Promoter Snapshot -- Salita Promotions in Ring Magazine

For the next entry in my Promoter Snapshot series for Ring Magazine, I highlighted Salita Promotions. In the piece I talked with Founder and CEO Dmitriy Salita, who articulates his company's values and vision for success. Salita has been very active in both Michigan and Puerto Rico, and their events are streamed by DAZN. You can find the article in the March edition of the magazine, available on news stands now and via digital subscription. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

Opinions and Observations: Barrios-Garcia

In the opening seconds of Saturday's Mario Barrios-Ryan Garcia welterweight title fight, Garcia, the noted left-hooker, uncorked two menacing lead right hands to drop Barrios. Throughout his career, Garcia had often been so left-hand dominant that he had fights where his right hand was just an unnecessary appendage to his body. But there he was on Saturday, not just throwing rights, but delivering them with spite and confidence. 

While many of us might have been shocked by how Garcia started the fight, Barrios’ trainer, Joe Goossen, who used to work with Garcia, wasn't one of them. During the DAZN broadcast, Chris Mannix asked Goossen about Garcia's lead rights and Goossen said that he had expected Garcia to come out leading with them, that Garcia would think that he was springing the element of surprise. Furthermore, Goossen stated that he had prepared Barrios for such a scenario. 

As for further confirmation, when Mannix asked Barrios after the fight, which Garcia won by a wide decision, if Garcia's right hands surprised him, Barrios reiterated that he had prepared for those shots in camp. 

Garcia (left) in a dominant position
Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

These telling exchanges illustrate Garcia's skillset. Despite an opponent preparing for what's coming, Garcia could still land, and with devastating consequences. 

A similar scenario occurred during Garcia's win over Devin Haney, which was changed to a no-contest after Garcia failed a post-fight drug test. In that fight, Haney was well-aware of Garcia's prowess with his left hook. Just like the Barrios bout, within the first round Haney was hurt badly by the punch; he was subsequently dropped by left hooks several times in the fight. 

Garcia has demonstrated throughout his career that when he's on, it may not matter what an opponent can do defensively; Garcia's speed, power and delivery system can be that impressive. 

But there is also another factor in play. An early knockdown can spook an opponent, leading to inaction or forcing him to make subsequent mistakes. This same dynamic played out in Garcia's previous fight, a loss against Rolly Romero. In that bout, Garcia was dropped early by a left hook and for the rest of the fight he was unable to let his hands go. He was so bothered by Rolly's left hook that he kept his best weapon, his own left hook, holstered. 

On Saturday, Garcia's knockdown led to a deer-in-the-headlights performance from Barrios. Instead of being aggressive or using angles to attack, he stood, compliantly, at mid-range, waiting for Garcia to do something. Barrios isn't a natural counterpuncher and yet he was so concerned with what might come back at him that he was reluctant to initiate. 

There were other issues with Barrios as well. A telling sequence during the ninth round highlighted a major weakness in his game. At that point in the fight, Barrios already needed a knockout to win, and this had been explicitly relayed to him by Goossen in his corner. During the round, Barrios had one of his rare successful forays on the inside, where he landed several body shots. But instead of staying in close and continuing to fire off power punches, he decided to leave the pocket, go back to mid-range, and reset. 

That sequence would have been perfectly acceptable in the first round of a fight, where he got some work done and then got out of range to take a breather. But in the ninth round, after being way down on the cards, this is where he needed to pounce on Garcia. But Barrios refused to engage in that type of fight. 

Even when the mid-range wasn't working, Barrios still retreated to that distance. Essentially, he didn't have enough in his toolbox to try to win a fight another way. The situation called for Barrios to rough Garcia up, to riddle his body, to try to make it a dogfight. That would have been his only chance at that point of the fight, but Barrios couldn't or wouldn't do it. 

Garcia celebrates the victory
Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

With the win, Garcia earned his first world title. And it's worth noting that this performance was far more than just an early-round surprise: it was a comprehensive victory. He looked as good as he ever has at the world-level, with significant improvements in punch variety, defense and conditioning. 

Garcia's career has been anything but a linear progression. Despite a 25-2 record as a pro, he's had several poor performances, a knockout loss, fights where he was left hook-or-bust, bouts where his work rate was abominable, instances where his defensive mistakes and poor footwork would make even novices cringe. So often his occasional flashes of power and hand speed have saved him in fights. But Saturday was something different; he had almost everything working. 

