José Luis Castillo vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
A disputed lightweight title fight with contrasting punch stats.
On April 20, 2002, José Luis Castillo faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. for the WBC and The Ring lightweight titles. Despite Castillo landing more punches, Mayweather won by unanimous decision with scores of 115-111 and 116-111, a result that remains controversial.
Quick Facts
- Fight name
- Clash of the Champions
- Fight date
- April 20, 2002
- Location
- MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
- Titles
- WBC and vacant The Ring lightweight titles
- Result
- Mayweather wins via unanimous decision (116–111, 115–111, 115–111)
Facts from the source article.
Background
Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced he would move up to lightweight after his eighth super featherweight title defense, citing struggles to make the 130-pound limit. He stated he had not eaten in the four days before that fight. Mayweather entered as a 5–1 favorite despite being convicted on two counts of domestic violence a month before the bout; a plea bargain gave him a suspended sentence, allowing him to proceed. His promoter Bob Arum said Mayweather was focused and not distracted by the legal issues.
The fight
Mayweather dominated the first five rounds, landing punches freely while avoiding Castillo's offense. Castillo rallied in the sixth, landing clean shots to head and body. Each fighter lost a point: Castillo in the eighth for hitting during a break, Mayweather in the tenth for using elbows. The judges awarded Mayweather a comfortable decision, though Castillo outlanded him 203 to 157 overall and 173 to 66 in power punches. Unofficial scorers disagreed, with Harold Lederman favoring Castillo and Dan Rafael scoring it even.
More in Boxing Controversies
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced