occur due to the effects of fasting and dehydration to make weight, are specious at best. Simple weight monitoring during a fighter’s career would forestall much of this. Besides, if you are a “professional” you just stay in shape…period!
Requiring everyone to fight closer to their “natural” or “walking around” weight would reduce the use of crash dieting, diuretics, sweatboxing and other extreme measures, which only serve to skew and disfigure the whole concept of weight divisions. The Anchondo – Barrios debacle is another example of how these practices injure the sport as well as its
participants.
No matter how exciting the fight might be, if it is conducted under a cloud of confusion, disappointment, suspicion and second-guessing, everyone is cheated. Assessing fines is a paltry gesture which does little to address the emotional let-down of the fans and opponents. It is the author’s opinion that one cannot rule out the possibility that Diego Corrales had the motivational rug pulled out from under him when the bout degenerated into a “Special Event”. Stripped of the urgency to defend his championships, he might have experienced a loss of focus which, combined with the stress of making weight, might have been crucial to the outcome.
Castillo was obviously the stronger boxer during the first three rounds. Of the two fighters, Castillo appears to have the greater one-punch KO potential. Chico tends to drop his opponents with withering combinations (Frietas, Castillo) rather than one, big strike…which brings us to the fight.
Round One was truly round eleven from last time. Round Two served to inform us that Castillo’s rep as a slow starter was not going to apply this time. He started right off at a pace not reached until round five of the first bout. He appeared to have faster hands, harder, more accurate punches, and his usual adamantine chin. Diego rallied often but was countered well.
In Round Three, Castillo began to take real advantage of Chico’s growing tendency to cock his right outside and down a bit for a right cross. At 1:07 Corrales did this and before he could deliver, Jose threw a short, quick left hook to Diego’s left ear and neck. Chico was still constructing and delivering that right cross, which was wide of the mark, as Castillo’s left took the arc of Chico’s cross away to Diego’s left. Chico went off balance to his left and as he turned back to face Jose he was gifted with a quick Castillo right which sent him reeling back toward the ropes. Corrales’ punch formation did not seem to be as tight as it had previously been against Freitas and Castillo.
The first three rounds gave immediate evidence that Corrales was again going to fight Jose’s fight (inside) electing to eschew the advantage-option of his long-range potentials. His proclivity to assemble sweeping rights telegraphed his intentions, left his jaw unprotected, and invited disaster. Castillo repeatedly took advantage with very quick punches which can only be described as “pre-counter-punches” as he often struck like a cobra right in the middle if Chico’s strike preps.
Round Four was not very old before the roof fell in on Chico. He again dropped his right down and out for a right cross, and Castillo timed him perfectly with a textbook left hook. By this time in the fight Jose’s left hook was practically an automatic reflex whenever he saw that Corrales right winding up. So, with 2:28 to go in the Fourth Round, Castillo’s south paw impacted Chico’s right cheek, and Diego collapsed like a house of cards. Referee Joe Cortez started the count, and as
Corrales (glassy-eyed) rolled to his right (4-5-6) got to his hands and knees (7-8) and staggered to his feet (9-10) he was counted out.
The place went nuts. A majority Castillo crowd roared their approval. As the TV director frantically switched cameras, Corrales was heard to say to Joe, “What happened?” He really won’t know until he watches the tape and then it will become painfully clear what happened and why. Results…Gary Shaw’s 100 grand went down the Castillo drain…Jose evens the score, but fritters away a chance to reclaim the belts…and Chico got a lesson in the advisability of fighting with the other guy’s style. Diego was spared a prolonged beating by Castillo’s merciful, fourth-round coup de grace.
Castillo was pleased during the post-fight interview as he repeatedly avoided Gray’s attempts to inquire whether Jose thought he might have come in stronger than Diego because he had not endured the rigors of making weight. He was also probably pleased because Bob Arum had grabbed him and yelled, “I’ll give you a hundred thousand”. When Jim turned to
Chico to get his take on the fight, Gary Shaw tried to get in on the act by forcefully proclaiming that, “We are revoking our right for a rematch. We have a right to revoke it!” Jim Gray brushed him aside to speak with Diego who was magnanimous in congratulating Castillo, and though Gray pressed his interest in Castillo’s weight issues, Chico refused to participate.
Gray missed a golden opportunity to get what appeared to be a breaking story. If Gary Shaw was dismissing the possibility of a rubber match, that would have been really big news, in the making, right there on live TV. Why he did that is a mystery, as Promoters are often given an opportunity to join in the post-fight interviews, and often announce important, future plans as a result of the fight’s outcome. Whether Mr. Shaw actually intends to exercise the no rematch right he seemed to be claiming, remains to be seen, but Jim Gray missed a chance to find out right then and there.
Rather than yet another consecutive fight with Castillo, it might be interesting to see Chico in unification action with Juan Diaz, providing Diaz does not sustain another “cut” just before their meeting. Zahir Raheem might be real fun coming off his recent stalwart victory over Erik Morales. Jesus Chavez is another interesting unification possibility. After this rather shabby encounter, it seems only fair that other boxers, who are very well qualified, should be given a shot at Diego’s belts, if they can make weight.
Truth be told, the author is a bit tired of the endless Showtime happy-talk and hype over the largely manufactured Corrales-Castillo rivalry. Jose’s recent peccadillo on the scales has raised too many questions about his professionalism, and even suspicions about his fairness. Maybe it might be better for him to go to 140, or higher, and freshen things up a bit.
His excuse that he had a sore rib which disabled him from being able to do what was necessary to make weight seems a bit thin. Don’t get this wrong…he is a great fighter, but he needs to take a chill pill and fight a few other guys himself. How much better it would be for him to go get the belts of Diaz and Chavez to set up a four sanction, full unification, rubber match with Diego. It would take something like that for me to even consider paying for another Castillo-Corrales show. See you at the fights.