For the first time in what seemed like ages, Garcia unleashed his full punch arsenal, which included lead right hands, right uppercuts, hooks to the head and body, and jabs. Garcia's defense was also not a liability. He didn't get hit with too many naked shots and one would have to strain very hard to think of a signature punch that Barrios landed in the fight. 

For this fight Ryan reunited with his father, Henry, to be his lead trainer. And Henry made a lasting impact. He had Ryan working throughout the match. Garcia contested every round and didn't take any of those prolonged breaks that have plagued him in the past. He was switched on all fight and wasn't lazy with his offense. 

Although it's true that Barrios didn't offer much on Saturday, it's also true that Garcia demonstrated that he was levels above a reigning beltholder. There will be tougher matches to come for Garcia, but for now he has reminded the boxing world, and himself, that when he's right, both physically and mentally, he's a real threat in the upper reaches of the sport. Saturday was a great step forward for Garcia's career and earned him millions more for his upcoming fights against his pick of opponents. A comprehensive victory indeed!  

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook   

Salita Promotions card and pre-show

I'll be the unofficial scorer for tomorrow night's Salita Promotions card on DAZN, headlined by Joshua Pagan against Bryan Jimenez. Tonight, I taped a pre-show with Naji Grampus from Cigar Talk that highlights the four televised fights on tomorrow's card. You can watch the pre-show here. It should be a very good card tomorrow. I'll be giving out my scores tomorrow throughout the card on X and explaining how I see the fights unfolding. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

Three Great Performances -- Stevenson, Davis, Carrington

There have been two defensive fighters in modern boxing who have stood above the rest: Pernell Whitaker and Floyd Mayweather Jr. They had different styles. Whitaker was all about pocket defense. Not an escape artist, instead, he would use a variety of techniques to avoid getting hit while he stayed in range to counter. He usually was in front of his opponent, but somehow exceedingly tough to hit cleanly.  

Mayweather, with his Philly shell defensive construct, took away the ability to land combinations. He was the master of the counter and the spin out. There wouldn't be four and five punches in a sequence against Mayweather because he wouldn't be in the pocket long enough for such a firefight. One could land a single big shot on him, but that was it. More often, he was the counter-and-move guy.  

From this seat, Shakur Stevenson is the best defensive fighter in boxing since Mayweather. That may sound like a hot take, but it's not; it's easy to see. He's a master on defense with a variety of ways to neutralize an opponent. He’s had fights where he's used his legs to stay almost completely out of fighting range. Against Oscar Valdez, he was brilliant at taking away Valdez's primary knockout weapon, his left hook.  

Against Teofimo Lopez on Saturday, his defense was closer to Whitaker's. He stayed in front of Lopez, planted just beyond Teo's reach. He waited for Lopez to fire off a shot and he would counter with something pinpoint in return. It could be the counter jab, the straight left, an uppercut; it didn't matter. Teo's patterns were so obvious to him, that Stevenson could score at will with whatever shot that he chose. 

Stevenson (left) dominated from range
Photo courtesy of Cris Esqueda/Matchroom

Before and after the fight, Stevenson remarked that he believed Lopez, who entered the fight as the Ring Magazine champion at 140-lbs., would be an easy fight for him, that he had been fighting styles like Lopez's since he'd been eight years old. And for the most part, he made it look that easy in the ring; he won a unanimous decision, 119-109 on all three scorecards.  

Stevenson left no doubt about his superiority in the fight. Not only did he have quicker hands, but he also had a longer reach and more accuracy with his punches. Throughout the fight, Lopez tried to come in as the aggressor, but he was easily thwarted by Stevenson's mastery of range, timing and accuracy.  

I was talking with a group of people in the weeks leading up to the fight and all of us picked Stevenson to win big. We started discussing the different game plans that Stevenson could use throughout the fight.  

But then I posed a tougher assignment to the group: come up with a game plan where Teofimo could win. This task was not accepted by most in the group; they couldn't see it. But I was fascinated by this. How would one devise a strategy where Lopez, who had all sorts of physical and technical disadvantages, as well as not having knockout power at 140, could be victorious.  

I came up with a potential solution. Keep it really low volume. Walk around the ring. Don't ever lead. Force Stevenson to be first. Make him reach or hesitate. In this low-volume fight with Stevenson uncomfortable as the initiator, Teo only needed to land a couple of big shots a round, with the thought that Lopez's big shots might look better than Stevenson's. I thought this strategy would be Lopez's best play.  

Yet when I saw Lopez rush at Stevenson with lead hooks round after round on Saturday, I knew that he was in trouble. He couldn't win that fight.  

By the seventh round, I noticed that Lopez was starting to look at the fight differently. Now he was circling. He was often by the ropes. He wouldn't let his hands go. And then something strange happened; Stevenson wouldn't let his hands go either. At the very least, Lopez started to neutralize Stevenson's good work. 

I thought that Lopez had a good 7th, a dominant 8th and was having an excellent ninth until he got cracked by a straight left from Stevenson at the end of the round, which was one of his best punches in the fight.  

But after that period of relative success, Lopez wouldn't commit to the less-is-more approach. He then went right after Stevenson as he had earlier in the fight and the same thing occurred: complete domination from a master counterpuncher.  

It was clear that Lopez and his father/trainer saw themselves as dominant alpha figures. They didn't want to use subterfuge or disengagement strategies to win (this is how Kelly beat Murtazaliev to win a title on Saturday). They were there for a scalp and they played right into Stevenson's hands.  

It will take a special performance to beat Stevenson or maybe the right guy who could land a bomb from the outside. But at the very least, it's going to take a fighter and trainer who understand relative strengths and weaknesses at a very high level. I'm not sure that Teo would have beaten Stevenson even if he had put forth the perfect strategic fight, but there was a huge gulf between an optimal performance against Stevenson and what we saw on Saturday. 

Stevenson has now won world titles at four weight classes and finally has a victory over a big name in the sport. And even with his decisive win, there is still room for him to grow. He had a few rounds on Saturday where he barely let his hands go, where it looked like he was coasting. He needs to remember that activity can be a big factor for certain judges. Also, he still looks uncomfortable fighting as a lead, and this will be a critical area for him to work on. Everyone can see that Shakur is a master counterpuncher, but does he fight at the same elite level when he's the one who's forced to be first?

*** 

It was tough for me to get a great read on Keyshawn Davis during his developmental fights. It wasn't just that he often fought in different styles, but sometimes he didn't look fluid or focused for portions of his fights. He'd try being a patient counterpuncher or then an upright boxer who led with his jab. There were fights where he took several rounds to engage and others where he went right after his opponents. He's had several trainer switches throughout his career and admitted to multiple out-of-the ring issues.  

With that said, he entered Saturday's fight against Jamaine Ortiz as still unbeaten. He had been a titleholder at lightweight but blew weight last year and lost his belt on the scales. Moving up to 140 on Saturday against a credible opponent, a fighter who had won several rounds against both Teofimo Lopez and Vasiliy Lomachenko, Davis had a great opportunity to compare himself to a pair of top fighters from this era.  

And with no reservations or caveats, Davis utterly dominated Ortiz. Davis fought with spite and was clearly ready to take offensive risks. He wasn't trying to be perfect and instead went after Ortiz with venom and relentlessness. He flashed hand speed, accuracy, power, punch variety – the works. 

Davis raises his hands after a knockdown
Photo courtesy of Cris Esqueda/Matchroom

Ortiz was so spooked by Davis' power that he barely committed to his punches all fight. He was throwing touch shots, keeping everything short, worried about Davis' fast, powerful and accurate counters. But Davis also wasn't sitting back; he was often fighting as the lead.  

By the end of the tenth round, Ortiz's left eye was a mess, and I was surprised that the New York commission, which has a reputation for being proactive in stopping fights, let the match continue. After dominating with head shots throughout the fight, Davis went to the body in the last two rounds. He unfurled devastating left hooks downstairs, leading to a knockdown in the 11th and another in the 12th. The fight was wisely called off at that point.  

I still have an unsettled feeling in terms of how I view Davis. He has been far more aggressive in his recent fights. And after showing decent but not exceptional power on his way up, he has now scored three knockouts in a row. Terence Crawford followed a similar trajectory, where over time he understood how to finish fighters better, even as he moved up in weight. (It should be noted that Crawford's longtime lead trainer, Brian McIntyre, was also Davis' recent trainer.) 

I believe that real punchers have a certain confidence. They know that if they fight to their capabilities, they will get the knockout. Some have the confidence from Day 1 while some develop it over time. Davis now fights as if he knows he can be devastating in the ring. And as he has learned more in the sport, that knowledge has helped him finish opponents, where in the past he had let wounded prey survive. He no longer needs to wait to counter. He can lead with combinations or single power shots. And he also understands that if one tool or approach isn't working, another one definitely could (which was also a Crawford hallmark).  

