Mundine TKO’s Castillo after four one-sided rounds
By Anthony Cocks, Site Editor (February 3, 2005) 
Anthony Mundine
Former WBA super middleweight champion Anthony ‘The Man’ Mundine made short work of his overmatched opponent Darmel Castillo, stopping him in the fourth round of their scheduled ten round bout at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland on Wednesday night, but the fight wasn’t without its controversy.

As expected Mundine’s handspeed and evasive movement was the difference as he landed hard right hands and jarring left hooks behind a rapier jab. When Castillo was dropped by a body shot in the fourth round 'The Man' caught the Panamanian with a grazing punch while he was on one knee. It was enough for Castillo to claim Mundine should have been disqualified for hitting him while he was down, but referee Cyril Cairns ruled the blow to be legal and counted out Castillo at 2:31 of the round.

“He was always going low all night, so I didn’t know if he was on one knee. I didn’t mean to hit him after he went down,” Mundine, 23-2 (18), admitted in the ring after the fight. “It was just instinct. I’m not a dirty fighter, you know what I mean.”

The 29-year-old Australian applied the pressure from the opening round, pot-shotting Castillo from the outside while the hapless Panamanian flailed away with winging punches that failed to find their mark. A big right hand from Mundine concluded the opening stanza after a dominant performance by the former rugby league player.

The difference in class was further apparent in the second round as Mundine increased the tempo to win the round by a wide margin without getting out of second gear. Castillo did little more than survive in the third and fourth rounds as Mundine continued to dictate the pace and manhandle his outgunned opponent before catching him with a body shot that would end proceedings.

Castillo, 9-8-1 (6), who took the fight on sixteen days notice after original opponent Manny Siaca pulled out claiming a hand injury, was rejected as an opponent by the New South Wales Boxing Association, prompting the fight to be moved north to Queensland.

“He came to fight," Mundine said. "He was a worthy opponent. He gave it his all, he gave it his best. But I knew I’d catch up with him, it was just a matter or time."

Of course it wouldn’t be a Mundine fight without the name of domestic rival and WBC interim champion Danny Green being mentioned.

“To all the Greeny fans out there,” Mundine said to the uproar of the crowd, “I told him, I gave him the offer, if he wants to get his arse whipped, get in the ring.”

Next for Mundine though appears to be unbeaten Danish banger Mikkel Kessler, who wrested the WBA title from Mundine conqueror Siaca after seven brutal rounds in November last year.

“I want Kessler," said Mundine. "Kessler’s next. He’s got my title, he’s got my belt. I want to take him.”

On the undercard welterweight Khalid Ahmed defeated Fabrice Hona on points over six rounds, middleweight Ercument Aslan knocked out Paolo Sithsopha in three, lightweight Ahmed Elomar beat Christopher Saluday on points over four and well-traveled welterweight Singsamut Eausampan earned a surprise points victory against Edgar Wymarra over six.
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