By Carlos Irusta

JORGE CASTRO was kayoed in 4 by Columbian Jose Luis Herrera on a sad night at Luna Park. Against all odds, the former WBA middleweight champion returned to ring for the first time since the tremedous car accident he suffered a year ago, including 19 days of being in a coma.

“I come here to win”, said Herrera who is now 14 (14)-1-0. “I know Castro is a living legend, and it will be very important for me to to win this fight, I don’t care about the audience, in the ring there are only two boxers”.

Everything sounded like an ancitipated party, including the presence of Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, from the WBA. “I want to see with my own eyes what Castro can do, is my idol, I used to spar with him and I want to see if is capable of a Miracle”.

But miracles are no easy to find. In front of 12.000 people, with a previous show a-la Cirque du Soleil, Castro looked older than his 38 year old body. In the first row was Daniel Scioli, vice president of Argentina and former off-shore world champion, and boxing personalities as Carlos Baldomir, WBC welter champion and former champions as Marcelo Dominguez, Miguel Angel Castellini, Sergio Palma and Horacio Accavallo.

Castro established the long distance in the first seconds. He had tremendous problems with his right hand, so tried to make his work with the left to the chin and the body. But he received a tremendous right hand as a counter, and looked in trouble.

In the second, Castro made an effort to defeat Herrera, bombing him with combinations. But it was the swan song for Castro. In the third, they exchanged tremendous blows and, right hand sent Castro to the canvas. A real fighter, Castro stood to his feet at 8.
But during the minute rest period, he looked very bad, like he couldn’t understand where he was.

The fourth round will be a sad memory for the argentinian boxer. Merciless, Herrera shocked Castro with a right to the chin, and the idol was again on the floor, with his back on the canvas, and the arms extended like a cruxifiction. The referee, Fernando Peyrous, stopped the count at 7. It was all over for Castro, who received medical attention in the ring for ten minutes.

A riot started in the ring side, with soccer fans of Boca Juniors, the team Castro adores. The hooligans beat a man from another team, making his face a bloody mask. Herrera stayed in the ring, looking for security, while Castro was conducted to his dressing room first and the Hospital Argerich later, the same Hospital where he battled with death. Of course, it was his last fight. His pro record now 129 victories (89 KO), 11 defeats y 3 draws.

He was a real brawler. Is difficult to forget his tremendous victory over John David Jackson at Monterrey when, totally beaten, covered by his own blood, he kayoed  Jackson in 9, retaining his WBA middle belt. But noboy can defeat Father Time, including Castro. It could of been a party, bur ended in a night to forget, for some a nightmare.