As beat up as Ortiz's face was after 10 rounds, he never went down. But Davis changed tracks. He wanted the stoppage and saw the body as the way to get there. That was an example of veteran savvy. Keyshawn made a destructive statement on Saturday.  

*** 

I didn't think that Bruce Carrington was having a great performance against Carlos Castro through eight rounds. Although he certainly had moments and rounds where he got the better of the action, and was probably winning the fight, I was concerned by his inability to pick up Castro's right hand from range. Castro landed that punch with an almost alarming frequency. In the fourth, Carrington stumbled back to the ropes after eating another right hand. And it should be noted that Castro wasn't a big puncher or particularly fast-handed.  

However, Carrington ended the fight in the ninth round with a highlight reel five-punch combination that started off with a counter. During the combination, he landed three devastating straight right hands and a pulverizing, short left hook. And that was it for Castro. 

Carrington celebrates his victory
Photo courtesy of Cris Esqueda/Matchroom

I recently interviewed trainer and former two-weight champ Buddy McGirt for a Ring Magazine article. One of McGirt's biggest criticisms of fighters today is that so few throw punches in combinations. So many fighters limit their output to one or two shots at a time.  

Well, McGirt must have loved what Carrington did in his finish on Saturday. Not only did he let five go, but he also landed with different punches, from different angles and with different velocities. And to McGirt's point, it was the type of finish rarely seen in boxing today. Furthermore, the whole sequence started with Carrington slipping a punch. There he showed a brilliant transition from defense to offense, another skill that often seems lost on many fighters today. It wasn't make him miss and make him pay. It was make him miss and go for the jugular! 

With the win, Carrington won his first world title, and he finds himself in a very interesting featherweight division, featuring a tall volume-puncher (Rafael Espinoza) a short volume-puncher (Nick Ball) and a medium-sized volume-puncher (Angelo Leo). All of them can be hittable, but they are high-energy fighters who bring pressure and a punch; they are serious opponents. Carrington may have more ring craft than the rest of the group and he's certainly more fluid than they are athletically. But his defense is still a concern.  

If Carrington can clean out this featherweight division, he will become an outright star and emerge as one of the top fighters in the sport. But all of these matchups could be tricky. Carrington may have the edge in all of these hypothetical fights, but he will need to raise his game to survive this minefield. All four champs are dynamic offensive forces but with defensive holes. It's unclear at this point who will emerge, but Carrington is right where he wants to be: in the thick of it, slugging it out!  

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

Opinions and Observations: Muratalla-Cruz

Let's start with the trainers: After Andy Cruz had a solid first round, landing hard jabs and a couple of sneaky power punches, Robert Garcia explained to his fighter, Raymond Muratalla, what he needed to do. He was blunt. He said that Muratalla could not beat Cruz by throwing one shot at a time; twos and threes would be the path to victory. Muratalla had to throw combinations to overcome Cruz's skill as a counterpuncher. 

Flash forward to after the eighth round. The fight was close on the scorecards. Muratalla was having a lot of success on his front foot applying pressure and flurrying with combinations. Bozy Ennis told Cruz that he needed to back Muratalla up, that Muratalla wasn't as good at fighting in reverse. Furthermore, he noticed that whenever Cruz would come forward behind multiple shots, Muratalla would temporarily freeze, stopping his offense. In Bozy's estimation, Cruz was giving up too much real estate. He believed that Muratalla's pressure could play well with the judges. And he reminded Cruz that they were fighting for Muratalla's title belt. Despite Cruz's pedigree, he was the challenger. 

And this was essentially the fight. Muratalla and Cruz took turns throughout the first ten rounds attempting to execute their gameplan while often being thwarted by what the other was doing. Cruz won rounds with pinpoint punching, either as a lead or counter. Muratalla had success applying pressure and flurrying with combinations. The fight featured a constant ebb and flow. In my estimation no fighter was able to win more than two rounds in a row throughout the first ten rounds.

Muratalla (left) having success backing Cruz up
Photo courtesy of Cris Esqueda/Matchroom Boxing

To me the fight turned in the championship rounds. Muratalla kept advancing with pressure and combinations while Cruz either couldn't or wouldn't come forward behind punches. Perhaps this being Cruz's first 12-round fight, he didn't have enough left in the tank to give more. Or maybe, in a fight as competitive and grueling as this one was, Cruz essentially reverted to form: He was more comfortable as a counterpuncher and an outside fighter. When the going got tough, there was a hint of self-preservation from him instead of selling out to get the win. 

