The rivalry between Ruben Olivares and Jesus Castillo—one of the crucial revered in Mexican boxing lore—passed off in an period when the bantamweight division was dominated by Mexicans, with the good “El Púas” and Chucho being one of the best of the bunch. Their first bout, which passed off a mere six months earlier than the rematch, noticed Ruben defend his bantamweight crown in an all-action battle in opposition to a decided Castillo who in the long run got here up brief on the scorecards. Because of this, in addition to for the distinction in personalities and the melding of their preventing types, their rematch at The Inglewood Discussion board in Los Angeles was extremely anticipated. Fortunately, it didn’t fail to stay as much as followers’ lofty expectations.
“El Púas” Olivares is rightly thought-about probably the greatest bantamweights ever, and in his time was considered one of the best Mexican fighter to ever lace them up. His nickname interprets as “spikes”, however it fails to precisely convey the risk his punches posed to his opponents. Ruben didn’t sting his adversaries together with his pictures, he pounded them; and whereas his proper cross was emphatic, his left hook upstairs was his most precious asset. The vicious energy he possessed allowed him to place collectively two strings of consecutive knockouts–of twenty-two and 21 victories–that rank amongst the longest within the document books.
As a child, Olivares first demonstrated his fistic prowess at college, the place he spent way more time hitting fellow schoolmates than the books. Younger Ruben induced a lot bother that his elementary college principal supplied him the diploma on a silver plate so long as he promised to keep away from the premises for the remainder of the varsity yr. Ultimately, Olivares discovered the self-discipline and focus he lacked in a boxing health club. Despite the fact that he posted a strong novice run, what he actually needed was to show professional and get massive fights as quickly as doable. He garnered industrial success and well-liked enchantment due to his violent model, outgoing character, and the thrilling finishes to his fights, with opponents invariably mendacity at his ft and his fists lifted proudly within the air.
The contrasting personalities of Olivares and Castillo had been an enormous a part of their rivalry and its enchantment to battle followers. Whereas Ruben loved the highlight—partying with Mexican celebrities and even making cameos in comedy movies—Chucho was soft-spoken and maintained a low profile. Those that knew him agreed that Castillo was an introvert exterior the ring, however Chucho believed that that trait inhibited him from performing to his greatest contained in the roped sq.. In actual fact, with a view to maximize his possibilities in opposition to “El Púas” the second time spherical, he went so far as searching for psychological counsel earlier than the rematch.
However the spirited competitors between Olivares and Castillo actually started with their efforts to dethrone bantamweight champion Lionel Rose. Chucho had his shot on the title-holder earlier than Ruben, however the judges controversially favoured Rose in an in depth battle, thus igniting a riot by the closely pro-Castillo crowd on the Los Angeles Discussion board the place that contest passed off. Eight months later, Olivares bought his probability to win the belt from Rose on the similar venue. Minutes earlier than the ring walks that evening, the director of the venue paid Ruben a go to within the dressing room, confessing that he feared a second riot if the Mexican didn’t emerge the victor. Olivares assured that wouldn’t occur, and soundly delivered on his promise by knocking out Rose within the fifth spherical.
A rematch between Olivares and Castillo after their dramatic first battle was nicely justified by their storylines as nicely. “El Púas” was nonetheless undefeated and on a severe tear, beating everybody he confronted by flattening them together with his fearsome energy. For his half, Chucho had beforehand participated in three rematches in his profession, seeking to avenge previous losses; he gained all three due to gritty dedication and fistic energy. If there was anybody alive who might problem “El Púas” inside a hoop, that was absolutely Castillo.
The early rounds of Olivares vs Castillo II had been subdued, with each fighters looking for out if something had modified since their earlier encounter. However as early as the primary spherical, a head butt opened a gash above Ruben’s left eye, releasing blood freely, which poured down his face. The tempo picked up significantly in spherical three whereas each guys scored with their trademark pictures: Ruben utilizing the left hook and Castillo touchdown proper palms upstairs. By spherical 5, nonetheless, the motion reached the next plateau, as each fighters traded punches freely and stored closing the gap. In a couple of minutes, what had begun as a full of life dialogue at a distance grew to become a shouting match inside a telephone sales space.
It grew to become evident that the minimize was bothering Olivares, even when solely at a psychological degree. His nook did an amazing job of containing the bleeding by way of the center rounds because the crossfire intensified, however Ruben’s punches had been clearly the much less highly effective ones. Castillo stored coming, launching mixtures at “El Púas”, and scoring as nicely with the left fist as with the fitting. Chucho’s assault was extra assertive, even when he was not dominating outright; the bout remained shut all through its entirety, with momentum shifting typically throughout the similar spherical.
Within the ninth Olivares made an enormous stand, pushing ahead with dedication and backing Castillo to the ropes. As Ruben unleashed mixtures relentlessly, Chucho fought again, matching the champion punch for punch. And because the ecstatic viewers celebrated the extraordinary motion, the 2 Mexican warriors pummeled one another ferociously in what had escalated to a textbook warfare of attrition.
As the competition moved to the championship rounds, the tempo remained neck-breaking. Violent in-fighting grew to become the norm, with exchanges to physique and head, as Ruben protected as greatest he might his minimize eye together with his left glove, and with Castillo intent on breaking down Olivares and at last snatching the coveted title.
In the long run, neither fighter yielded nor backed up; it was the referee who stepped in to place an finish to the hostilities on the finish of spherical fourteen, when Olivares’s blood was once more flowing liberally from the minimize above his eye. The stoppage meant Castillo had avenged yet another of his losses, and that Olivares had misplaced an expert battle for the primary time in his profession. Extra importantly, it meant that the world had a brand new bantamweight champion: Jesus “Chucho” Castillo. –Rafael García
