*There will be another re-broadcast of Jose Luis Castillo vs. Diego Corrales on Friday night (May 13, 2005) on SHOWTIME at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
A conference was held today for the camps and participants of one of the greatest fights in history, last Saturday's Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo lightweight unification showdown, to discuss their lingering thoughts on the fight and their plans for the future.
The theme coming from now ex-champion Jose Luis Castillo and his people seems to be an urgency to get back in the ring with Diego Corrales as early as this November and right what they consider was a wrong that took place.
Castillo and especially Top Rank promoter Todd duBoef, contend that the 28 seconds it took after the second knockdown of Corrales to replace the deliberately removed mouthpiece are what allowed him to recover and ultimately score the stoppage win over their man.
Meanwhile, Team Corrales say they are in no hurry to jump back in the fire with Castillo, in fact promoter Gary Shaw hinted a bump up to 140 to face the Hatton vs. Tszyu winner may be next on the agenda.
Bruised, sore and both still champions in their hearts, Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo say they respect each other tremendously and thank the boxing world for the adulation and respect they've been shown after their epic struggle.
Jose Luis Castillo:
How do you feel?
Physically I feel great. I'm still a little sore from the fight, but other than that, I'm fine. I'm looking forward to doing it again. There are still a lot of doubts about who the best is at lightweight, so let's do it again.
What was your mindset after second knockdown of Corrales? Did you relax?
I could see he was trying to get up, so I knew it wasn't over, but I was just waiting for a chance to finish it. I knew he was a punch away from it being over. The furthest thing from my mind was getting stopped while I was looking at him down there.
Do you want a rematch?
We talked to the WBC, and they've already said they're behind us, so we're hoping to get a rematch with Diego right away.
How soon are you hoping for?
My next fight will probably be against Diego Corrales. I'm not going to fight anybody else. Hopefully in November.
Were you conscious enough to take a knee, or were you too hurt?
He didn't give me a chance to put a knee down, I got hit and the fight was over. (At which point, Top Rank chief Todd duBoef interjects, "maybe he should have thrown his mouthpiece down.")
How do you feel about being in one of the greatest fights ever?
I just went out to do my job. I go in there to do the best I can and give people the best fights I can, and that's all I did. I just did my job and that's the kid of fights I want to give people all the time. Hopefully my sons and grandkids will see that fight and know I was in a great fight.
Do you think Tony Weeks got caught up in the moment and perhaps that led him to stop the fight prematurely?
That's his job, that's what he has to do. There's nothing I can do about him and the result is already done. I'm not going to cry about it. Everybody saw what happened.
Were you surprised at the way Corrales fought?
No. I loved it. He said he would and when he did, it was great for me. I loved it.
Aren't you concerned about your health in going directly into a rematch?
That's why you prepare yourself. That's why we prepare and get in the best shape possible, so we can take it. We prepare ourselves and we should be able to go another 12 rounds like that, no problem.
Diego Corrales
Can you take us through the end of the fight the way you see it?
I went down from a good accumulation of punches, when I grabbed my mouthpiece to stand up with it, it fell out of my hand. I'm not going to waste time or get counted out looking for a mouthpiece on the ground. I made sure my corner knew I was clear, and got to my feet. I dropped the mouthpiece by accident, I really didn't want a 10-6 round against me.
My spirit was still in it. I still knew I could win that fight. I just landed a great right hand. I knew he would put pressure on. He threw a right hand, so I threw a counter right hand. I remember thinking to myself oh my god, he's hurt. I stepped forward with some more shots and hit him with a clean left hook and he buckled and we changed positions along the ropes. I landed a another clean hook on the ropes, then I missed him a few times, then I hit him with another left hook and Tony Weeks stopped the fight. I knew he was done when his hands went to his side. I also knew not to let him off the hook after what I had been through.
How do you feel about the stoppage?
He was extremely helpless. I take my hat off to Tony Weeks. Everybody in the commission did an awesome job. His hands were at his side. My job is my job, but Tony did a great job in stopping it.
Have you ever fought anyone who could take punches like that?
I've never had a guy take punches like that. That dude was unreal! I take my hat off to him. He probably says the same thing about me. He was unbelievable. How do you take some of the shots he took? As clean as they were and many of them were grouped together. Geez man.
Were you looking to land that first bomb when you did?
I saw an opening and I took it. It's never the shots you plan on that end up spectacular. I saw it and I went for it and it wound up being a great shot. It was some good damage. Honestly, until the seventh round, I had given up on hurting him. I said to myself that this is going to be a twelve-round hard-fought fight.
Do you think this fight vindicated your sub-par performance against Floyd Mayweather?
