Carlos Castro Stays Undefeated with Decision Over Palacios

by Cliff Rold

Fighting in front of a hometown crowd at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday night, rising 23-year old Jr. featherweight prospect Carlos Castro (18-0, 7 KO), 121 ¼, of Phoenix, Arizona, picked up an eight round unanimous decision over a one-time strawweight notable, 36-year old Juan Palacios (29-8-2, 22 KO), 121, of Managua, Nicaragua. Palacios lost every round but gave Castro some quality rounds in defeat.

The referee was Wes Melton.

The smaller Palacios didn’t act the part in a physical fight. Despite taking heavy punishment when the fight was off the ropes, Palacios made the less experienced Castro work all night with constant pressure. Castro, with a much longer reach, popped Palacios with hard jabs, long rights, and body shots but when they resolved to close quarters he had to work harder.

When he could pin Castro on the ropes, or even working off of them, Palacios was able to get in hard combinations to the head and body. Cut with what appeared to be a clash of heads early in the fight, Palacios worked with a crimson stream straight down the middle of his forehead for most of the night. It made for a gutsy aesthetic even if it didn’t make for any winning rounds. Castro, making his first start since October 2016, went eight rounds for the second straight time.

All three judges came in at 80-72 for Castro.

Palacios twice held interim versions of titles in the 105 lb. weight class but didn’t fight between May 2012 and March 2015. Since returning to the ring he is 0-5-1.

The card was televised in the US on BeIn Espanol, promoted by Zanfer.

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene and a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com