Muratalla won the fight by a majority decision, with scores of 114-114, 116-112 and 118-110 (judge Tim Cheatham saw a different fight than I did). Muratalla retained his lightweight title. (I had him winning 115-113.)

Much credit must go to Robert Garcia for his vision on how the fight could be won and Muratalla for executing the gameplan (remember that Cruz was a more than two-to-one favorite coming into the bout). Muratalla fought almost exclusively as a pressure fighter on Saturday. He wound up junking most of his mid-range and center-ring skills against Cruz because that's what the gameplan required. Cruz may have had superior hand speed and timing, but Muratalla was far more comfortable throwing in combination and letting his hands go with more regularity. 

After the fight, Garcia was interviewed by BoxingScene, and he acknowledged that his experience working with pressure fighters such as Marco Maidana and Brandon Rios helped give him confidence in creating Saturday's gameplan. As a student of the sport, both as a trainer and a former world champion, Garcia understood that one of the proven ways to trouble a natural counterpuncher is to throw combinations. 

But Garcia also had to get Muratalla's buy in, that even if Muratalla had other skills that were formidable, they wouldn't be helpful for this fight. It's a heavy lift for a trainer and fighter to admit certain disadvantages, but this is where fights are won and lost. Muratalla wasn't too proud; he didn't insist on trying to win a boxing match. He listened; he believed; he won. 

Muratalla during his ring walk
Photo courtesy of Cris Esqueda/Matchroom Boxing

Despite the defeat, I don't think that Ennis was bad in Cruz's corner. He understood what the fight was looking like and how it needed to change. But ultimately, he had a fighter who didn't do what was required to win. And maybe that shows Ennis and Cruz aren't exactly on the same page, and that is a factor worth considering for the future.

Although Cruz had been a terrific amateur, winning at the Olympics and at other major international tournaments, Saturday was only his seventh pro fight, and it was clear that he was lacking experience in the championship rounds. Cruz didn't fight the final two rounds to win them. Either he was gassed or he lacked the will to do what was necessary for victory; either answer wasn't sufficient to have his hand raised at the end.   

Cruz didn't turn in a bad performance by any means, but what Saturday showed is that he's still a "Plan A" fighter. Sometimes Plan B is required. Cruz needed to be a hunter at the end to win the fight and couldn't execute that in the ring. Consider how Raymond Ford morphed into a pressure fighter to take out Otabek Kholmatov to win his title. Cruz needed a similar level of determination and the commensurate skill set to beat Muratalla on Saturday, but in the end, Cruz came up short.  

It's been a slow build for Raymond Muratalla. He's now 29 and has been a professional for 10 years. He was a solid but not spectacular prospect who did a lot of things well but didn't seem to possess any A-level skills. He had good power, strong balance, and solutions at different ranges. However, rarely was there a wow factor associated with him. 

But Muratalla's intangibles have been a separator. He can take instruction well. He has belief in his team and his own capabilities. He fights with a lot of desire and determination. Even when Cruz had solid passages in the fight, Muratalla quickly regrouped and turned the fight back in his favor. Top Rank's lead matchmaker, Brad Goodman, has long been a fan of Muratalla's, and Saturday's performance showed why. 

Muratalla's skills may not necessarily lead to oohs and aahs from the crowd, but he's a capable, high-level fighter. He's skilled, determined and won't beat himself. He fully deserves this moment in the sun. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

Don't Take a Picture -- Ring Magazaine

I have a new article in the February edition of Ring Magazine. It's part of the "How to Watch Boxing" series. The article is entitled "Don't Take a Picture" and describes the perils of fighters pausing after landing a punch to admire their work. I use the example of McCallum-Curry to highlight the concept in practice. Buddy McGirt also provides perspective on the topic. The magazine is available now on newsstands or online via digital subscription. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

The SNB Interview: Carlos Castro

From the outside looking in, Carlos Castro could have several reasons to be jaded about boxing. Castro was overlooked as a young fighter and it took him several years to sign with a large promoter. He's always been the B-side in his big fights. He lost a pair of split decisions in two of his most significant fights, and the paydays that would've come from those wins. He's also had several spells of inactivity.  

But in talking with Castro, he credits boxing with providing him and his family with many of the blessings that they have in their life. Even in the bad moments of his professional career – the close losses, the layoffs, the promotional issues – he sees everything as an opportunity to learn or work on his craft. His enthusiasm for the sport still shines through and his outlook on life is uniformly positive.   

