Mayweather: Another step to greatness

By Paul Upham: WBC junior lightweight champion Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather Junior, 27-0 (20), takes another step towards fulfilling the promise his amazing ability has long suggested when he challenges WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo, 45-4-1 (41), at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 20 in Las Vegas on HBO.
One of the sports most gifted fighters Mayweather is on the cusp of the pound for pound elite and needs fights such as this, entitled Clash of the Champions, to force his way to the very top. Winning another world title belt in a higher weigh class is exactly what will bring Floyd Junior the accolades he feels that he has deserved for so long.

At a Top Rank press conference on Monday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, promoter Bob Arum made it clear that he believes Castillo is a very worthy adversary to the undefeated Mayweather.

Floyd Mayweather has never fought someone with the physical power of Jose Luis Castillo, said Arum. I'm not saying Floyd cannot handle it, but Castillo's punching power makes this a compelling match-up.

Maybe the critics have been a little hard of late on Mayweather who turned 25 on Sunday, but when you rack up impressive wins over Genaro Hernandez, Angel Manfredy and Diego Corrales, the bar of expectation gets raised so much higher and mandatory defences against less well known opponents no longer suffice.

Mayweather said: He (Castillo) knows I'm the best and he's going into something he's never been in before. I'm not like those other guys he fought.

The 28 year-old Mexican is a good world champion with a win and a draw against former champion Stevie Johnston and possessing brutal body punching combinations.

Mayweather is a great champion but he's really never faced what I would call a big puncher. (Diego) Corrales didn't have what was necessary on the night of the Mayweather fight and Jesus Chavez didn't have it either, said Castillo.

One other thing, I'll train harder than Mayweather too, he added.

Also on the card, former WBC lightweight champion Stevie Johnston, 33-2-1 (16), faces former WBC featherweight champion Alejandro Cobrita Gonzalez, 48-4-1 (33), who is on an eleven fight unbeaten streak, over 12 rounds in the main support bout to be shown on HBO.


Paul Upham
Contributing Editor