Corrales-Castillo I: The Hors d’oeuvres Before the Feast Were Tasty, Too

Published

5 years ago

May 4, 2020

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The anniversary date is approaching of the best boxing match I ever saw live and in person, the epic first meeting of lightweight champions Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo, which Corrales won the night of May 7, 2005, by miraculously rallying to win on a 10^th-round stoppage after being decked twice himself in that very same round. There have been more consequential fights I have covered from ringside – Hagler-Leonard, Tyson-Spinks, Tyson-Douglas and Chavez-Taylor I immediately spring to mind – but for unrelenting excitement and nearly incomprehensible momentum swings, Corrales-Castillo I tops even Arturo Gatti’s two slugfests with Ivan Robinson and his unforgettable trilogy with Micky Ward.

But lost, or nearly so, in the annual homages paid to what Corrales and Castillo did in the ring that night at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay is the celebration that preceded it at the same site the night before. That would be the 80^th annual Boxing Writers Association of America Awards Dinner, the first for the organization not held on the East Coast. I have particularly fond memories of that historic occasion because I, the then-BWAA president, had an instrumental role in making it happen, as did several others, but I couldn’t have known that the accompanying attraction the following night – Corrales-Castillo, which was televised by Showtime – would arguably make for the best weekend for boxing in the memories of many who were on hand for both events. If Corrales-Castillo I is a top contender for best fight ever, then the BWAA Awards Dinner the night before still stands as the undisputed champion of any such commemoration of the sweet science.

It was BWAA member and Las Vegas Review-Journal boxing writer Kevin Iole who first forwarded the idea that, since so many big fights were staged in his town, it might make sense to stage the 2005 dinner there. That seemed reasonable to me, so months in advance I sought to set things in motion. There were two prerequisites: the dinner would have to be paired with an attractive fight card the following evening, and be held at the same casino property hosting that card. I contacted officials at both HBO and Showtime, but it was then-Showtime Sports executive Jay Larkin – now, sadly, deceased – who enthusiastically said he would not only furnish an appropriate main event, but was willing to go a half-million dollars over his normal budget to make just the right pairing. Given today’s bloated financial figures (see Mayweather-Pacquiao), that might not seem like much, but it was a major commitment on the part of Jay’s company 15 years ago. With Showtime aboard, the Mandalay Bay also came on board as the host casino-hotel for the fight and the dinner, with Gordon Absher as gung-ho as Larkin and BWAA officers to ensure that everything went as smoothly as possible. What did happen, of course, exceeded ever our wildest expectations.

Interestingly, the 95^th BWAA Awards Dinner, which remains in limbo because of the pandemic, was being discussed for Vegas in early May, to be held in conjunction with a Canelo Alvarez bout as is his custom for Cinco de Mayo weekend. Although our event still takes place most often in New York, we returned to The Strip a couple of times since 2005 and even went farther west, to Los Angeles, on another occasion. But wherever and whenever current BWAA president Joe Santoliquito and event coordinator Gina Andriolo choose to go, topping that 2005 dinner will be as daunting a task as attaching our event with a fight that can match or exceed Corrales-Castillo I.

—

Here is the column I wrote about the 80^th annual BWAA Awards Dinner that appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News on May 10, 2005:

The wife was straightening the tie to my rental tuxedo when I made the mistake of fishing for a compliment.

“So what do you think?” I asked. “Cary Grant, right?”

“You look nice,” my wonderful but honest Annie finally allowed. “But Cary Grant? I don’t think so.”

OK, so I’m never going to get a casting call for the remake of North by Northwest. Doesn’t matter. An hour after adjusting those tricky cuff links, I was made to feel like a suave and debonair star of the screen at the 80^th annual Boxing Writers Association of America’s Awards Dinner, which was as close to Hollywood glitz as an ink-stained media wretch ever is going to get.