Castro (30-3, 14 KOs) faces Bruce Carrington (16-0, 9 KOs) for the vacant WBC world featherweight title on January 31st at Madison Square Garden, which will be on the Teofimo Lopez-Shakur Stevenson card. For Castro, he knows that this will be the biggest opportunity of his career; he also understands what he's up against. As usual, Castro, 31, will be the B-side to Carrington who's from New York and has been a heavily hyped young fighter. Castro may not be the athlete that Carrington is, but he's fought tougher opposition and performed well in those opportunities. 

In a wide-ranging interview below, I talked with Carlos about his days as a young fighter, the big moments of his career, how he is approaching Carrington, his life outside of boxing, and much more. 

Interview by Adam Abramowitz:

This interview has been edited and condensed. 

Carlos, can you tell me where you grew up? 

I was born in Mexico, but I can’t really say I was raised there because at the age of three my parents brought me and my siblings to the United States. So, I basically grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. I essentially lived my whole live there until seven years ago when I moved to California to keep pursuing my dream. 

How were you initially exposed to boxing? 

Normally it’s because someone’s background has something to do with boxing, but I didn’t have that background at all. I want to say it’s destiny or something. We grew up in West Phoenix in a trailer park and around the corner from us was a bakery shop where my dad used to buy bread every night before bed. Across from that bakery was a little house gym where we would always see kids running or boxing and we just decided to stop and look at them. My dad told me if I wanted to try it out I could, and I did. And ever since then I never looked back. 

What was it about boxing that initially excited you? 

I was eight years old. It was the attention that it brought, the atmosphere. I got to meet new people out of school and out of my neighborhood. The excitement was very much about the training and everything surrounding that. 

Did you have a long amateur career? 

I had around 150 fights. I did a couple of tournaments. But I couldn’t do most major tournaments because of my citizenship. For the major tournaments you had to be a citizen of the United States and I wasn’t. 

Once I hit high school, I stopped boxing for a little bit. What can I say; the streets kind of caught my attention. I got called back to the sport due to my wife getting pregnant. I was just trying to better my future, as well as my kid’s, as he was about to come into the world. 

How old were you when you became a father for the first time? 

I had just turned 17. 

I saw that you did fight in the Silver Gloves tournament when you were an amateur.

Yeah, it was pretty cool. I actually won that three times. That was the only major tournament I could actually compete in all the way to nationals. Other than that, I used to go to the USA Boxing tournaments, but I could only advance to the regionals, unfortunately. I would win regionals, but whoever would win second place would advance instead of me. 

When you turned pro in Phoenix, what was the fight scene like? 

It was great. I turned pro with a great local promotion, Iron Boy Promotions, led by Roberto Vargas. They had a great venue with the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix. I don’t know if a lot of people have been there, but it’s a historic arena. The atmosphere was incredible there. 

Carlos Castro (left)
Photo courtesy of Carlos Castro

You were fighting a lot around Phoenix. At what point did you think that you might be able to advance to a higher level in the sport? 

It was always a dream. I believe it’s the dream of every fighter to do that. For me, I had a chance to fight on a Roy Jones Jr. card, I think in Glendale, and I won my fight against another undefeated fighter. I thought I could actually get seen by the bigger players in the sport. 

When Top Rank was doing fights in Arizona, they would put me on their undercards and I wanted an opportunity to grow, to be in this big-fight atmosphere with the top fighters. And that’s when I thought I could do it. 

What was the process like of signing with Top Rank? 

It took a while. I wish it would have happened sooner. But it was great. I’m thankful for them for opening doors for me, for the opportunity they gave me. 

You’re not known as a knockout artist. Were there people in the industry who looked at you negatively because you didn’t have a lot of KOs? Was that an issue for you? 

It didn’t concern me, but it was an issue. A lot of people would say, well you don’t have the one-punch knockout power and this and that. But it didn’t concern me because some people come with that natural power and some people don't. Fighters have to grow either way.

When you were a younger fighter, were there a couple of fighters that you looked up to? Do you have a few favorites that you have kept returning to over the years in terms of studying them? 

Coming up, Oscar de la Hoya was a big name for me. Now that I’m paying attention to great fight styles, I really look at Sugar Ray Leonard and Salvador Sanchez. Sanchez is a guy I really look up to a lot. 

