Jose Luis Castillo Weighs In

It’s become a high-priced Weight Watchers session, a kind of “you are what you eat,” extravaganza that begins and ends at the dinner table.

That’s been the storyline of this fight ever since they put their heads together and said, “let‘s make it three.”

Can Jose Luis Castillo still tip the scales at a svelte 135 pounds, or is he only fooling himself and the rest of the boxing world when he claims he’ll make the lightweight limit? Can a body screaming to expand to 140 pounds or more, suck it up and stagger in at 135 pounds and still fight the next day?

Can Castillo pass on that second helping of mashed potatoes and gravy? Can he turn his back on the ice cream and cake? Can he drop 20 pounds and still hold onto his dominance?

Just how tough has it been to make weight?

“It’s been very difficult, every week having people coming in to check my weight, making sure that I‘m where I‘m supposed to be,” said a candid Castillo (54-7-1, 47 KOs) on a recent conference call promoting his rubber match with WBC champ Diego “Chico” Corrales (40-3, 33 KOs) set for June 3 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas (SHOWTIME). “I know I’m going to make the weight, but it has been difficult. It’s been hard for me.”

Yeah, but what about your weight?

“It has been hard because everyone has been talking about the weight. Anyone that comes to camp, that is all they want to know.”

And your weight?

“They’ve been coming here every week to check my weight, so I have been taking care of it and making sure I’m on the right diet.”

Can you talk a little more about your weight?

“Not making weight does not normally happen to me,” said Castillo, who came in a bowling ball or two over the lightweight limit in his second fight with Corrales, which Castillo won by TKO. “It happened, it’s over with. I am sure that I am going to make the weight and there will be no controversy for this third fight.”

OK. So maybe we’ve overdone this weight thing, but that played a pretty big role in the second fight.

Corrales still fought despite the weight discrepancy, but if it happens again, if either Castillo or Corrales waddles in sipping a coke and dreaming of middleweight status, there’s going to be some awful stuff raining down at the Thomas and Mack.

“There are extreme penalties imposed by SHOWTIME and the Nevada Commission that make it virtually impossible that the fight would not take place on weight,” said promoter Bob Arum. “Castillo has a history of not having problems making weight.”

Asked what the “extreme penalties” might be if either fighter fails to make 135, Arum said he couldn’t go into it because he wasn’t sure of the details.

But you get the feeling things could get pretty ugly.

For Castillo, this is expected to be his swan song at 135 pounds. When you’re rich, it’s tough to justify starving yourself.

He’ll move up to 140 or even the welterweight division for his next fight, which explains why someone asked if a fight between Castillo and welterweight champ Ricky Hatton might be up ahead

“I think Hatton has been exposed as a relatively ordinary fighter based on his last fight,” Arum said. “I don’t think he’s going to be ready to fight anybody real soon as long as he can grab HBO money to fight second-rate fighters.”

Instead, Arum said a fight with the winner of the Miguel Cotto – Paulie Malignaggi fight might be better for Castillo.

“But I know that Corrales is the key to everything,” Castillo said.

So what do you weigh, Jose?