[BOXING] Fighter fails to make weight, team caught cheating at weigh-in

Another ridiculous moment in the circus that is professional boxing...
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By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com

LAS VEGAS -- Former two-time lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo three times failed to make the 135-pound weight limit Friday, rendering his much anticipated rematch with champion Diego Corrales a non-title bout.

The fight will still go on Saturday night (Showtime PPV, 9 ET) at the Thomas & Mack Center but it will be a 12-round non-title fight. If Corrales loses, he retains his unified titles.

Castillo, who was drawn and appeared drained, weighed 137 pounds on his first try. Given two hours to make weight, he returned to the scale outside at Caesars Palace an hour later and weighed 138½pounds. He was the same weight on his third attempt.

Corrales, who won the first bruising fight on May 7 with a miraculous 10th-round TKO after being knocked down twice, was 135 pounds on his first attempt.

Because Castillo failed to make weight, Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Marc Ratner fined him the maximum 10 percent of his $1.2 million purse, or $120,000. Half of that will be added to Corrales' $2 million purse, and the other $60,000 will be paid to the commission.

Ratner also fined and suspended a member of Castillo's entourage for trying to manipulate the scale on Castillo's second weigh-in attempt.

Dr. Armando Barak, Castillo's physician who also works in his corner, was fined $1,000 and will not be allowed in the corner on Saturday night. He was caught trying to raise the scale with his foot to try to make it appear as though Castillo was lighter.

Ratner said the commission reserved the right to further discipline Barak.

After Castillo's third failed attempt to make weight, Corrales promoter Gary Shaw and manager James Prince, and Castillo promoter Bob Arum and manager Fernando Beltran tried to work out an unofficial weigh-in on Saturday to assure the Corrales camp that Castillo wouldn't have too big of a weight advantage.

Shaw proposed a 3 p.m. PT weigh-in with a maximum weight of 146 pounds. Arum offered a 5 p.m. PT weigh in with a 147 maximum. Shaw also asked for $75,000 per pound if Castillo was over again.

The sides couldn't agree and Arum and Shaw engaged in a loud shouting match with both men cursing at each other.

"If you don't want it that way, then there's no fight. I don't give a [expletive]," Arum screamed at Shaw.

Shaw, Prince and trainer Joe Goossen then left, leaving the Saturday unofficial weigh-in limit and time unresolved.

But later Friday, a compromise was reached. There will be a 3 p.m. PT commission weigh-in with a maximum limit of 147 punds. Ratner will oversee the weigh-ins.

If either fighter is over the limit, he will pay the other side $75,000 per excessive pound.

"I am very sorry. This is not correct," Beltran said. "I'm fine with the sanctions and I'm sorry. It's not correct for the fans."

Beltran disclosed that Castillo had fired trainer Tiburcio Garcia two weeks ago and blamed Barak for allowing Castillo to balloon in weight in his final weeks of training.

Few realized that Garcia was no longer with Castillo because he is still here working with Jorge Arce, who will fight on the undercard.

"This is the most important fight of Castillo's career and he is usually very responsible in his training but for this fight he was irresponsible," Beltran said.

Also, officials from the WBC and WBO, whose titles Corrales holds, said neither fighter would pay a sanctioning fee since it is now a non-title bout.

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