WBC, WBA and IBF junior middleweight boss Jermell ‘Ironman’ Charlo 34-1-1 (18) was lucky to hold onto his titles by split draw against WBO kingpin Brian ‘El Boxi’ Castano 17-0-2 (12) at the AT&T Stadium in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday night.
The 31-year-old Texan who holds three of the four major world title belts hurt Castano with a left hook in the second round but was badly rocked by his opponent in the third.
Castano’s high punch output seemed to be the story of the fight through eight frames, but Charlo dug deep to rally at stages later in the game.
“I won the fight,” the 31-year-old Argentine Castano said. “There were some rounds that he did hit me and he hit me hard. But I won this fight.”
Going into the final round Charlo was told by his trainer he needed a knockout to win and unsurprisingly, he wasn’t far away from the truth.
The same message had been relayed to him through the back quarter of the fight.
“My coach told me I needed the knockout in the ninth round and I just knew he knew what he was talking about,” Charlo said.
“I believe in my coach. This is my first time experiencing something like (a draw), so this comes with boxing, baby. Wins, losses and draws.”
Charlo finished hard but it seemed too little, too late to the naked eye.
Judge Steve Weisfeld had Castano winning 114-113, while judge Tim Cheatham saw it a draw at 114 apiece. Judge Nelson Vazquez had the hometown fighter Charlo winning by a wide margin of 117-111.
Few fans or pundits agreed with the last card outside of the Charlo camp.
“He threw a hell of a lot of punches against almost every opponent he ever fought,” Charlo said.
“My skills and my ability and my power — I just knew I could keep him off me and I feel like I won this fight and I deserve to be going home as the undisputed (champion). I am glad to have fought for the undisputed title. It’s different. I still hold my titles.
“I can’t wait to get home to my babies and my family, take some time off from boxing and then we’ll get back to the drawing board and see what’s poppin’.
“I want to be undisputed. That’s my goal. That’s my destiny.”
Castano admitted he was hurt at stages but said he had enough rounds in the bank to deserve the nod.
“I was hurt in the 10th round and I had to recoup,” Castano said. “Same with the beginning of the 11th round. But I did enough to win this fight. I hope I get the rematch. He is a great fighter. I need the rematch.”
Charlo insists he won the fight. Fight fans and pundits might disagree.
“The win is what I wanted to hear,” he said. “If anything, I won this fight. I hurt him way more than he did to me.
“Brian Castano is a tough warrior. He’s gonna give a lot of people problems, but my power is something serious at this weight division.”
A rematch seems a natural to determine the true number one fighter in the 154-pound division.
“I hope I get the rematch,” Castano said. “He is a great fighter. Me too. I need the rematch.”
