By Matthew Hurley

The much anticipated rubber match between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo was called off when Castillo once again failed to make the lightweight limit.  Castillo weighed in initially at 140 pounds even.  A collective groan went up from the assembled press and Castillo seem resigned when he opted to weigh in a second time, exhaling and raising his arms in a pathetic attempt to manipulate the scales. 

Corrales’ trainer Joe Goosen, along with promoter Gary Shaw, watched Castillo step on the scales and seemed to intuit even before the official reading that Castillo wouldn’t even be close.  Goosen shook his head and Shaw gave a quick, angry glance in Castillo’s direction.

Diego then approached the scales, his taught body rope thin from draining down to the lightweight limit.  Completely confident that he had made the weight the champion pumped his fist and chest and tipped in at 135 exactly.

After Castillo left the podium to try and sweat off two pounds (the Nevada State Athletic Commission will not allow a fighter beneath 147 pounds to shed more than two pounds during a subsequent weigh in) Corrales addressed the media.  At first he seemed at peace with himself that he had done his job but then the reality of what was happening set in.

“He didn’t even try,” Corrales said bitterly.  “Five pounds overweight!  He didn’t even try.  I can see two pounds or a pound and half.  That might tell me that he made the effort, but five pounds!  It’s bullshit.  He lied to everyone.”

As the magnitude of a big championship fight being cancelled began to sink in it became apparent that Diego, his fighter’s heart pumping furiously, might very well go through with the bout.  However more level heads, Goosen and Shaw, correctly prevailed and said the fight was off.

Considering the disadvantage Corrales was in the rematch after Castillo failed to make weight the Corrales camp justly protected their fighter from another potential loss at the hands of a fighter who didn’t play by the rules.  Although Corrales, his thoughts consumed with the fans who had scheduled vacations and booked hotels around the title bout, very well may have said “to hell with it” and climbed in the ring at a disadvantage once again only due to his warrior’s code, his health remains of paramount importance and he is completely justified in not fighting Castillo on June 3rd or any other time for that matter.

The windfall from this disaster will be particularly hard on Jose Luis Castillo.  Twice he has now at least appeared to try and gain the upper hand against an opponent by side stepping the rules.  Obviously he will move up in weight but his popularity, not only with the fans but his promoter Bob Arum – who called his actions “disgusting” – will not put him in good stead in future bouts.

In the end it is Diego Corrales and the fans that suffer.  But he will return to fight another day, hopefully against an opponent who grants him the respect he deserves.