Saturday’s fight between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo has been cancelled after Castillo failed to make the weight. Castillo weighed in four-and-one half pounds over the 135-pound limit on his first attempt. In his next try on the scales, at a little before 5 p.m. PT, Castillo also weighed 139 1/2 pounds. .

 

The SHOWTIME telecast will now consist of one fight, an IBF flyweight world title bout between defending champion Vic Darchinyan and Luis Maldonado. The battle of undefeated 112-pounders will start at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

 

Darchinyan (25-0, 20 KOs), of Sydney, Australia, by way of Vanadvor, Armenia, is coming off of a sensational eighth-round TKO over Diosdado Gabi March 3, 2006, on the SHOWTIME boxing series, “ShoBox: The New Generation.” A pint-sized powerhouse armed with bone-crunching power, Darchinyan is one of the hardest pound-for-pound hitters in boxing. The Lord of the Flys has won seven consecutive bouts by knockout. This will be the southpaw’s fourth title defense. Darchinyan also holds the International Boxing Organization (IBO) 112-pound belt.

 

Maldonado (33-0-1, 25 KOs), of Mexicali, Mexico, had a 33-fight winning streak end in his last outing when he boxed to a 12-round draw against slick southpaw boxer Cristian Mijares in a flyweight elimination bout on Feb. 24, 2006.  An aggressive, offensive-minded slugger who makes for great fights and never takes a backward step, Maldonado will be the naturally bigger man against Darchinyan.  The unbeaten crowd pleaser, who also is the World Boxing Organization (WBO) No. 6 contender, will make his second United States start.