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Castillo-Corrales will do it again
(DEC 2) Jose Luis Castillo and Diego “Chico” Corrales are ready to do it
again on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Saturday, Feb. 4, 2006. The
world’s most talented and courageous lightweights will collide in an
eagerly awaited rubber match to decide once and for all the No. 1
135-pound fighter on the planet. The 12-round bout, co-promoted by Top
Rank, Inc., and Gary Shaw Productions, LLC will air LIVE on SHOWTIME at
9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). A site will be announced in
the near future.
Castillo-Corrales III gives America’s No. 1 Boxing Network its strongest
opening lineup in history. SHOWTIME, which celebrates its 20th year of
televising world class fights in 2006, will open with a world
cruiserweight title unification bout on Saturday, Jan. 7 (Jean-Marc
Mormeck vs. O’Neil Bell). A month after Castillo-Corrales III, SHOWTIME
will offer the long-awaited world super middleweight title unification
showdown between undefeated champions Jeff Lacy (International Boxing
Federation and International Boxing Organization) and Joe Calzaghe
(World Boxing Organization) on March 4.
Showtime Sports & Event Programming General Manager Ken Hershman said,
“We are thrilled to be able to bring Corrales-Castillo III -- the most
highly-anticipated rubber match of recent memory -- to our subscribers
live on Showtime on Feb. 4. This epic trilogy, combined with Mormeck vs.
Bell on Jan. 7 and Lacy vs. Calzaghe on March 4, is definitive proof
that Showtime will continue its reign in 2006 as ‘America's Number One
Boxing Network.’ ’’
When it comes to highly anticipated trilogies, who needs “The
Godfather,” “Star Wars,” “Back to the Future,” “Indiana Jones” or “Lord
of the Rings” when you have “The War to Settle the Score on Feb. 4!” The
third fight in the legendary series will co-star Corrales, the exciting,
hard-hitting World Boxing Council (WBC) champion, and Castillo, the
powerful, explosive, former two-time WBC titleholder.
Corrales (40-3, 33 KOs) won the historic first bout against Castillo –
and the 2005 Fight of the Year -- when he dramatically rallied from the
brink of near-certain defeat to score two knockdowns and register a
memorable 10th-round TKO to unify the title and capture the WBC
lightweight belt on May 7, 2005.
Castillo (53-7, 47 KOs) won the brief, but brutal sequel five months
later with an impressive and sudden fourth-round knockout. Despite
losing the Oct. 8 rematch, Corrales came away with both his world title
belts when Castillo failed to make the 135-pound limit and one of his
camp members was caught trying to tamper with the scale at the weigh-in.
“When he didn't make weight (Castillo tipped the scales at 138½ pounds),
I had two options,” Corrales said. “The first was to call off the fight
entirely. The second was to allow Castillo to weigh in at 147 pounds on
the day of the fight and proceed with the match.
“I chose the second option because people deserve to see a fighter do
his job. If this fight did not happen, it would have been bad for
boxing. I respect the game, and they knew I would not let it be battered
or bruised by a big card being canceled. I could have said, ‘I am not
going to fight,’ but I had an obligation to the fans.
“But the past is past. I opened up and Castillo caught me with a great
shot. I have no excuses. I do not want to take credit away from his win.
“Now, we have each won once. I cannot wait until Feb. 4.’’
Said Castillo: “I said after the last fight that if they wanted to make
this like the ‘Rocky’ movie series, I did not care. I will fight
Corrales five or six times.
“(After the knockdown) I knew Corrales was not getting up. I told
everyone I would knock him out before the seventh round. His style is
perfect for me. He likes to fight inside, and that is what I do best.
“I was very happy to win, but also sad because I could not make weight.
I let the people down, but I got my vindication by knocking out
Corrales.
Corrales, of Sacramento, Calif., captured the WBO 135-pound crown with a
10th-round TKO over defending champion Acelino Freitas Aug. 7, 2004, on
SHOWTIME. A two-time world champion at 130 pounds, Corrales won the
vacant WBO belt with a 12-round split decision over Joel Casamayor March
6, 2004, on SHOWTIME. Corrales won his first world title with a
seventh-round TKO over defending IBF Robert Garcia Oct. 23, 1999, on
SHOWTIME.
Castillo, of Sonora, Mexico, won the WBC 135-pound belt the first time
with a 12-round majority decision over Steve Johnston on June 17, 2000.
Following three successful defenses, he lost the title and a subsequent
rematch to unbeaten Floyd Mayweather in April and December of 2002.
Castillo regained the WBC belt with a 12-round unanimous decision over
Juan Lazcano on June 5, 2004.
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING’s Steve Albert and Al Bernstein will call
the action from ringside with Jim Gray serving as roving reporter. The
producer of the SHOWTIME telecast will be David Dinkins, with Bob Dunphy
directing.
For information on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and “ShoBox: The New
Generation” telecasts, including complete fighter bios and records,
related stories and more, please go the SHOWTIME website at http://www.sho.com/boxing.
