44 rounds with Ruben Olivares » When Olivares defeated Rose for the title in 1969, Parnassus matched the new bantamweight king against Castillo, kicking off one of the great Mexican rivalries of all time. Olivares was already a near-legend, with a record of 57-0-1, almost all his wins coming by KO. Their first bout, in April of 1970, was a bell-to-bell classic. Though Castillo scored the only knockdown of the fight, dropping the champion at the end of the third with a right to the chin, the night belonged to Olivares by 15-round unanimous decision. The Associated Press called the event “a remarkable chapter in boxing history,” but Castillo was frustrated at losing another title bout on points. The loss was especially heartbreaking for him because he’d dedicated the bout to his father, who had recently been killed in a road accident. But if Castillo felt snakebit, his luck changed when he battled Olivares again in October. An accidental clash of heads in the first round caused a nasty cut over Olivares’ left eye, which Castillo targeted for the rest of the bout. On the doctor’s recommendation, referee Dick Young stopped the contest at 2:37 of the 14th, giving Olivares his first loss. Castillo had won the bantamweight championship on his third try, beating a future Hall of Famer in the process. The Castillo-Olivares series was a display of contrasts. Chucho was a serious soul known for spartan training camps and avoiding the press (one of his nicknames in Mexico was “Old Sad Face”), while Olivares was a gregarious type who enjoyed a hard-partying lifestyle. Style-wise, Olivares’ high pressure, big-banging approach was a perfect complement to the more scientific Castillo. The pairing was also helped by rumors that the fighters disliked each other. The bad blood dated back to their days in Mexico, where Castillo claimed that he’d been more popular and that Olivares was merely a loudmouthed punk. “He makes me sick,” said Chucho. To Parnassus, the duo meant money; a rubber match was made for April 1971. Olivares regained the title via 15-round decision, but Castillo managed to knock him down in the sixth and then, knowing he was behind on points, launched a desperate attack in the 13th. Still, Olivares won by wide margins on all three scorecards. Though he was 1-2 in the series, Castillo’s part in the trilogy should be respected. He scored the only knockdowns and the only stoppage, and he was the first to defeat Olivares. Olivares, the great puncher, never came close to flooring Castillo. What kept Castillo up? Must’ve been all that hatred.
BY THE NUMBERS: Chucho Castillo by Don Stradley • Illustration by KronkAAArt
168 days as champion » Prior to his unsuccessful defense against Olivares, Castillo fought only once during his brief time as the world’s top bantamweight. It was a non-title bout against Felipe Ursua in February 1971, and unsurprisingly it took place in Mexico. Before a supportive crowd of 15,000 in a Monterrey bullring, Castillo won his welcome-home bash by TKO in Round 6. 1 fight in Japan » During the 1960s as boxing became more of a global sport, fighters began to travel more and take part in international events. And so it was that Castillo found himself in Japan on April 16, 1969, fighting to a 10-round draw with Ushiwakamaru Harada. Known as the bantamweight champion of Japan, Harada was the younger brother of Fighting Harada, the former flyweight and bantamweight champion. 66 fights » Castillo finished his career with a record of 47-17-2 (23 KOs). He has the unique distinction of having the same number of wins by decision as by knockout (23 each, with a win by disqualification bringing his win total to 47). He struggled in his final years, as if the three bouts with Olivares had taken a toll on him. He lost to the likes of Rafael Herrera (whom Chucho had previously beaten), Enrique Pinder, Bobby Chacon and Danny Lopez. After losing a 10-round decision to Ernesto Herrera in December 1975, Castillo quietly disappeared from boxing. He was only 31, but he’d done enough for the business. With his competitive spirit, he’d helped lift the profile of Mexican fighters in America and had helped revive Los Angeles as a boxing capital. Castillo said he was his own idol, and we can’t argue with his choice.
A columnist for The Los Angeles Times once described him as “a two-fisted fighter with gold in his teeth, murder in his heart, and the sensitivity to pain of a tackling dummy.” It was a nice reputation to have, and Chucho Castillo (1944- 2013) had earned it. With his Wolverine sideburns and his brilliant left jab, he took Los Angeles by storm after only a few contests at the Forum, having spent most of his career fighting in Mexico City. Born Jesús Castillo Aguilera in a small town in Guanajuato, the slick-boxing Castillo was one of the top bantamweights of his era. He knew it, too. Upon his arrival in America, a reporter asked him to name his boxing idol. Castillo smiled and said, “Chucho Castillo.” Here is his story by the numbers.
12 fights at the L.A. Forum » When Jack Kent Cooke’s glamorous Forum debuted in 1967, promoter George Parnassus announced his plans to bring fights to the sparkling new venue. A longtime figure in Southern California boxing, Parnassus’ formula was to import popular Mexican fighters and make them stars in Los Angeles. Castillo’s turn came in June of 1968. Though there were questions about his exact number of fights and losses – it appeared the Castillo camp doctored some of the numbers – journalists remained curious about Parnassus’ latest discovery. After all, Castillo had a growing fan base south of the border and had recently won the bantamweight title of Mexico by beating revered veteran Jose Medel. “He would fight a bull with a fork,” a matchmaker said of Castillo, “and be a 6-5 favorite.” Parnassus’ premiere main event at the Forum saw Castillo win a 12-round decision over the hard-hitting and highly ranked Jesus Pimentel. Castillo was dominant, reported the Times, handling Pimentel “in roughly the manner an elephant would a gnat.” Castillo returned to the Forum in August and scored a two-round TKO over popular Scottish bantamweight Evan Armstrong. In December, a rabid Forum crowd saw Chucho challenge the bantamweight champion, Lionel Rose of Australia. Castillo came out on the losing end of a 15-round split decision, but his name had been burned into the minds of L.A. fight fans as synonymous with slick boxing and courage. Castillo would fight nine more times at the Inglewood location, helping to make the Forum “Fabulous.”
1 riot » Upon learning that Rose had defeated Castillo, the Mexican portion of the crowd commented on the scorecards by setting fires, destroying seats, and hurling bottles and chairs into the ring. Damage to the posh new site was estimated at $50,000 (about $460,000 in today’s money). Even referee Dick Young was struck on the head with a bottle and needed stitches. The discussion then moved into the parking lot, where several cars were torched or tipped over. Parnassus wept as the nightmare played out. He’d been so proud to present the Forum’s first title fight, only to see it dissolve into mayhem. He vowed to quit the boxing business, but the “Golden Greek” couldn’t stay away for long. The fight itself was a close one, with members of press row evenly split between those who believed Castillo won and those who felt Rose had won. Presumably, they were polled while hiding underneath the ring to avoid flying trash.
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