Moderator: Lee Samuels, September 27, 2005, 3:00 pm EDT
OPERATOR: Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to your Top Rank Conference Call with Mr. Luis Castillo. At this time all lines have been placed on a listen-only mode and the floor will be open for questions following the presentation. I would like to turn the floor over to your host, Mr. Lee Samuels of Top Rank.
LEE SAMUELS, TOP RANK, INC.: Greetings everyone. This is a big week coming up on October 8th, as you know, with one more time, the epic rematch, Corrales versus Castillo, available on Showtime Pay Per View, over at the Thomas and Mack in Las Vegas. Jose Luis Castillo is with us, as is my boss, Bob Arum. Ricardo is with us also, so we’re going to get started right away and I want to introduce the CEO of Top Rank Boxing, Hall Fame Promoter, Bob Arum. Bob.
BOB ARUM, CEO, TOP RANK, INC.: Hi, I want to greet you all and welcome you to this conference call. It’s a pleasure to have Jose Luis Castillo on this conference call. First before we get started I want to thank Showtime for really cultivating this whole division and the rivalry and in Showtime you have a network that buys fights not fighters and it’s a pleasure for us to do this event with Gary Shaw and with Showtime.
SPEAKER: And I think before we start, Ricardo, let’s ask Jose how training camp is going and what are his feelings right now going into this big fight.
RICARDO: (Spanish)
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: I’ve been training really hard, you know, everything seems to be falling into place for this training camp. We know what we’re up against. We know it’s going to be a real tough fight but we’re ready to get back our championship and come out the winners on October 9th.
SPEAKER: And, Ricardo, what exactly is his location? Where is he calling from right now?
RICARDO: It’s in the city of Teomaya (sp?), which is in the mountains of Mexico.
SPEAKER: And how long has he been in camp there?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: I’ve been here five weeks and by the time I leave here it’ll be six complete weeks that I’ve been here up in the altitude.
SPEAKER: OK. And I know Bob knows that Jose is coming in this coming Saturday into Las Vegas to make his final preparations for his big epic rematch. Nancy, let’s start the calls.
BOB ARUM: (Inaudible) and Diego Corrales will be interviewed over television hookup as part of the October 1 Expo and Showtime double header with, surprise, surprise, we’ll have, what should be two real good fights being shown by Showtime on October 1st.
SPEAKER: Yes, I believe that fight’s in Reno, correct Bob?
BOB ARUM: It’s here in Reno, yes.
SPEAKER: Yes, and on that telecast, Showtime telecast, will be Corrales and Castillo on remote interviews.
BOB ARUM: Yeah, two good heavyweight fights and they will be interviewed as part of a live telecast, that’s correct.
SPEAKER: OK, Nancy let’s start the calls.
OPERATOR: Thank you. The floor is now open for questions. If you have a question, please press star, one, on your touchtone telephone at this time. Once again, to submit your questions, please press star, one.
Thank you. The first question comes from Steve Kim from Max Boxing.
STEVE KIM, MAX BOXING: Olla everybody. Ricardo, how you doing?
RICARDO: Good.
STEVE KIM: Could you ask Jose, in the tenth round, after the second knock down, did he have an understanding of what Diego Corrales was doing with his mouthpiece.
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: Yeah, I knew exactly what he was doing. I was looking at him and when I saw that, you know, he was like he was taking some time and was hoping to get some time from the referees in that.
STEVE KIM: My second question is, Ricardo, if you could ask him, after the second knock down, despite the delay, did he relax just a little bit and try to finish off Diego?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: Yeah, maybe I was too confident. I was maybe over confident. I was sure I was just one hit away anywhere in the body, the head, anywhere where I could hit him and the fight would be over for sure. And that’s all I was thinking, you know, I guess get one more shot in and then he got me.