What was you say is your best punch? 

My jab. 

How would you describe your fight style when you started and how have you evolved over the years? 

I always liked being a counterpuncher. My original pro trainer was also my amateur trainer, Andrew Soto. He’s the one who started me. I started out as a counterpuncher, but they kind of wanted me to go forward, you know, the Mexican style – hands up, forward, and stuff like that. But that’s when I transitioned. 

I went through a couple of other trainers as well. I was with Jose Benavidez for a while. Then I moved to California, and I was with Clemente Medina. I worked with Manny Robles. And now I’m working with Robert Alcazar. 

How long have you been training with Robert Alcazar and what is it about him that has appealed to you? 

I’ve been working with him for a few years. What I like is that he’s more of a technical trainer. He’s always talking to me about staying loose, staying relaxed, but staying aware. He wants me to know when to attack at the right time and when to box at the right time. It's been a good fit. 

Your first high-profile fight was with Luis Nery. A lot of people expected him to get a quick knockout. He had a really good start to the fight, but you came on strong in the second half. He wound up winning by a split decision. What did you learn about yourself from that fight with him? 

I learned from that fight that I could take a punch. Luis Nery is no walkover. He really does carry a punch. He’s a real good fighter. Unfortunately, he’s been undisciplined out of the ring and that hasn’t helped him. But what I learned is that I can be in the ring with world champions. I can compete with them. 

I’m not making excuses for that fight, but I think I stayed at that weight class [junior featherweight] for too long. I outgrew that weight class. I just didn’t see it. But it was a great fight. I learned that I can be there and I can compete. 

You had an interesting fight with Brandon Figueroa. You were doing very well in the fight for the first four, five rounds but ultimately he started smothering you. What were your memories of that fight? 

I was actually coming off that loss with Nery and I had just switched trainers to Robert Alcazar. I had only been working with him for about a week when we got the call to see if we wanted to take the fight. We were iffy about it, because the first time you’re working with a new trainer, you need to take some time to adapt to his style. But at the end of the day, we took it. 

What I remember about that fight is that we were doing well. I was following the game plan, staying on my toes. Like you said, he started smothering me and I started falling into bad habits. But I wasn’t really mentally there; I didn’t compete at that moment. So, he just smothered me, and he did his thing. 

You went from working with Top Rank to appearing on PBC cards. What was that transition like for you? 

At the beginning, leaving Top Rank, it was a bummer. You expect to stay with a promoter like Top Rank for a long time, but we mutually agreed that it wasn’t working out. 

And then transitioning to PBC was great. I was able to be on big cards, like the undercards of Pacquiao, the undercards of Canelo. Just seeing the exposure and seeing all that experience around, it was eye-opening.  

You had that great fight with Stephen Fulton, which I think that you should have won. What were your impressions of that fight? 

Everyone asks me about that fight. And though I’ve put it in the past, I think I did very well that night. I think I did a lot better than people expected. And I was just doing it for myself. I said, hey Carlos, you got to prove it to yourself that you belong in these types of big fights. 

What it came down to was me taking off some rounds and it was bad timing. Everyone takes a round off here or there, but I did it in a bad way, where he was able to kind of catch up. I learned a lot about myself in that fight. And it gave me experience in how to control fights better.

You knocked Fulton down in the fifth round. You weren’t supposed to be the puncher in that fight and yet everyone was in shock when he hit the canvas. What were your thoughts at that moment? 

Honestly, I was shocked myself. I had to keep my composure. I still talk about that punch. It was just a short, little counter right hand. It wasn’t coming with much power, but it was just a well-located, high-caliber punch. 

As you switched from Phoenix to Southern California, I’m sure that you’ve picked up some great sparring in the gyms. Have there been a couple of people that have given you great sparring work over the years that you remember? 

Everywhere you go there’s great sparring. There are always people looking for sparring. I had some great sparring in Manny Robles’ gym with guys from Japan. That style, the way they move was very different. I had some great sparring over the years with Leo Santa Cruz, his experience, his punches, the way he locates them. His combinations were eye-opening. For a guy like me, to learn from someone great like that, it was a great experience. 

Photo courtesy of Carlos Castro

When did you know in your own career that you could hang with the top fighters in the sport? 

It wasn’t in the gym. I think it was the fights themselves that taught me that. Top Rank gave me one of my toughest fights of my career, the Genesis Servania fight. Everyone didn’t think I was ready for it. It was a big test for me. I don’t know if I was supposed to win that fight or not. 

