Former lightweight world champion Jose Luis Castillo, widely regarded as the fighter who gave Floyd Mayweather his toughest test in 2002, has weighed in on the anticipated rematch between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that the two boxing legends were scheduled to meet at The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19, though uncertainty soon clouded both the date and venue. According to a report from Mike Coppinger, a new agreement has been reached, with the bout now set for the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on September 25. The professional rematch will be streamed live on Netflix, with Mayweather putting his undefeated 50-0 record on the line.
Their first encounter in 2015 saw Mayweather secure a convincing unanimous decision victory in what became the highest-grossing boxing event of all time. Since then, the American has only fought twice professionally—against Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, the latter of whom he stopped in the 10th round in 2017. Pacquiao, meanwhile, has competed in eight fully sanctioned bouts over the last decade, with his most recent outing ending in a controversial draw with Mario Barrios last July.
Despite Pacquiao’s activity, Castillo—who insists he should have been awarded the decision when he first faced Mayweather in April 2002—told ESNEWS that although both fighters are “old men,” “Money” should still hold the advantage over his rival. Castillo and Mayweather clashed twice in 2002, with the Mexican losing by unanimous decision on both occasions. Yet, had the judges scored their first fight in Castillo’s favor as many observers believed, Mayweather would not be defending his 50-0 record at age 49.
