By Jake Donovan

Four or five years ago, it could’ve possibly proven to have been the long overdue breakout moment his career always deserved.

Today, it signals the alarming end to a career for former super flyweight titlist Martin “El Gallito” Castillo and one more day in the sun for Jorge “El Travieso” Arce after scoring a stunning first round knockout at El Palenque de la Feria in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico on Saturday evening.

Both fighters weighed 120 lb for the over-the-weight bantamweight fight, which aired live on Fox Sports Espanol.

Castillo came out well-intentioned, but it was clear as far back as his first comeback fight last year that he was better off having called it a career following the four-round beatdown he caught more than two years ago against Fernando Montiel.

The game changer in this fight came about a minute in, when Arce landed a right hand to which Castillo did not react very well. The once crafty boxer-puncher ceased coming forward in an aggressive manner from that point onward, only taking the lead when he attempted to jab his way off of the ropes and out of harm’s way.

Arce wasn’t exactly the relentless face-first brawler that made him famous throughout much of his career, but was aggressive enough to keep the fight at his desired pace. With his opponent offering little in return and bearing the look of a shell-shocked fighter, it became easy pickings, a rare situation for Arce who seems to thrive on dealing with adversity.

It appeared as if Castillo would at least escape the opening round relatively unscathed, only for a perfectly placed left hook to the body ending his night and hopefully his career, if his handlers truly care about him as much as his managerial stablemate Israel Vazquez. The punch hit the sweet spot, as Castillo was forced to remain on a knee for the duration of referee Jesus Salcedo’s ten count.

The official time was 2:56 of the opening round.

After years of the fight being discussed but never materializing, Arce gets the name on his resume at long last. The win gives him three straight check marks in the win column as he improves to 55-6-1 (42KO).

Where the wildly popular Mexican goes from here is anyone’s guess. After having won a vacant alphabet title at 115 lb. earlier this year, he has since spent his time at and above the bantamweight limit, with each of his last two fights coming at 119 and 120 lb., respectively.

Whatever is the plan, at least one more fight is surely in store.

Such is most likely not the case for Castillo, who heads off into the sunset with the earliest exit of a career that deserved a lot better than being served up as bait years after his prime was spent out of sight and out of mind to many beyond the sport’s hardcore.

The 33-year old falls to 35-4-1 (18KO) overall, forced to ponder what could’ve been and deserving better than the ending he’s forced to live with for as long as he breathes air.

TELEVISED UNDERCARD

Jose Alberto Rosas gave his hometown crowd a thrill, scoring a sixth round stoppage over Simphiwe Nongqayi to pick up an alphabet title at super bantamweight.

Nongqayi was able to make a living in Mexico and primarily at the expense of the Arce family, scoring dominant wins over Fernando and Jorge in 2009, and the latter earning him a vacant 115 lb. title.

The fight with Jorge Arce was the last time he has impressed in the ring, struggling to a draw in his first title defense before looking flat and overwhelmed against Rosas. The bout was hardly competitive, with Rosas aggressive from the opening bell and walking down the South African every step of the way.

The sudden ending came in the sixth, when Nongqayi suffered a delayed reaction knockdown after getting clipped with a temple shot. He remained on a knee for the full mandatory eight count and appeared ready to continue, but his corner decided otherwise, demanding to the third man that the fight be stopped.

The official time was 1:00 of the sixth round.

Rosas picks up the biggest win of nine-year career, though at age 25 it appears that the best years are still ahead. Amidst a four-fight win streak, he improves overall to 32-5 (26KO), coming up aces in his first ever crack at a major title of any kind.

It’s a long flight back home for Nongqayi, who falls to 16-1-1 (6KO), having failed to register a win in 2010 to date.

Luis Lugo remained unbeaten with a third round knockout over hapless journeyman Roberto Morales. Lugo scored two knockdowns in the second and one more in the third before the fight was waved off at 1:30 in the third round.

Lugo improves to 9-0-1 (7KO), though can stand an upgrade in competition, at least beyond the tomato can level. Morales falls to 0-3. All of his losses have come by knockout, including a sixth round stoppage loss just two weeks ago.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.