I was saying Carlos, you can actually hang with him. This guy was just coming from giving Oscar Valdez one of the toughest fights of his career. And I beat him, so I deserve to be here. 

You’re coming back from a long layoff of over a year. Being a professional for over a decade, how do you deal with the downtime? 

It’s a layoff, but we’ve been working this whole time. We’ve been at the gym. We’ve been practicing on our craft, those little things that you need to work on. I’m not one of those guys that leaves the gym and only comes back when I have a fight date. 

We were actually supposed to fight Rey Vargas on the Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach card, but it fell through. We did a full training camp for that fight and then they postponed it. Then they postponed it again and then Vargas said that he wouldn’t be ready until next year. After that we slowed down our training a little bit. But then the Bruce Carrington fight came up. 

It’s all mentality. If you let it get to you where you say, hey we’ve been having a layoff, it’s going to get to you. For me it’s not a layoff because I’ve been training. I’ve been in the gym. And now it’s just me showing my mentality of hey, Carlos, this is the biggest opportunity that you’re going to get. It’s time to go. 

Now you’re facing Bruce Carrington, who’s a Top Rank fighter, but it’s not on a Top Rank card, do you currently have a promotional contract? 

I have a working relationship with TGB Promotions. 

I’m sure that you’ve seen Bruce Carrington fight before. I won’t ask you for a game plan because that’s not fair, but what are your impressions of him? 

He’s a hungry, great fighter who brings a lot of energy. Like any fighter, we all have flaws and that’s going to be the difference in this fight: who can expose the other guy’s flaws better. It will be about who will be on their A-game that night. But he’s a great fighter and someone I’m looking forward to sharing the ring with. 

Is there anyone you brought in specifically to this camp to help prepare you for Carrington? 

We brought in some very good fighters, no big names, but we brought in some Ukrainians, some good counterpunchers, some long fighters. But as I’ve always said: every fight is different, no matter who it is or what they have done before. It’s about what we’re going to do on that night. 

I know that Carrington is guy who likes to fight in the pocket and slug it out at times, even if he doesn’t need to. Are you comfortable in an inside fight? If you had your druthers, what’s your preferred style of fighting? 

I feel comfortable on the inside, but as they say: If it’s not necessary, why do it?  I’ll be more comfortable in the mid-ranges, poking him out, seeing what he can do from mid-range because as you said, he often likes to be on the inside. I’ve never really seen him fight from the mid-range or from the long range. 

What could you tell us about your life outside of boxing? 

Now I live in Fullerton, California. I’ve been living here for the past seven years. My daughter was just two or three months old when me moved and my son was seven. Now they’re big. My son’s going to be 15. My daughter just turned 8. 

My lifestyle outside of the ring is just being a father. I talked to my wife recently about this. Boxing has given me a lot. It’s given me the chances I couldn’t have had if I had a regular job. Being in my kids’ lives, being involved in their activities, it’s great. My daughter does gymnastics. My son plays soccer for a club. Being involved in their routines, taking him to his soccer games on the weekends, traveling with them and just being in their lives, there’s something great about it. 

Do you like staying in California for your training camps? 

Yes. When I first moved here I said we’re going to be here for a year and then move back to Arizona. But California really grew on me and it would be hard for me to move back now. 

Have there been one or two people who have really helped you out in your career, who have shaped who you have become as a fighter or a person? 

Someone who’s always been there for me has been my first promoter, Roberto Vargas. He’s been there as a promoter and a friend, giving me advice about boxing and life, about fatherhood and the future. 

My wife has been there for me as well. As fighters, we go through ups and downs. And there are often things that we don’t talk about, but she’s helped me out a lot. She’s opened up my eyes in many different ways and gives me great advice. 

Did she have a background or exposure to boxing before meeting you? 

No, she didn’t know anything about boxing. She didn’t even know I was a fighter when we first met. 

Returning to your upcoming fight, how does it feel to be on a huge card like this, where the eyes of the boxing world will be watching? 

It feels great. This atmosphere, being at this stage of my career, I'm sure it's going to bring out the best in me. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. As I said, boxing has taken me to so many places where I just have to take advantage of it and embrace everything coming, and have fun doing it. 

What does it mean to you to be fighting in Madison Square Garden?

It means a lot. You always had big fights and big names there. Miguel Cotto fought there a lot. I always remember that. And to have the opportunity to fight there, it means the world to me. I’m really looking forward to it.

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook