Mandatory challenger Luis Castillo comes from an assembly line that has produced many of Mexico’s fabled champions.
Fighting out of Los Mochis, a coastal city in Sinaloa state, Castillo arrived in the country brimming with confidence as he attempts to knock the World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight crown off Melvin Jerusalem’s head on 22 September at the Mandaluyong City College Gym.
“It was a long flight from my hometown and I will make it worth the trouble,” Castillo said upon his arrival late Saturday night at Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
He was joined in the trip that originated in Los Mochis by trainer Eduardo Montiel, Adriana Penuelas and boxer Angel Francisco Sandoval, who will fight in the undercard of the slugfest being put up by Manny Pacquiao’s Blow-By-Blow television show on One Sports.
From Los Mochis, they flew to Mexico City and then boarded a flight to Tokyo before going on the last leg of the journey to Manila.
Unbeaten with a 21-0-1 win-loss-draw record with 13 knockouts, Castillo “is a good fighter, not much experience but strong and likable style,” according to noted Mexican boxing reporter Salvador Rodriguez.
Los Mochis is also home to Fernando Montiel, Jorge Arce, Antonio De Marco, Hugo Cazares, Humberto Soto and Mexico’s newest sensation, Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez.
“They are warriors,” Rodriguez said.
And that’s exactly what Jerusalem will have to deal with in his initial defense of the WBC 105-lb belt.