LAS VEGAS, NV - Jose Luis Castillo retained his WBC lightweight title with a 12-round split decision over Joel Casamayor last night at Manadalay Bay Event Center.
The skillful Casamayor of Cuba frustrated Castillo early with his speed and ring generalship.
But it was the Mexican Castillo who increased the pressure in the championship rounds that culminated with dazzling exchanges to end the 12th that saw Castillo send Casamayor's mouthpiece flying with a short left uppercut.
Two judges scored the bout for Castillo: James Jen Kin 116-112 and Dave Moretti 117-111, while Carol Castellanos scored it 115-113 for Casamayor.
Castillo, who had claimed the title for the second time in June with a victory over Juan Lazcano, improved to 51-6-1 (45 KOs), while southpaw Casamayor fell to 31-3 (19 KOs).
As is customary now after a Casamayor bout, the Cuban strongly felt he had done enough to earn the decision.
"I won clearly," he said. "I showed what boxing is - hit and don't get hit."
He also erroneously claimed he knocked down Castillo at the end of the 11th, but it was judged a slip.
The video replay clearly showed Casamayor shoving Castillo down with his left forearm.
"It was a tight fight until the eighth, but I thought from the eighth I won the fight easily," said Castillo, who is hoping the victory will propel him into a unification bout with Diego Corrales and then a possible move up to face Australian Kostya Tszyu.
"I knew I had to do it (in the late rounds), because until the seventh round I couldn't figure him out," said the 31-year-old, who has rebounded from two losses to Floyd Mayweather - including a decision some ringside observers felt he won.
On the undercard, Jeff Lacy started slow but rallied to retain his IBF super middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over tough and tested Omar Sheika.
Lacy, 27, improved to 18-0 with his first defence of the title he won just nine weeks ago with an eighth-round technical knockout of Syd Vanderpool. Sheika fell to 26-7.
Judges Steve Epstein and Chuck Giampa both scored the fight 115-113, while judge Adalaide Byrd made it 117-111.
Sheika, seeking his first win in three title bouts, came out aggressively and earned the early rounds before Lacy took control down the stretch.
"I tried to get out a little earlier, but I was surprised by his hand speed," Lacy said. "I had to take my time. I knew I had 12 rounds."
Taylor Bops Joppy
In other action that night, Jermain Taylor won a unanimous decision over William Joppy in his home state of Arkansas, retaining his WBC Continental Americas belt.
Taylor outpointed Joppy 120-107 in the 12-round bout to improve to 22-0.
"By the third round I thought I've got him now," Taylor said after the fight. "He came into my hometown talking that mouth big ... I was ready to get into the ring."
Joppy, 34-4-1 was in the ring for the first time since losing his middleweight crown a year ago and spent most of the fight making the much more aggressive Taylor chase him. Joppy landed a few shots, but seemed more content to frustrate Taylor.
"It just wasn't my night," Joppy said afterward. "I just don't get it like I used to. He's a young guy. This is my first fight in a year, all that between time ... it's just not the same."
Taylor landed several heavy blows early and knocked Joppy down in the fifth. Taylor also landed hard uppercuts in the first and fourth rounds and a good left-right combination in the fifth.
Taylor said after the bout that he felt confident in his abilities going in and that Joppy was a tough opponent.
"I know I did a lot of things wrong," Taylor said. "I learned a lot from him."
Kevin Atkins
California Correspondent
Information from other publications and wire services was used in the compilation of this report.
