It seems there is a good chance Jose Luis Castillo and Alfonso Gomez will clash on the under-card of the March 13th Pacquiao-Clottey title fight in Dallas (the fight is up as happening on BoxRec and has been mentioned as a possibility in a few other places). Though this is no huge fight by any means, the styles of the two men could well make the scheduled ten round welterweight bout a cracker.
Castillo, now aged 36 and well past his best, has improved his pro record to 60-9-1(52) with three recent stoppage wins over mediocre opposition in his native Mexico.. Looking all done when he lost inside four rounds against Ricky Hatton back in the summer of 2007, and then losing via a comprehensive decision against Sebastian Lujan a year or so after that, Castillo's days as a big attraction appeared to be over. This may still be the case, but a win over the useful Gomez - who is coming of a decent win over Jesus Soto Karass - could possibly ensure one last big fight for the former WBC lightweight king.
A far bigger hitter than Gomez, even at welterweight and while fighting on as a faded force, "El Terrible" would very likely take the fight to the 29-year-old right from the start. Gomez, 21-4-2(10) is tough, however, and Castillo's fellow Mexican warrior would surely relish the aggression coming his way. Faster than Castillo and having more left in the tank, the former "Contender" star will be fancying his chances massively and no doubt hoping the fight does indeed come off.
It's not at all clear what a win would lead to for either guy, but for Gomez the fight would offer him the chance to earn a second win over a big name (the late Arturo Gatti, in his final fight, being the big star Gomez has already beaten), while for Castillo a win would prove he can still cut it with a young and sprightly operator.
Neither guy has been in too many dull fights, and there's nothing to suggest the prospective March fight would be boring. In fact, the exact opposite could well be the case, and the two proud Mexicans could end up giving us the best fight, action-wise, of the entire card.
A loss for Gomez would be a big setback, seeing as how he's done so well to get back to winning ways after the crushing loss he suffered at the hands of Miguel Cotto in April of 2008. While a loss for Castillo would very possibly end his career. With both guys knowing how much there is to fight for, and with both men having a big heart and a ton of courage also, a Castillo-Gomez clash would definitely be well worth seeing.
As for a prediction: unless he can roll back the years some, Castillo figures to lose on points. It won't be in any way easy for Gomez, though, and both men will have their moments in a fan-friendly affair.
http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=22517&more=1
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