STEVE KIM: My final question is, does he feel with the way Diego won, that it’s bad enough to lose; did Jose feel cheated in a way because of some of the tactics of Diego in that tenth round?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: No, you know, I feel that, I mean, I’ve been in boxing a long time and everybody knows that in boxing everything is allowed. I mean, you learn a lot of things, you know, tactics throughout your career and you’re always going to use them. That was his plan. I think he had it in his mind of he got in trouble, what he was going to do and he did it. And now I just have to be more, you know, I just have to be focused on what is going on and make sure that I finish it.
STEVE KIM: All right, thank you guys.
OPERATOR: Thank you. The next question comes from Dan Rafael from ESPN.
DAN RAFAEL, ESPN: Hi guys. Glad to be on with you guys. Ricardo, can you ask Jose if he could, as best as he can in detail, just sort of describe his thoughts and feelings about the tenth round specifically? What he was thinking when he had him down two times and, you know, I know he went into it just a little bit earlier, but, and just the whole round as a totality?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: Yeah, you know, I guess during the time, you know, when he went down twice, I just felt like I had to fight. The fight was won. I felt like it was done. Even when he got up I knew one more shot would put him down for good. That’s all I kept thinking. Maybe I got over confident, he caught me and the referee stepped aside and it was over, very quickly. So, I just, felt very sad and frustrated at letting myself, at allowing myself to get caught at a time when I had the fight won.
DAN RAFAEL: OK, thank you Ricardo.
OPERATOR: Thank you. The next question comes from Jason Gonzales from Fightnews.com.
JASON GONZALES, FIGHTNEWS.COM: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: The question was do you think you had enough time; it’s only been five months. Did you fight Corrales, do you think your body has recuperated from the tough grueling fight?
I feel like I am. I didn’t do anything for three months. I didn’t get back to training for three months and I feel like I’m like new. I feel like I didn’t get hit as much as he did. I think my body will respond perfectly on October 8th.
JASON GONZALES: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: Do you think the fact that the Leavander Johnson tragedy happened in Las Vegas, do you think about something like that? If you get into a fight, you know, like you had the first one, that maybe that referee will stop it this time and not let it go as much as the last one?
You know, there’s nothing we can do. I think the pressure is on them too after what happened. We all feel bad for what happened to Leavander. We know this is something that can happen in boxing at any time. You know, we feel that, you know, we are exposed to it, but, you know, we’ll go and then we’ll find out, hopefully, that it won’t happen for a long, long time.
JASON GONZALES: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: Do you think you’re going to stay very much longer at 135? Is this your last fight at 135?
RICARDO: I don’t know. I think if I win the fight I’ll surely like to make one or two defenses of that title, and then, you know, hopefully “easier fight than that” and then move up to 140 and look for to fight Cotto, Hatton or Mayweather.
JASON GONZALES: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: OK.
OPERATOR: Thank you. The next question comes from Kevin Iole.
KEVIN IOLE: Hi Luis, how are you?
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: Hi, fine.
KEVIN IOLE: Just wonder, you know, do you think the fight will be fought the same way nose to nose in the center of the ring for however long it goes, or do you anticipate the, you know, maybe either or both of you adjusting and changing the way the fight is fought.
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: Well as far as I’m concerned, that’s all you’re going to see out of me. That’s the way I fight. That’s the way I’m going to go at him all the time. If he does something else then we’ll figure it out there, but, you know, I hope he fights like he did last time. I think everyone will enjoy it and maybe we’ll be an even better fight than we did last time.
KEVIN IOLE: Does it surprise you that he fought that way? A lot of thought was he was going to use his jab more. Did it surprise you that he was willing to stand and fight you?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: I don’t, you know, I don’t think, you know, I don’t think he’s that good of a boxer. I think his strengths have always been the inside fighting and that’s the way he’s always going to fight. And that’s what I was expecting, is exactly the fight I got from him.
