Las Vegas - Undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jnr captured the World Boxing Council lightweight crown here Saturday, dethroning Mexico's Jose Luis Castillo by unanimous decision in a fight he appeared to lose convincingly.
Mayweather rose to 28-0 thanks to judges' scores of 116-111, 115-111 and 115-111 while Castillo, making his third title defense, fell to 45-5 with one drawn.
"I thought I won the fight. Unfortunately the judges didn't agree with me," said Castillo, who thought Mayweather's local ties and marketability for future fights paid greater roles in the verdict than his boxing display.
"They favored him because of that," Castillo said. "Judges should be impartial. They weren't. But I have a guarantee that we will have a rematch. (Promoter Bob Arum) didn't give me a guarantee but he said most likely we will have a rematch."
As Mayweather held his world title belt and stood on the ropes, fans booed and some even threw trash at him.
"I was wearing the guy down. I wasn't worried at all," Mayweather said. "He was a good fighter. It was a good fight. It was a good experience. I wanted to fight the best. I fought the fight I wanted to fight. I'm looking forward to moving on."
"Pretty Boy Floyd" ditched a super featherweight title to move up in weight in hopes an impressive title triumph would bring big-money fights against such rivals as Australia's Kostya Tszyu and Oscar de la Hoya.
Instead, Castillo earned respect in defeat and Mayweather obtained a tarnished title. Mayweather blamed a huge disadvantage in punches thrown on a shoulder injury suffered in training but conveniently unmentioned until after the fight.
"It was tough," Mayweather said. "My left wasn't as strong as I wanted it to be. I beat this guy with a messed up arm. My arm was messed up. But I don't have no excuses. (I won) with one arm."
Castillo landed 46 more punches and connected on a higher percentage, nearly three times as many total punches. Only in jabs did Mayweather own any edge as Castillo inflicted more punsihment than he took.
"At one time I felt him. But I hurt him a lot more," Castillo said. "He felt my punches. A lot of times he stood there and tried to trade with me. But my punches were too hard."
Castillo suffered a one-point deducation at the end of the eighth round for punching after a break. Having already been warned, the champion sent a left to Mayweather's head on a break. Mayweather threw only four power punches in the round.
But Mayweather lost a point himself late in the 10th round for shoving his elbow into the throat of Castillo, who appeared to dominate the round.
That set the stage for toe-to-toe exchanges in the final two rounds, Castillo dictating the tempo as he did most of the fight while Mayweather attacked with a passion lacking for most of the bout.
Castillo suffered a bloodied nose in the first round and fell over his own feet backing away from Mayweather 25 seconds into the second round. Moments later, Mayweather suffered a head-butt that opened a cut over his left eye.
But round after round, Castillo improved. Standing in Mayweather's face and outpunching the "Pretty Boy", Castillo forced the challenger to the ropes round after round. Mayweather tumbled to the canvas with a slip in the sixth round.
Castillo pounded Mayweather, a 4-1 oddsmaker favourite, throughout the seventh round, which ended with Mayweather laughing in the champion's face after taking punishment to the head and body from several flurries by the Mexican. - Sapa-AFP