Eliseo Castillo
Encyclopedia
Eliseo Castillo is a professional boxer
. He is the younger brother of Heavyweight boxer Elieser Castillo.
to box through the Cuban state government's amateur boxing program. (This is the same program that produced such boxing legends as Teofilo Stevenson
, Félix Savón
, Joel Casamayor
, and Juan Carlos Gomez
.) Despite winning the vast majority of his approximately 90 amateur bouts in Cuba
, the young fighter could not manage to capture an international title.
before they drifted ashore in Panama
. Soon thereafter, they were returned to Guantanamo Bay
. After 18 months of processing the group was allowed to emigrate to the United States
. He then moved to Miami
, Florida
.
Though his career has been spotty, he still managed to remain undefeated up until April 2005. The only blemish on his record up until that point was a draw to Terry Pitts (who later changed his name to Sajad Abdul Aziz) on November 13, 1998 at the famed Mahi Shrine Temple Auditorium in Miami. Aziz was able to score knockdowns in both the 4th and 5th rounds, but Castillo fought back and secured a majority draw. These fights were at cruiserweight.
His biggest victory came on July 3, 2004 against former Heavyweight champion Michael Moorer
at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. He beat the former champion by a unanimous decision in their 10-round bout. This brought him some level of attention from the boxing press and garnered for him a fight with Wladimir Klitschko
the following year.
At 2:51 in the fourth round, Klitschko was declared the victor after referee Daniel Van de Wiele stopped the fight.
Shortly after the fight with Klitschko, Castillo moved back down to the Cruiserweight division. He has won two straight since the Klitschko loss and was KOd by, the then undefeated, Johnathon Banks
on July 26, 2006.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. He is the younger brother of Heavyweight boxer Elieser Castillo.
Amateur career
From the ages of 12 through 16, he trainedBoxing training
Boxing training is the training method that boxers use in order to get more fit for their sport. This training method is often cited by medical doctors, boxing trainers, and writers as one of the most spartan forms of sports training.- Training :...
to box through the Cuban state government's amateur boxing program. (This is the same program that produced such boxing legends as Teofilo Stevenson
Teófilo Stevenson
Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence or Teófilo Stevenson is a former Cuban amateur boxer. He is one of the only three boxers to win three Olympic gold medals, alongside Hungarian László Papp and fellow Cuban Félix Savón....
, Félix Savón
Félix Savón
Félix Savón Fabre is a Cuban heavyweight boxer, a winner of three gold medals at the Olympic Games. Savón is considered a legend in amateur boxing and has won six world titles....
, Joel Casamayor
Joel Casamayor
Joel "El Cepillo" Casamayor Johnson is a Cuban boxer, who turned pro after defecting to the United States on the eve of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The nickname "El Cepillo", literally translated to "the brush", comes from his uppercut, which rakes his opponents across the face...
, and Juan Carlos Gomez
Juan Carlos Gomez
Juan Carlos Gómez is a professional boxer. A former Cuban amateur star, he is also a former WBC Cruserweight Champion and a devout Muslim. He lives in and boxes out of Orlando, Florida, USA.-Early years and defection:...
.) Despite winning the vast majority of his approximately 90 amateur bouts in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the young fighter could not manage to capture an international title.
Defection from Cuba
At the age of 17, Eliseo Castillo escaped from Cuba on a raft with his brothers Elieser (a very well known fellow Heavyweight boxer) and Eliades and two other friends. The group spent five days at seaSea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
before they drifted ashore in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. Soon thereafter, they were returned to Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
. After 18 months of processing the group was allowed to emigrate to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He then moved to Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Professional career
At the age of 20, he began his professional career as a boxer. His first bout was against Anthony Mack (who was also making his professional debut that evening) on February 24, 1996. Castillo won the bout via first round knockout. He fought off-and-on into the new millennium, at one time even taking 3 years off from the sport.Though his career has been spotty, he still managed to remain undefeated up until April 2005. The only blemish on his record up until that point was a draw to Terry Pitts (who later changed his name to Sajad Abdul Aziz) on November 13, 1998 at the famed Mahi Shrine Temple Auditorium in Miami. Aziz was able to score knockdowns in both the 4th and 5th rounds, but Castillo fought back and secured a majority draw. These fights were at cruiserweight.
His biggest victory came on July 3, 2004 against former Heavyweight champion Michael Moorer
Michael Moorer
Michael Lee Moorer is a retired American boxer who is a former light heavyweight and heavyweight World Champion.-Biography:Moorer is a native of Monessen, Pennsylvania, which is in Southwestern Pennsylvania.-Professional career:...
at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. He beat the former champion by a unanimous decision in their 10-round bout. This brought him some level of attention from the boxing press and garnered for him a fight with Wladimir Klitschko
Wladimir Klitschko
Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian heavyweight boxer. Klitschko is the WBA , IBF, WBO Super, IBO & Ring Magazine Champion. His older brother Vitali Klitschko is the current WBC champion...
the following year.
At 2:51 in the fourth round, Klitschko was declared the victor after referee Daniel Van de Wiele stopped the fight.
Shortly after the fight with Klitschko, Castillo moved back down to the Cruiserweight division. He has won two straight since the Klitschko loss and was KOd by, the then undefeated, Johnathon Banks
Johnathon Banks
Johnathon Maurice Banks is a professional boxer. Prior to turning pro, Banks was a three time National Amateur Champion at 178 lbs.Banks started playing the piano in middle school, but boxing soon took over and dominated that desire...
on July 26, 2006.