I think it vindicated me. I think it has solidified the fact that I am a person who can come back from anything and I showed that this weekend. When I'm behind, there is no counting me out. I can and will do whatever it takes to win a fight. I can pull it out. My favorite saying is "hell or high water" and for me, it's true.
Do you feel you fought the right fight against Castillo?
We had to make him start off out of his norm. By making him start fighting hard in the first round, we were both tired later on. He couldn't come on later in the fight like he does. We fought at my pace and I was making him fight the entire 12 rounds. By making him work early on like that, we gave ourselves a better chance in the later rounds. It was the right fight to fight against him. It was hard though!
Who do you feel is behind the complaining about the mouthpiece controversy and if you feel Castillo is behind it, does it change your opinion of him?
No. It's hard to take a loss. It's hard to lose your title, no mater what fashion . If it's him behind this, no, it doesn't change my opinion of him. I will always be a Castillo fan, no matter where he fights, I will always go watch. I've been in with him and I know he's great.
The complaining probably has a lot more to do with the people at Top Rank. They don't like losing and I'll tell you what, Bob Arum was very vocal before the fight that nobody beats his Mexicans and he really had to eat that. I 'm sure Bob wasn't happy about that on top of the fact that it was someone he let go of that did it.
Promoter Gary Shaw:
Both fighters are now legends and true champions. Never take anything away from either of these fighters. That fight changed their lives forever. Both fighters deserve all the recognition they are getting.
Any time you see a neck go like that, it's dangerous. I would have been in there fast if I saw Diego that helpless. If I saw Diego was helpless, I would have stopped it myself.
Top Rank are sore losers. Just like calling Shane Mosley vs. Oscar De la Hoya a fix, now they're making a big deal about the mouthpiece. What about the low blows Castillo was landing? Chico never said anything about them. Watch the fight again and put it in slow motion. You'll see Castillo's head going from side to side and you'll know at that moment, Tony Weeks did the right thing. No fight is worth getting a fighter hurt badly.
You notice Bob Arum is not on this call? He's probably at breakfast with Jose Sulaiman trying to get an immediate rematch ordered. I think that would be terrible for boxing. We'll fight Castillo when we're ready. Maybe at a later date, maybe at a different weight. I'm taking Diego to Manchester to watch this next fight (Tszyu vs. Hatton) because maybe his next fight will be at 140.
per *********.com
A conference was held today for the camps and participants of one of the greatest fights in history, last Saturday's Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo lightweight unification showdown, to discuss their lingering thoughts on the fight and their plans for the future.
The theme coming from now ex-champion Jose Luis Castillo and his people seems to be an urgency to get back in the ring with Diego Corrales as early as this November and right what they consider was a wrong that took place.
Castillo and especially Top Rank promoter Todd duBoef, contend that the 28 seconds it took after the second knockdown of Corrales to replace the deliberately removed mouthpiece are what allowed him to recover and ultimately score the stoppage win over their man.
Meanwhile, Team Corrales say they are in no hurry to jump back in the fire with Castillo, in fact promoter Gary Shaw hinted a bump up to 140 to face the Hatton vs. Tszyu winner may be next on the agenda.
Bruised, sore and both still champions in their hearts, Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo say they respect each other tremendously and thank the boxing world for the adulation and respect they've been shown after their epic struggle.
Jose Luis Castillo:
How do you feel?
Physically I feel great. I'm still a little sore from the fight, but other than that, I'm fine. I'm looking forward to doing it again. There are still a lot of doubts about who the best is at lightweight, so let's do it again.
What was your mindset after second knockdown of Corrales? Did you relax?
I could see he was trying to get up, so I knew it wasn't over, but I was just waiting for a chance to finish it. I knew he was a punch away from it being over. The furthest thing from my mind was getting stopped while I was looking at him down there.
Do you want a rematch?
We talked to the WBC, and they've already said they're behind us, so we're hoping to get a rematch with Diego right away.
How soon are you hoping for?
My next fight will probably be against Diego Corrales. I'm not going to fight anybody else. Hopefully in November.
Were you conscious enough to take a knee, or were you too hurt?
He didn't give me a chance to put a knee down, I got hit and the fight was over. (At which point, Top Rank chief Todd duBoef interjects, "maybe he should have thrown his mouthpiece down.")
How do you feel about being in one of the greatest fights ever?
I just went out to do my job. I go in there to do the best I can and give people the best fights I can, and that's all I did. I just did my job and that's the kid of fights I want to give people all the time. Hopefully my sons and grandkids will see that fight and know I was in a great fight.
Do you think Tony Weeks got caught up in the moment and perhaps that led him to stop the fight prematurely?
