Castillo Manager: "We never said the third fight was going to be at 135!"

GL: Can you give us some thoughts on Jose Luis Castillo's performance? "I'm very happy about it. This time he trained correctly, he trained for a long time. But unfortunately, because of a sore rib he was honestly unable to make the weight. He's always been a disciplined fighter and he's always been on weight. He's sorry to the fans that he couldn't make weight, but if they want to do the third one it all depends on Bob Arum. He's the one who's going to make the call. If he wants to make the third one we'll make the third one and we'll probably fight at 135 or we'll fight at 140. We never said the third fight was going to be at 135."

GL: Gary Shaw and Diego Corrales have told me that there is a contractual obligation for the third fight to take place at 135, are you telling me that's incorrect?

Fernando Beltran: "That is definitely incorrect and I will also say that I will not put my fighter at risk. He could make 135 he'll make it, but if it's unhealthy for him to fight at 135 he won't fight at 135."

GL: Castillo's doctor Armando Barac was suspended for placing his foot underneath the scale at the weigh in. Based on the fact that he injured himself and couldn't make weight as a result of the injury, some people find it hard to believe that the entire team didn't know he was going to be off weight. If you knew he wasn't going to make the weight why show up at the weigh in to try and get by?

Fernando Beltran: "I don't care what people say. If you or someone else is judging us, you or the people saying that can say whatever they weight. Castillo was working very hard for this fight and we were hoping he was going to make weight. Unfortunately he couldn't make the weight, it became impossible."

GL: According to what I've been hearing the PPV numbers are lower than expected. How much of that should be attributed to the circus at the weigh-in and the confusion that it caused? Or do you feel it had more to do with Tarver and Jones fighting on PPV the week before?

Fernando Beltran: "I don't understand what was expected, maybe you could explain  to me."

GL: I understand that Showtime was expecting 350,000 homes and I understand it's going to be approximately going to be 100,000 homes less than that.

Fernando Beltran: "Well Diego Corrales and Castillo never fought on PPV as a main event. If you ask me 250,000 is a success and as you said Roy Jones Jr, who has fought on many, many, PPV's fought the week before and that couldn't have helped. Like I said it was the first time Castillo was on PPV but after his performance his PPV numbers will get bigger and bigger.

"The only thing I am disappointed about is that he couldn't make weight. I could care less about whatever comments people are making out there."

GL: After speaking with Gary Shaw and Diego Corrales, they seem convinced that Castillo had no intentions of making lightweight. Neither of them believe that even trained to make lightweight. Are you concerned about anyone from the Corrales camp filing suit against Castillo?

Fernando Beltran: "Castillo was completely dry before the fight and he couldn't lose any more weight. It was that simple. I respect Diego Corrales he is a great champion and a great person outside the ring, but on the night of the fight he weighed more than Castillo."

GL: Diego told me Castillo was close 160.

Fernando Beltran: "That is ridiculous! How can you gain 13 pounds in five hours? Either you eat or you fight and we all saw Castillo came to fight. I respect Diego a lot. He's a great, great champion and if he wants to do it again and his promoter can reach an agreement with Bob Arum, why not do it a third time? They could put whatever they want in a contract but I have to talk to Castillo because if it's impossible for him to fight at 135, he won't fight at 135 anymore. Right now it's too early to make the call let us enjoy the victory. I'm not saying that he's going to make 135 or 140, there's other fights out there...there's Miguel Cotto and there's Floyd Mayweather. Everybody remembers HBO thought Castillo won the first fight, Mayweather beat him in the rematch but to a lot of people they're 1-1. Nobody is talking about that fight but if Mayweather wants a competitive fight he can fight Jose Luis Castillo again."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Send questions and comments to: gleon@Boxingtalk.net