By Joe Harrison

In front of a packed house in Cicero Stadium, located just outside Chicago, Illinois, Takalani Ndlovu (27-3, 17 KOs) defeated Ricardo Castillo (32-3, 22 KOs) by a razor thin split decision to retain his IBO super bantamweight belt on Friday night. Ndlovu also became the mandatory challenger for IBF champion, Steve Molitor. 

Throughout the battle, both men showcased their superb defense and boxing skills, doing anything possible to tilt the outcome toward his favor. Once the bout began, it was evident that Ndlovu would use his reach to keep his distance as Castillo would use his aggression to try and force a battle. Each fighter had their moments, which made the fight very difficult to score.

In the beginning, Castillo seemed frustrated and had some difficulty breaking through Ndlovu’s defense. After a while, once Castillo was able to land some punches, Ndlovu would connect punches in return. The action steadily picked up as the fight progressed.

In the third round, Castillo punched at Ndlovu’s body, and then landed a combination to his face. Clearly wobbled, Ndlovu went down for a moment, but it was quickly ruled a slip. After Ndlovu was hurt by an uppercut in the fourth round, it appeared that Castillo was on his way to victory.

During the middle rounds, the action began to taper off. While Castillo seemed fatigued, Ndlovu threw his jab and tried to score points whenever possible. However, Castillo always went on the attack before the end of each round, landing hooks and uppercuts as the sound of the bell would bring a halt to the action. 
 
The final rounds were the closest of the fight, as each boxer traded punches and strived to gain momentum. Castillo went back to the body and tried to wear down Ndlovu. Meanwhile, Ndlovu continued to work the jab and set up the right cross, which began to connect more frequently. When the bell rang ending the final round, both men seemed unwilling to stop punching.

On the final scorecards, two judges scored 116-112 for Ndlovu, and the third scored 115-113 for Castillo. Ndlovu and his corner instantly rejoiced in celebration while Castillo head sunk in shock and pure disappointment. Eventually, Ricardo followed his brother Jose Luis Castillo back to the locker room, escaping the hostility of his astonished fans.