Javier Castillejo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Javier Castillejo |
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| Real name | Francisco Javier Castillejo Rodríguez |
| Nickname(s) | El Lince de Parla ("The Lynx of Parla") |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in |
| Reach | 70 in |
| Born | 22 March 1968 Parla, Madrid, Spain |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 72 |
| Wins | 62 |
| Wins by KO | 43 |
| Losses | 8 |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
Javier Castillejo, whose full name is Francisco Javier Castillejo Rodríguez, is a famous former professional boxer from Spain. He was born on March 22, 1968. He competed in boxing matches from 1988 until 2009. Javier was a world champion in two different weight classes. He held important titles like the WBC and lineal light-middleweight titles. He also won the WBA middleweight title. Castillejo was also a two-time European light-middleweight champion. He was known as El Lince de Parla, which means "The Lynx of Parla".
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Javier Castillejo's Boxing Journey
Javier Castillejo started his professional boxing career on July 22, 1988. His first fight was in Madrid, Spain, where he won against Ángel Díez. He had a rematch with Díez soon after and won by knockout. This was his first knockout victory. Castillejo quickly gained more wins, including his first first-round knockout in Torrejón.
Early Career and First Loss
After winning four more fights, Castillejo faced his first defeat. On August 19, 1989, he lost to Del Bryan in Benidorm. However, he didn't let this stop him. He went on to win 22 fights in a row after that loss.
Winning Spanish and Regional Titles
During his winning streak, Castillejo achieved some big victories. On October 19, 1990, he won the Spanish Welterweight Championship. He knocked out Alfonzo Redondo in the fourth round in Leganés. He successfully defended this title in 1991.
Castillejo also started beating well-known boxers. He knocked out former world champion Harry Arroyo in three rounds. He also defeated former WBC champion Saoul Mamby. In December 1992, he won the WBC's Mundo Hispano light-middleweight title. This showed he was becoming a strong international contender.
First Chance at a World Title
Even though he hadn't fought much outside Spain, Castillejo got his first chance at a world title. On April 24, 1993, he challenged Julio César Vásquez for the WBA light-middleweight title. The fight was in Leganés, Spain. Vásquez won the fight, ending Castillejo's long winning streak.
After this, Castillejo fought outside Spain for the first time. He won the European light-middleweight title in France. He defended this title four times. He later lost it to Laurent Boudouani in 1995. Castillejo then won six more fights in a row. He regained the European light-middleweight title in 1998 by knocking out Ahmed Dottuev.
Becoming a World Champion
On January 29, 1999, Javier Castillejo got his second chance to become a world champion. He fought Keith Mullings, who held the Lineal and WBC light-middleweight titles. Castillejo won the fight by decision after twelve rounds. This made him one of the few world champions from Spain.
Defending His Title and Facing Oscar De La Hoya
Castillejo successfully defended his WBC light-middleweight title five times. Then, a big fight was arranged between him and the famous boxer Oscar De La Hoya. This was a huge event, especially for Castillejo, as it was a Pay Per View fight. Many fans thought Castillejo was just an easy opponent for De La Hoya.
Before the fight in Las Vegas, Castillejo famously said he "didn't come to Las Vegas to do tourism, but to defend (his) title". The fight went all twelve rounds. Castillejo was knocked down near the end, and he lost the fight by a unanimous decision on June 23, 2001. He lost his world title that day.
Winning Another Title and Interim Title
Six months after losing to De La Hoya, Castillejo returned to boxing. He beat Xavier Moya in January 2002 to win the European Community's Junior Middleweight title. In July 2002, he won the WBC's "Interim" light-middleweight title by beating Roman Karmazin. An "interim" title means he was a temporary champion while the main champion was unable to fight. However, he later lost this recognition because he didn't fight the main champion, Shane Mosley.
Castillejo then won four fights in a row, all by knockout. He later fought Fernando Vargas in 2005. Castillejo lost that fight by decision.
Winning a Middleweight World Title
On July 15, 2006, Castillejo made a big comeback. He defeated Felix Sturm of Germany to win the WBA middleweight title. Sturm was expected to win easily, but Castillejo surprised everyone. In the tenth round, Castillejo landed a powerful left hook. He then hit Sturm with several uppercuts, and the referee stopped the fight.
At 38 years old, Castillejo became the oldest person to win a recognized World Middleweight Championship. He lost his title in his first defense against Mariano Natalio Carrera. However, Carrera later failed a drug test, so Castillejo got his title back. He then lost the title again to Felix Sturm in a rematch on April 28, 2007. Castillejo fought Carrera again in November 2007 and won by knockout.
Javier Castillejo's Boxing Record Summary
| 72 fights | 62 wins | 8 losses |
| By knockout | 43 | 2 |
| By decision | 18 | 6 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| No contests | 1 | |
Javier Castillejo's final professional boxing match was on April 4, 2009. He had a draw against Pablo Navascues. His career ended with an impressive record of 62 wins, 8 losses, and 1 draw. He had 43 knockout wins.
See also
In Spanish: Javier Castillejo para niños
- List of light-middleweight boxing champions
- List of middleweight boxing champions
- List of WBA world champions
- List of WBC world champions
- List of European Boxing Union light-middleweight champions
