LAS VEGAS, NV - Diego Corrales, fighting desperately after being knocked down twice earlier in the round, rallied with a flurry of punches to stop Jose Luis Castillo in the 10th round at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in one of the most amazing and arguably the most exciting championship fight in years.
Corrales, half blinded and seemingly beaten, came back to mount a furious attack that left Castillo limp leaning back against the ropes, taking punches to the head.
Referee Tony Weeks finally jumped in to stop the bout at 2:06 of the round, giving Corrales the WBC lightweight title to go with the WBO crown he brought into the ring.
Corrales's left eye was closed and his right eye swollen when he was knocked down with a left hand early in the 10th round. He got up only to take two more lefts and go back down.
Corrales got off the canvas slowly, rising to his hands and knees and getting up at the count of nine, just barely beating the count. When Castillo, bleeding himself from a deep cut over his left eye, moved in to finish him off, Corrales landed a big left hook followed by a right hand that stunned the Mexican champion.
Corrales, 40-2 (33 KOs), went after Castillo and pinned him on the ropes, landing big punches followed by two final left hooks that put an abrupt end to a fight that was expected to be good and more than lived up to the expectations.
"I've waited for a long time to show my will and prove I'm a warrior," Corrales said. "I knew I was going to get up."
Corrales at 5-foot-11, towered over Castillo, 52-7-1 (46 KOs) and had the better jab. But he chose to fight inside and the two fighters went after each other from the opening bell in a fierce and brutal fight.
According to Corrales' trainer Joe Goosen, it was the greatest fight he had ever seen never mind be a part of. However the veteran trainer would not like to entertain a rematch if all possible.
"These two should never fight each other again," Goossen said. "It's too much."
Both fighters ended up in the hospital for precautionary tests when it was all done. While fans were left with their jaws dropped and hoping for a rematch.
In another title fight, Juan Manuel Marquez dominated perennial contender Victor Polo to retain his WBA and IBF featherweight titles.
Marquez dropped Polo in the seventh round with a right hand but was never able to stop him despite winning almost every round on the three ringside scorecards. Marquez won the unanimous decision by scores of 120-107, 119-108 and 118-109.
Phil Banerjee
Contributing Editor
Information from other publications and wire services was used in the compilation of this report.
