Castillo, Mayweather trade verbal jabs before Vegas rematch

Thursday, Aug. 8, 2002 | 10:47 a.m.

LAS VEGAS AP) - Jose Luis Castillo says now that he knows Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s style, he'll avenge his April loss and regain the World Boxing Council lightweight championship.

"I won that first fight, and I'll beat him again," Castillo said, blaming the judges in the April 20 fight for what he called "a robbery."

Mayweather said since he was able to win despite hurting his shoulder before the first fight, he should be able to win their 135-pound rematch.

"I'm not saying he's not a good fighter," Mayweather said of his unanimous but disputed decision over Castillo. "But go back and look at our first fight. Other than hurting my shoulder, I came out of it with no bruises, no marks on my face, nothing."

Castillo, 28, of Mexico, and Mayweather, 25, of Las Vegas, met the media Wednesday to promote their 12-round rematch Oct. 5 at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino.

Castillo (46-5 (1)- smiled and said Mayweather always has an excuse after a tough fight.

"It's the same thing all the time," Castillo said, "he hurt his hand, his finger, his elbow."

Mayweather 28 (0)- insisted that the first fight in Las Vegas wasn't that tough.

"It was easy," Mayweather said. "The trouble was that I was focused on just ... getting home to get some aspirin and some ice on my shoulder."

The October card will include a WBC featherweight title elimination fight between Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico City and Injin Chi of South Korea, with the winner meeting the winner of the Nov. 16 Paulie Ayala-Erik Morales fight for the WBC featherweight championship next year at Mandalay Bay.

The bouts will be televised by HBO, but Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said they would be blacked out in the Las Vegas area.