Diego ‘Chico’ Corrales and Juan Luis Castillo will forever be linked together
Their first bout encapsulated everything right with boxing.
There were knockdowns, high drama, and a great comeback. The theater of the unexpected was on full display when they met for the first time in their career.
“That was the best fight I have ever seen,” said the legendary boxing coach, Ray Woods.
That sentiment stands true for many. The May 7, 2005 fight is widely considered one of the best the sport has seen. Woods was no longer training Corrales for the bout, but Woods reflected upon a phone call he received beforehand.
“He [Corrales] had called me and asked me what to do, and I said, ‘Hey, man, box him and go on the inside and show him you’re a man, that you can deal with him, too.’”
Woods chuckled and smiled.
“It almost backfired on me, but he went on to win it.”
Corrales was a feared knockout artist. Castillo had grown up under the lineage of Julio Cesar Chavez Sr with Chavez Sr. and Chavez Jr. sitting in camera view for the whole fight. Corrales, well behind, was dropped twice by Castillo.
Corrales spat his mouthpiece out both times to gain a bit more time and lost points for the brazen act by referee Tony Weeks.
“Him spitting out the mouthpiece after going down was brilliant,” assessed Woods. “He gave himself a chance to recuperate. He went on to do his thing after that.”
With mere seconds left in the round, Corrales landed ‘the perfect right hand’ that sent Castillo to the ropes and forced a stoppage.
Both boxers arguably took a lot out of their careers on that evening. Neither were the same after the fight. Corrales was reported to have urinated blood from the Castillo body shots afterward. Castillo would get revenge, but he was stopped by Ricky Hatton three fights later.
It is one of the greatest fights ever, but it left a lasting toll on both.