The host venue, Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, literally rolled out the red carpet for arriving guests. Fight fans were lined to the side holding out gloves and programs for the many current or former world champions to sign. None of the autograph seekers confused me for Cary Grant either, or for Bernard Hopkins for that matter, but, as president of the BWAA, I got pulled over for five television interviews. As I offered my thoughts on whatever to a microphone wielder with a blow-dried haircut, a camera crew to my left was interviewing Sugar Ray Leonard. One to my right was quizzing Don King.

At a resort that has a shark habitat, it occurred to me that I was chum in the water during a TV feeding frenzy. And I couldn’t help but think that there never had been a night like this since the BWAA was founded in 1925 as the Boxing Writers Association of Greater New York.

Every year, usually in April (note: dinners now are held in various months, depending on the fight with which it can be linked), the BWAA convenes at a New York hotel to pass out awards to the Fighter of the Year, Manager of the Year, Trainer of the Year and so forth. It’s a nice affair, reasonably well-attended, and a blip on the radar screen of the Big Apple’s daily social calendar. Put it this way: the BWAA dinner isn’t knocking the Yankees off the back pages of that city’s tabloids.

Fourteen months ago, however, Las Vegas Review-Journal boxing writer Kevin Iole, the Western representative to the BWAA’s board of directors, posed some simple questions. How come there never had been a BWAA Awards Dinner in Las Vegas, which is now the site of most major fight cards held in this country? And shouldn’t the organization’s premier event be accessible to members from California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico, most of whom had never or would never make it to New York for our annual shindig?

Hey, even the Army-Navy football game was played in the Rose Bowl once. So I told Kevin I would consider a BWAA road trip if (1) a host casino-hotel stepped forward, and (2) a suitable fight card could be arranged the following night as an anchor to our event.

Kevin soon advised me that the Mandalay Bay was willing to come aboard for May 7. Shortly after that, Showtime Sports head Jay Larkin committed to providing the best card he possibly could for the following night.

Saturday night, after Diego Corrales stopped Jose Luis Castillo in 10 rounds in a lightweight unification slugfest that became an instant classic, people still were coming up to me and saying this had been one of boxing’s best weekends ever.

Hey, after 79 BWAA dinners – 76 in New York, two at Catskills resorts, one in Atlantic City – it probably was time for someone to float a test balloon in the southern Nevada desert. All I did was let go of the string that had kept us tethered to New York, New York.

The person most responsible for making the BWAA Awards Dinner a happening is Gordon Absher, public relations director for the Mandalay Bay. Gordon recruited so many big names, the group photographed in the ring that had been set up in place of a dais was the most impressive assemblage of boxing talent in one place anyone could remember.

Anyone lucky enough to be holding a ticket – and the event sold out, which probably is a first – could look around the room and see, among others, Leonard, Hopkins, Oscar De La Hoya, Vitali Klitschko, James Toney, Chris Byrd, Lamon Brewster, Winky Wright, Floyd Mayweather, Hasim Rahman, Shane Mosley, Erik Morales and Zab Judah.

There were Imax screens set up to either side of the ring for video highlights of the nominated fights and fighters, and a snappy, tightly scripted format that the people responsible for staging the Academy Awards would be wise to emulate.

Additional kudos go to Iole, our point guy at the scene; BWAA event coordinator Gina Andriolo and BWAA vice president Jack Hirsch, who helped stuff the goody bags attendees took home along with their memories.

Perhaps the most amazing development of all is that representatives of several prospective host venues, on both sides of the country, approached me with preliminary offers to host the 2006 BWAA Awards Dinner.

Hey, so what if Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman, the Oscar-winning stars of Million Dollar Baby, declined my invitation to meet and mingle with the fight folk?

The way this Cary Grant wannabe looks at it, that was their loss, not ours.

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Jorge Garcia is the TSS Fighter of the Month for April

Published

2 days ago

April 28, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Jorge Garcia has a lot in common with Mexican countrymen Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza. In common with those two, both reigning world title-holders, Garcia is big for his weight class and bubbled out of obscurity with a triumph forged as a heavy underdog in a match contested on American soil.