KEVIN IOLE: And Ricardo, if you could ask him one last question. Just, you know, the fact that he said he’s recuperated and he feels that a lot of people, you know, feel like those type of fights take something out of you and you never get it back. Can either guy reach the level that they reached the last time and is he concerned that this fight is too soon, that it would have been better happening, you know, some time next year as opposed to just five months later?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: I personally don’t think I could have waited that long. You know, I want to get this, I thought I won that fight, had the fight won last time and I could not wait too long to get the chance at him again. I want to take that, you know, I want to get this over with and I think I’m looking really forward to having it now, now than way later.
KEVIN IOLE: (Spanish).
OPERATOR: Thank you. The next question comes from Roberto Rajar (sp?).
ROBERTO RAJAR: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
ROBERTO RAJAR: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: I think, what are you going to do different this time around?
I’m not going to do anything different, you know. I’m going to go right at him. I’m going to be probably a lot stronger. My punches are going to be a lot more accurate, a lot stronger in this fight. I just want to get back my title.
ROBERTO RAJAR: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: Do you want to say to the fans in Southern California, especially Los Angeles?
I just want to say, you know, that I hope to see them on October 8th. Want to say hi to my mother who lives up in Los Angeles and just let them know that this time I’m coming out a winner and that I’m not going to be disappointing anyone that night.
OPERATOR: Thank you. The next question comes from George Willis.
GEORGE WILLIS: Hi. I wanted to know what kind of medical treatment did he receive immediately after the fight and was there anyone in his immediate family who has tried to talk him out of fighting again in this particular fight?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: No, you know, I did everything that Commission asked of me and I took some MRI on the head. Everything came out fine. I did everything that I was supposed to do. I came everywhere, everything was medically, I’m clear. I’m fine, I feel great. My family has wanted me to, actually they support everything I do and they’re very supportive of this fight. They didn’t think it was fair what he did with the mouthpiece, what the referee did, all the time that they took, and I think they all want to see me really knock him out and put him away this time.
GEORGE WILLIS: But Diego was really gracious after the fight saying that you brought out the true warrior in him. How did that make you feel?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: I’m very, you know, I’m very proud when I hear things like that, when a boxer respects himself. I respect him a lot. I think he’s a great boxer. I think we could even call our rivalry a semi-friendly rivalry. I think we both respect each other. Unfortunately we’re both fighting at 135 and everybody knows that I am the best 135.
GEORGE WILLIS: Thank you very much.
SPEAKER: Thank you George.
OPERATOR: Thank you. The next question comes from Bernard Fernandez.
BERNARD FERNANDEZ: Yeah, this was referred to just a second ago about the thing with the mouthpiece. When we were on with Diego and Joe Goossen a while ago, they emphatically said that, you know, the spitting out of the mouthpiece was not intentional and that it was not gamesmanship or anything to buy extra time. What are your thoughts on their saying that?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: Well, you know, they might say it’s not intentional but it certainly looked like it. You know, when you’ve been in so many fights, when you’ve been in so many hard fights, you learn things. And I think that, that shows that they had experienced that before. They’ve gained not only, but it did give him more time to get back up to being let down, but it also gave him a chance to rest, which is what he needed at that time.
BERNARD FERNANDEZ: Does, you know, a follow-up on that. Does, you know, does he feel like, like he’s still the champion and that there was, you know there was a taint or some sort of cloud over the way that Corrales won it?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: I certainly don’t feel that I’m the champion, I mean, he got the belt, he’s the world champion right now and all I’m thinking about is getting them back. The fight was won, for me it got away. I’m just looking forward to fighting him again and regaining my title.
BERNARD FERNANDEZ: Thank you.
SPEAKER: Thanks Bernie.
OPERATOR: The next question comes from Trae Thompson.
