LAS VEGAS, NV - Jose Luis Castillo regained the lightweight title with a punishing 12-round unanimous decision over Juan Lazcano in the HBO pay-per-view opener for the Bernard Hopkins-Robert Allen and Oscar De La Hoya-Felix Sturm fights.
The Judges awarded the former world champion a victory by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113. Castillo regained the WBC lightweight title he had lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2002.
After a relatively slow start, the action picked up immensely in the third round when Castillo rocked Lazcano with a left hook, awakening the Texan who now had a cut under his left eye.
After the round, both fighters' noses were bloodied.
With both eyes swelling badly, a brave Lazcano began to counter effectively and land hard shots backing up Castillo. However, the tough former champion weathered the storm and continued to punish Lazcano with short overhand rights and hard body shots.
By the final round, Lazcano's eyes were swollen shut and Castillo was landing three times the number of power punches of his rival.
With the victory, Castillo ups his record to 50-6-1 (45 KOs). Lazcano falls to 33-3-1 (25 KOs).
In other matches, NABF middleweight champion Kingsley Ikeke scored an eight round technical decision over Freddie Cuevas. Ikeke was in complete control when a clash of heads opened up a bad cut on Cuevas sending the bout to the scorecards. Ikeke won 79-73 on all cards and improves his record to 20-1 (10 KOs). Cuevas drops to 23-7-1- (16 KOs).
Also unbeaten lightweight Almazek Raiymkulov destroyed Raymond Nahr at 2:52 of the opening round. Raiymkulov raised his record to 16-0 (8 KOs), while Narh lost for the first time, falling to 10-1 (9 KOs).
Random Thoughts
Michael Katz and Ron Borges should take part in a televised rematch. Watching the previews, you would think Oscar never lost his previous fight to Shane Mosley. Roy Jones did a great job last night on the PPV telecast by telling it like it is. What happened to cut man Cassius Greene? He had tissue paper stuck up his right nostril. Felix Sturm showed some real class in his post fight interview. Larry Merchant really needs to stop railroading Bernard Hopkins. Lazcano showed some real guts in the championship rounds.
LAS VEGAS, NV - Jose Luis Castillo regained the lightweight title with a punishing 12-round unanimous decision over Juan Lazcano in the HBO pay-per-view opener for the Bernard Hopkins-Robert Allen and Oscar De La Hoya-Felix Sturm fights.
In other matches, NABF middleweight champion Kingsley Ikeke scored an eight round technical decision over Freddie Cuevas. Ikeke was in complete control when a clash of heads opened up a bad cut on Cuevas sending the bout to the scorecards. Ikeke won 79-73 on all cards and improves his record to 20-1 (10 KOs). Cuevas drops to 23-7-1- (16 KOs). 