Garcia had his “coming of age party” on April 19 in the first boxing event at the new Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California (roughly 35 miles north of San Diego), a 7,500-seat facility whose primary tenant is an indoor soccer team. It was a Golden Boy Promotions event and in the opposite corner was a Golden Boy fighter, Charles Conwell.

A former U.S. Olympian, Conwell was undefeated (21-0, 16 KOs) and had won three straight inside the distance since hooking up with Golden Boy whose PR department ballyhooed him as the most avoided fighter in the super welterweight division. At prominent betting sites, Conwell was as high as a 12/1 favorite.

The lanky Garcia was 32-4 (26 KOs) heading in, but it was easy to underestimate him as he had fought extensively in Tijuana where the boxing commission is notoriously docile and in his home state of Sinaloa. This would be only his second fight in the U.S. However, it was noteworthy in hindsight that three of his four losses were by split decision.

Garcia vs. Conwell was a robust affair. He and Conwell were credited with throwing 1451 punches combined. In terms of punches landed, there was little to choose between them but the CompuBox operator saw Garcia landing more power punches in eight of the 12 rounds. At the end, the verdict was split but there was no controversy.

An interested observer was Sebastian Fundora who was there to see his sister Gabriela defend her world flyweight titles. Sebastian owns two pieces of the 154-pound world title where the #1 contender per the WBO is Xander Zayas who keeps winning, but not with the verve of his earlier triumphs.

With his upset of Charles Conwell, Jorge Garcia has been bumped into the WBO’s #2 slot. Regardless of who he fights next, Garcia will earn the biggest payday of his career.

Honorable mention: Aaron McKenna

McKenna was favored to beat veteran campaigner Liam Smith in the co-feature to the Eubank-Benn battle this past Saturday in London, but he was stepping up in class against a former world title-holder who had competed against some of the top dogs in the middleweight division and who had famously stopped Chris Eubank Jr in the first of their two encounters. Moreover, the venue, Tottenham Hotspur, the third-largest soccer stadium in England, favored the 36-year-old Liverpudlian who was accustomed to a big fight atmosphere having fought Canelo Alvarez before 50,000-plus at Arlington Stadium in Texas.

McKenna, from the small town of Monaghan, Ireland, wasn’t overwhelmed by the occasion. With his dad Feargal in his corner and his fighting brother Stephen McKenna cheering him on from ringside, Aaron won a wide decision in his first 12-round fight, punctuating his victory by knocking Smith to his knees with a body punch in the 12^th round. In fact, if he hadn’t had a point deducted for using his elbow, the Irishman would have pitched a shutout on one of the scorecards.

“There might not be a more impressive example of a fighter moving up in class,” wrote Tris Dixon of the 25-year-old “Silencer” who improved his ledger to 20-0 (10).

Photo credits: Garcia/Conwell photo compliments of Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy; McKenna-Smith provided by Mark Robinson/Matchroom

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Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Published

3 days ago

April 27, 2025

David A. Avila

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Feudal bragging rights belong to Chris Eubank Jr. who out-lasted Conor Benn to
emerge victorious by unanimous decision in a non-title middleweight match held in
London on Saturday.

Fighting for their family heritage Eubank (35-3, 26 KOs) and Benn (23-1, 14 KOs)
continued the battle between families started 35 years ago by their fathers at Tottenham
Hotspur Stadium.

More than 65,000 fans attended.

Though Eubank Jr. had a weight and height advantage and a record of smashing his
way to victory via knockout, he had problems hurting the quicker and more agile Benn.
And though Benn had the advantage of moving up two weight divisions and forcing
Eubank to fight under a catch weight, the move did not weaken him much.

Instead, British fans and boxing fans across the world saw the two family rivals pummel
each other for all 12 rounds. Neither was able to gain separation.

