Castillo could be facing more weight trauma
An inability to make weight has cost Joe Luis Castillo (left) dearly in the past. After failing to make the weight for the third fight against Diego Corrales (having already failed to make the weight for the second one) it not only cost him his purse for that bout, but the fine he received took most of the purses for his subsequent two bouts, against Herman Ngoudjo and Ricky Hatton.
On Saturday, at Cancun, Mexico, Castillo is supposed to be facing Timothy Bradley in a bout that has great interest in the UK as the winner will become mandatory contender to Junior Witter, the WBC light-welterweight champion. But Castillo, it appears, may again be having trouble making the weight.
Castillo, from Mexico, did not make his compulsory seven-day check weight, having weighed a reasonable 11lb over the 10st limit at the 30-day weigh-in. Bradley, an unbeaten American who has the nickname desert Storm, weighed 10st 3.5lb at the seven-day check weight, but his co-promoter, Gary Shaw, who was promoter of Corrales, so has an understandably distrust of him, is calling foul.
"The rules are explicit and we expect the WBC to enforce them," Shaw said. "I've been down this road too many times with Castillo and I will not tolerate it again. Castillo, his manager and promoter have a responsibility to adhere to the rules and the WBC is equally accountable to enforce them. It's the only way to maintain a level playing field for both fighters."
Shaw fears his man may fall victim to the sort of unsubtle weigh-in scam Castillo's team tried to pull against Corrales, when one of Castillo's team was fined and suspended for trying to put his foot under the scales when Castillo stepped on them.
"Bradley is fighting a very popular ex-WBC champion in his own backyard, I don't think we're asking too much," Shaw said. "All parties know Castillo's history for not making weight. I'm confident the WBC will make sure Castillo and his team don't try to manipulate the scale at the official weigh-in like they did for the first rematch with Diego Corrales. How it got to this point, four days from the fight, is incomprehensible and inexcusable."
"The rules are explicit and we expect the WBC to enforce them," Shaw said. "I've been down this road too many times with Castillo and I will not tolerate it again. Castillo, his manager and promoter have a responsibility to adhere to the rules and the WBC is equally accountable to enforce them. It's the only way to maintain a level playing field for both fighters."
Shaw fears his man may fall victim to the sort of unsubtle weigh-in scam Castillo's team tried to pull against Corrales, when one of Castillo's team was fined and suspended for trying to put his foot under the scales when Castillo stepped on them.
"Bradley is fighting a very popular ex-WBC champion in his own backyard, I don't think we're asking too much," Shaw said. "All parties know Castillo's history for not making weight. I'm confident the WBC will make sure Castillo and his team don't try to manipulate the scale at the official weigh-in like they did for the first rematch with Diego Corrales. How it got to this point, four days from the fight, is incomprehensible and inexcusable."
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