TRAE THOMPSON: Yeah, Ricardo. If you can ask Jose, this fight’s been put up, you know, among some of the best ever. Does he feel it belongs up there with some all-time greats and what other fights would he put up along with it?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: You know, I remember, you know, the three (inaudible) fight being good and then I remember the Taylor/Chavez fight, one of the best I ever seen. Mine, it’s hard to tell, you know, when you’re inside the ring, you’re just trying to win, you’re trying to do the best you can and it’s really hard to capture it. Even I haven’t even seen the whole, you know, I have not seen the whole fight yet once. So I don’t know how great it was and I’m glad you actually enjoyed it.
TRAE THOMPSON: And one quick, one thing too, as someone mentioned to the medical treatment received. The following morning after the fight, the following days after it too, I mean, could you ask him too what his body just felt like? Was he exhausted, was he bruised or sore, I mean, what did he exactly feel like?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: You know, physically I think I feel (inaudible) and every fight I get into, you know, the body normal wear and tear of a fight. I didn’t feel any more than I do after any fight. But I did feel down. I think mentally, you know, I just felt down after not winning that fight, knowing that it was in my grasp. But, you know, when I went to Mexico and everyone is telling you that it was, you know, the fight was stolen from me by the referee, that they didn’t do the right thing? You know, that got my head up. I think I’m ready to, to fight again.
TRAE THOMPSON: Thank you guys.
RICARDO: Thank you.
OPERATOR: Your next question comes from Ricardo Lopez.
RICARDO LOPEZ: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: What do you think of Tony Weeks, the way he acted on that fight with Leavander Johnson and Chavez? Do you think he did a good job or did you, I know that you criticized him for stopping your fight, but then you have relented and said that it was just fine?
RICARDO: You know, I think the fight with Chavez and Leavander Johnson was stopped a little too late. I thought if two rounds earlier that fight could have been stopped. I think Leavander Johnson shouldn’t have received as much damage as he did in those last few rounds.
RICARDO LOPEZ: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: OK. Do you think that will have any effect on your fight? If you guys do another fight like you did the first one, you know, that it will maybe stop early?
You know, that’s not really something that concerns me. My concern is, you know, to stop it at the right time, the fight to be stopped at the right time. The fight with Corrales, the first one, should have been stopped after he had gone down for the second time. It didn’t happen. This time when I knock him down I’ll make sure he doesn’t get up.
OPERATOR: The next question comes from Trae Thompson.
TRAE THOMPSON: Yeah, this is for Bob. Bob, the submission in the previous conference call, but is it too much to ask for this fight to surpass the first in terms of drama and action, or do you fully anticipate it to be just twice as good as the first fight?
BOB ARUM: The truth is, I can’t imagine any fight exceeding that first fight. But if two fighters have the capability of putting on a fight to equal or exceed that first fight, it’s Jose Luis and Diego. They’re two warriors. It’s going to be a great, great fight and it’ll be up to you guys and everybody else to judge which fight was better. But I expect another really great fight.
TRAE THOMPSON: One more question to ask Gary this too. Did the first fight and do you think this fight will do a lot too just to bring back the average, just the average boxing fan who watches on occasion?
BOB ARUM: I really think the, you know, in where I travel, you know, with people who are not necessarily boxing fans. We talk about it. The buzz was so great after the first fight and Showtime did such a good time replaying it at different times, many more people saw this fight than would ordinarily have seen it, and so we will attract a lot of people who are not considered boxing fans because the first fight was just so dramatic and so entertaining.
TRAE THOMPSON: Thanks Bob.
OPERATOR: The next question comes from Jason Gonzales.
JASON GONZALES: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: I think that fight, Castillo Corrales, about 25 times and every time they show it I watch it again. And it was real easy for you to get that upper cut on him, the right upper cut. Do you think you’ll be allowed to do the same thing in this second time around?
That’s what works. I think that’s what we’re going to try to make sure that it works again. And if he fights me again the same way it will work again and I’m looking, you know, that’s what you’re going to see, a lot of upper cuts right and left from me against Corrales.