Eubank looked physically bigger and used a ramming left jab to connect early in the
fight. Benn immediately showed off his speed advantage and surprised many with his
ability to absorb a big blow.Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Benn scrambled around with his quickness and agility and scored often with bigcounters.

It took him a few rounds to stop overextending himself while delivering power shots.

In the third round Benn staggered Eubank with a left hook but was unable to follow up
against the dangerous middleweight who roared back with flurries of blows.

Eubank was methodic in his approach always moving forward, always using his weight
advantage via the shoulder to force Benn backward. The smaller Benn rocketed
overhand rights and was partly successful but not enough to force Eubank to retreat.
In the seventh round a right uppercut snapped Benn’s head violently but he was
undeterred from firing back. Benn’s chin stood firm despite Eubank’s vaunted power and
size advantage.

“I didn’t know he had that in him,” Eubank said.

Benn opened strong in the eighth round with furious blows. And though he connected
he was unable to seriously hurt Eubank. And despite being drained by the weight loss,
the middleweight fighter remained strong all 12 rounds.

There were surprises from both fighters.

Benn was effective targeting the body. Perhaps if he had worked the body earlier he
would have found a better result.

With only two rounds remaining Eubank snapped off a right uppercut again and followed
up with body shots. In the final stanza Eubank pressed forward and exchanged with the
smaller Benn until the final bell. He simply out-landed the fighter and impressed all three
judges who scored it 116-112 for Eubank.

Eubank admitted he expected a knockout win but was satisfied with the victory.
“I under-estimated him,” Eubank said.

Benn was upset by the loss but recognized the reasons.

“He worked harder toward the end,” said Benn.

McKenna Wins

In his first test in the elite level Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs) showed his ability to fight
inside or out in soundly defeating former world champion Liam Smith (33-5-1, 20 KOs)
by unanimous decision to win a regional WBA middleweight title.

Smith has made a career out of upsetting young upstarts but discovered the Irish fighter
more than capable of mixing it up with the veteran. It was a rough fight throughout the
12 rounds but McKenna showed off his abilities to fight as a southpaw or right-hander
with nary a hiccup.

McKenna had trained in Southern California early in his career and since that time he’s
accrued a variety of ways to fight. He was smooth and relentless in using his longer
arms and agility against Smith on the outside or in close.

In the 12 th round, McKenna landed a perfectly timed left hook to the ribs and down went
Smith. The former champion got up and attempted to knock out the tall
Irish fighter but could not.

All three judges scored in favor of McKenna 119-108, 117-109, 118-108.

Other Bouts
Anthony Yarde (27-3) defeated Lyndon Arthur (24-3) by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. in a light heavyweight match. It was the third time they met. Yarde won the last two fights.

Chris Billam-Smith (21-2) defeated Brandon Glanton (20-3) by decision. It was his first
fight since losing the WBO cruiserweight world title to Gilberto Ramirez last November.

Viddal Riley (13-0) out-worked Cheavon Clarke (10-2) in a 12-round back-and-forth-contest to win a unanimous decision.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 323: Benn vs Eubank Family Feud and More

Published

5 days ago

April 24, 2025

David A. Avila

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Next generation rivals Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. carry on the family legacy of feudal warring in the prize ring on Saturday.

This is huge in British boxing.

Eubank (34-3, 25 KOs) holds the fringe IBO middleweight title but won’t be defending it against the smaller welterweight Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) on Saturday, April 26, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing card.

This is about family pride.

The parents of Eubank and Benn actually began the feud in the 1990s.

Papa Nigel Benn fought Papa Chris Eubank twice. Losing as a middleweight in November 1990 at Birmingham, England, then fighting to a draw as a super middleweight in October 1993 in Manchester. Both were world title fights.

Eubank was undefeated and won the WBO middleweight world title in 1990 against Nigel Benn by knockout. He defended it three times before moving up and winning the vacant WBO super middleweight title in September 1991. He defended the super middleweight title 14 times before suffering his first pro defeat in March 1995 against Steve Collins.

