Casamayor Robbed?
Well 117-111 is INSANE!

Report & Photos By
Bret "The Threat" Newton
 

From the opening round, it seemed Joel Casamayor came into last Saturday’s fight with WBC Lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo with the right plan. The perfect fight strategy. Either that, or his superior speed and skills were at their max, and Castillo was finding it hard to figure out.

For the 1st 5 rounds, Joel was snapping his jab out, timing Castillo on his way in and would shoot the straight left from his southpaw stance. Castillo’s face was not only being snapped back and getting bruised up, but it was showing signs of frustration. Taking deep breaths showed the signs that he was trying to think of a new fight plan. He surely wasn’t tired as he hadn’t even gotten started yet. Joel was starting out fast, and it seemed to work in his advantage up until he decided to trade with the champ.

In round 6, the tides slowly started to change and Castillo started to find a range on his power shots. Casamayor circling the ring before, had now started to go toe to toe with Castillo and it would not be to his best advantage. However landing some big shots of his own, Casamayor soon found out that Castillo’s huge right hand made a difference in the pace and it was Casamayor beginning to hide rather than just slick away.

When the fight got into the deeper rounds, Casamayor’s apparent wide edge began to narrow and Castillo looked to only be behind by 2 rounds. Casamayor began to realize this as well as his style went back to stick and move and not get hit. So here it was, Joel Casamayor snapping his jab back out and timing a huge straight left as Castillo came charging in. Casamayor put Castillo off balance a few times with that same left and Castillo’s chance slowly began to fade away. Joel was looking sharp and Castillo’s face looked a wreck. Castillo’s frustration paid off at a few points in the fight when he got Casamayor to trade with him after the bell in a few rounds. If what Joel was doing was working, this was Castillo’s only chance to set him off, possibly make Casamayor upset, willing to trade with the champ just to show how tough he was and that he too could take a shot. After all, Castillo was taking and absorbing a huge amount of punches and he didn’t seem to stop coming. Nothing was going to stop Castillo except the judges scorecards.

Going into the final 3 rounds, Castillo looked to be in need of a knockout, or at least a knockdown to closer the scores, at least, the scores that seemed apparent.

In the final 2 rounds, Castillo had his best. In round 11, he got Casamayor to trade with him from off the ropes. Castillo’s punching power was too great as he wobbled Casamayor with a right hand. Casamayor grabbed to hold on, sneaking in some nice body work on the inside. Castillo again shook the challenger and Casamayor was reeling around.

In the 12 and final round, Castillo had his best exchange as he caught Casamayor coming straight in with a perfect and flush uppercut that sent Casamayor’s mouthpiece flying. Joel was hurt, but still fighting back. The two went toe to toe for the remainder of the round, Castillo getting the better of the exchanges.

When the fight was done, looking over the scores of a man who isn’t blind, it looked that Joel had won at least 4 of the first 5 rounds. Castillo turned it on in the 3rd, but Casamayor took it right back in the next two rounds. Castillo bounced back half way through to take the 6th and 7th, but then Casamayor came back to take the 8th and 9th round. The 10th round was close and Joel looked to have edged it out with a big left hand that sent Castillo off balance. Castillo surely won the final 2 with his best exchanges of the night. Tally that up and you have Castillo winning 5 rounds, Casamayor 7! Im willing to let one of those close rounds go to Castillo, then you’d get a draw. Hell, I’m even willing to let you take that close 10th round and even one of Casamayor’s best rounds and give those to Castillo, but even at that point Castillo wins by 2 point on scores of 115 to 113. How the hell do you get 117 to 111 in a fight that Casamayor was giving a boxing lesson similar to Mayweather Jr.’s in his rematch with Castillo is beyond me.

Im willing to accept it was a close fight because it was. Im willing to see a Draw or a win for either fighter by a point or 2, even though I feel positive that Casamayor won it, but don’t make a mockery of a sport we love and come up with ridiculous scores that make us wonder if you already had that scorecard pre-written, all ready to go with the scores already on the scorecard before the fight’s even begun.


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