JASON GONZALES: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: We all, I mean, whatever they might be saying, we’ll know that what they did they worked on at camp, you know, taking out the mouthpiece. Are you ready, if they bring anything different that they have, are you ready for any gamesmanship Goossen and Corrales might have for you?
I’m going to be more ready this time. I know what they’re capable of doing and I’m going to be very focused and very sharp and make sure that everything, just keeping myself in the fight and make sure that nothing comes out or any surprises like the mouthpiece incident.
JASON GONZALES: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
OPERATOR: Next question comes from Eddie Goldman.
EDDIE GOLDMAN: Jose how you doing today and I guess Ricardo is going to be translating. I’d like to ask how you, what do you expect to do differently this fight, because obviously you believe you thought you had the other fight won and it got away from you?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: We talked about maybe, you know, being more careful, not taking so many shots. And we’re going to see if we can block some of those shots, you know, be a little more defensive minded maybe some of the time, but you won’t see many more changes out of me. I’m going forward and looking for the knockout.
EDDIE GOLDMAN: Given that this fight is taking place just a couple of weeks after the tragic passing of Leavander Johnson, a lot of people are going to be looking at since it was such a brutal fight, the first fight that you had Diego Corrales. What effect do you think that’s going to have on you as a fighter and also possibly the officials?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: Maybe on the referees, the judges, you know, the Commission, I don’t know. Maybe it was someone else but not on me. You know, I’m going in there to do my job, do the best I can, and, you know, those things are out of my hands. If those decisions are being made, maybe they stop early, maybe they don’t, I don’t know. All I’m going in there to do my job and then they have to do theirs.
EDDIE GOLDMAN: You know there were also many people, some in the mainstream media, who used the Leavander Johnson situation to call for the abolition of boxing, and given the fact that your first fight with Diego was a very brutal, violent fight, can you just comment on some of that?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: You know, I think if you look at all the sports out there, accidents, you know, car, automobile racing, football, everywhere, you know, those things are going to happen in sports. I don’t think people are dying in the ring every week, like they’re making it out to be. You know, those people, people that don’t like boxing are always going to say something against the sport and take this to the maximum. I think that’s all they’re doing.
EDDIE GOLDMAN: OK. Do you want to make any prediction to this fight?
RICARDO: (Spanish).
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: I’m going to win before seven rounds.
EDDIE GOLDMAN: OK, good luck. We’re looking forward to it.
RICARDO: Thank you.
OPERATOR: Thank you. The next question comes from Robert Morales (sp?).
ROBERT MORALES: Yeah, this question is for Bob Arum. Are you there Bob?
BOB ARUM: Yup.
ROBERT MORALES: Bob, I was wondering, not including fights that have ended in tragedy, during all of your years as a promoter, have you seen any other fight that compares with the shear combination of brutality in courage shown by Castillo and Corrales in their first fight?
BOB ARUM: Yeah, there are two fights that come to mind that are comparable in my opinion that I’ve seen. One was the Hagler/Hearns fight, which lasted only three rounds, so it was unbelievable three rounds. And the other was the third Ali/Frazier fight, the “Thrilla in Manila" which was one of the most brutal fights I’ve ever seen in my life. I would put those two fights in the same category as Castillo/Corrales as being really tremendous action filled fights.
ROBERT MORALES: Thank you Bob. I appreciate that.
BOB ARUM: You’re welcome.
OPERATOR: Thank you. We have no further questions at this time.
BOB ARUM: I want to thank everybody for joining this call. I particularly thank our champion. I want to thank him, Jose Luis Castillo, and we look forward to seeing him in Las Vegas this weekend. So, good luck with the training Jose Luis.
RICARDO: Thank you Bob. (Spanish)
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO: (Spanish).
RICARDO: I want to thank everyone for taking part on this call and I look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas very soon. Thank you.
SPEAKER: Thanks everybody.
OPERATOR: Thank you everyone. This does conclude today’s teleconference. You may disconnect your lines at this time and have a wonderful day.