Benn won the WBO middleweight title in April 1990 against Doug DeWitt and defended it once before losing to Eubank in November 1990. He moved up in weight and took the WBC super middleweight title from Mauro Galvano in Italy by technical knockout in October 1992. He defended the title nine times until losing in March 1996. His last fight was in November 1996, a loss to Steve Collins.

Animosity between the two families continues this weekend in the boxing ring.

Conor Benn, the son of Nigel, has fought mostly as a welterweight but lately has participated in the super welterweight division. He is several inches shorter in height than Eubank but has power and speed. Kind of a British version of Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

“It’s always personal, every opponent I fight is personal. People want to say it’s strictly business, but it’s never business. If someone is trying to put their hands on me, trying to render me unconscious, it’s never business,” said Benn.

This fight was scheduled twice before and cut short twice due to failed PED tests by Benn. The weight limit agreed upon is 160 pounds.

Eubank, a natural middleweight, has exchanged taunts with Benn for years. He recently avenged a loss to Liam Smith with a knockout victory in September 2023.

“This fight isn’t about size or weight. It’s about skill. It’s about dedication. It’s about expertise and all those areas in which I excel in,” said Eubank. “I have many, many more years of experience over Conor Benn, and that will be the deciding factor of the night.”

Because this fight was postponed twice, the animosity between the two feuding fighters has increased the attention of their fans. Both fighters are anxious to flatten each other.

“He’s another opponent in my way trying to crush my dreams. trying to take food off my plate and trying to render me unconscious. That’s how I look at him,” said Benn.

Eubank smiles.

“Whether it’s boxing, whether it’s a gun fight. Defense, offense, foot movement, speed, power. I am the superior boxer in each of those departments and so many more – which is why I’m so confident,” he said.

Supporting Bout

Former world champion Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KOs) tangles with Ireland’s Aaron McKenna (19-0, 10 KOs) in a middleweight fight set for 12 rounds on the Benn-Eubank undercard in London.

“Beefy” Smith has long been known as one of the fighting Smith brothers and recently lost to Eubank a year and a half ago. It was only the second time in 38 bouts he had been stopped. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez did it several years ago.

McKenna is a familiar name in Southern California. The Irish fighter fought numerous times on Golden Boy Promotion cards between 2017 and 2019 before returning to the United Kingdom and his assault on continuing the middleweight division. This is a big step for the tall Irish fighter.

It’s youth versus experience.

“I’ve been calling for big fights like this for the last two or three years, and it’s a fight I’m really excited for. I plan to make the most of it and make a statement win on Saturday night,” said McKenna, one of two fighting brothers.

Monster in L.A.

Japan’s super star Naoya “Monster” Inoue arrived in Los Angeles for last day workouts before his Las Vegas showdown against Ramon Cardenas on Sunday May 4, at T-Mobile Arena. ESPN will televise and stream the Top Rank card.

It’s been four years since the super bantamweight world champion performed in the US and during that time Naoya (29-0, 26 KOs) gathered world titles in different weight divisions. The Japanese slugger has also gained fame as perhaps the best fighter on the planet. Cardenas is 26-1 with 14 KOs.

Pomona Fights

Super featherweights Mathias Radcliffe (9-0-1) and Ezequiel Flores (6-4) lead a boxing card called “DMG Night of Champions” on Saturday April 26, at the historic Fox Theater in downtown Pomona, Calif.

Michaela Bracamontes (11-2-1) and Jesus Torres Beltran (8-4-1) will be fighting for a regional WBC super featherweight title. More than eight bouts are scheduled.

Doors open at 6 p.m. For ticket information go to: www.tix.com/dmgnightofchampions

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 9 a.m. Conor Benn (23-0) vs Chris Eubank Jr. (34-3); Liam Smith (33-4-1) vs Aaron McKenna (19-0).

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