That's his job, that's what he has to do. There's nothing I can do about him and the result is already done. I'm not going to cry about it. Everybody saw what happened.
Were you surprised at the way Corrales fought?
No. I loved it. He said he would and when he did, it was great for me. I loved it.
Aren't you concerned about your health in going directly into a rematch?
That's why you prepare yourself. That's why we prepare and get in the best shape possible, so we can take it. We prepare ourselves and we should be able to go another 12 rounds like that, no problem.
Diego Corrales
Can you take us through the end of the fight the way you see it?
I went down from a good accumulation of punches, when I grabbed my mouthpiece to stand up with it, it fell out of my hand. I'm not going to waste time or get counted out looking for a mouthpiece on the ground. I made sure my corner knew I was clear, and got to my feet. I dropped the mouthpiece by accident, I really didn't want a 10-6 round against me.
My spirit was still in it. I still knew I could win that fight. I just landed a great right hand. I knew he would put pressure on. He threw a right hand, so I threw a counter right hand. I remember thinking to myself oh my god, he's hurt. I stepped forward with some more shots and hit him with a clean left hook and he buckled and we changed positions along the ropes. I landed a another clean hook on the ropes, then I missed him a few times, then I hit him with another left hook and Tony Weeks stopped the fight. I knew he was done when his hands went to his side. I also knew not to let him off the hook after what I had been through.
How do you feel about the stoppage?
He was extremely helpless. I take my hat off to Tony Weeks. Everybody in the commission did an awesome job. His hands were at his side. My job is my job, but Tony did a great job in stopping it.
Have you ever fought anyone who could take punches like that?
I've never had a guy take punches like that. That dude was unreal! I take my hat off to him. He probably says the same thing about me. He was unbelievable. How do you take some of the shots he took? As clean as they were and many of them were grouped together. Geez man.
Were you looking to land that first bomb when you did?
I saw an opening and I took it. It's never the shots you plan on that end up spectacular. I saw it and I went for it and it wound up being a great shot. It was some good damage. Honestly, until the seventh round, I had given up on hurting him. I said to myself that this is going to be a twelve-round hard-fought fight.
Do you think this fight vindicated your sub-par performance against Floyd Mayweather?
I think it vindicated me. I think it has solidified the fact that I am a person who can come back from anything and I showed that this weekend. When I'm behind, there is no counting me out. I can and will do whatever it takes to win a fight. I can pull it out. My favorite saying is "hell or high water" and for me, it's true.
Do you feel you fought the right fight against Castillo?
We had to make him start off out of his norm. By making him start fighting hard in the first round, we were both tired later on. He couldn't come on later in the fight like he does. We fought at my pace and I was making him fight the entire 12 rounds. By making him work early on like that, we gave ourselves a better chance in the later rounds. It was the right fight to fight against him. It was hard though!
Who do you feel is behind the complaining about the mouthpiece controversy and if you feel Castillo is behind it, does it change your opinion of him?
No. It's hard to take a loss. It's hard to lose your title, no mater what fashion . If it's him behind this, no, it doesn't change my opinion of him. I will always be a Castillo fan, no matter where he fights, I will always go watch. I've been in with him and I know he's great.
The complaining probably has a lot more to do with the people at Top Rank. They don't like losing and I'll tell you what, Bob Arum was very vocal before the fight that nobody beats his Mexicans and he really had to eat that. I 'm sure Bob wasn't happy about that on top of the fact that it was someone he let go of that did it.
Promoter Gary Shaw:
Both fighters are now legends and true champions. Never take anything away from either of these fighters. That fight changed their lives forever. Both fighters deserve all the recognition they are getting.
Any time you see a neck go like that, it's dangerous. I would have been in there fast if I saw Diego that helpless. If I saw Diego was helpless, I would have stopped it myself.
Top Rank are sore losers. Just like calling Shane Mosley vs. Oscar De la Hoya a fix, now they're making a big deal about the mouthpiece. What about the low blows Castillo was landing? Chico never said anything about them. Watch the fight again and put it in slow motion. You'll see Castillo's head going from side to side and you'll know at that moment, Tony Weeks did the right thing. No fight is worth getting a fighter hurt badly.
You notice Bob Arum is not on this call? He's probably at breakfast with Jose Sulaiman trying to get an immediate rematch ordered. I think that would be terrible for boxing. We'll fight Castillo when we're ready. Maybe at a later date, maybe at a different weight. I'm taking Diego to Manchester to watch this next fight (Tszyu vs. Hatton) because maybe his next fight will be at 140.
per *********.com
Gran Campeon
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