Castillo Will Edge Hatton In A Seesaw Battle

Since this fight was announced earlier in the year, I have struggled to predict who will win. In Castillo, you have the grizzled, more-skilled veteran whose best fighting days were at 135 pounds a few years ago. If his unimpressive victory against the limited Herman Ngoudjo earlier in the year is any indication, Castillo will have his hands full with Hatton in this 140-pound battle. In Hatton, you have a younger, physically-stronger fighter who will be fighting closer to his natural weight. However, he too, has looked mediocre in recent wins against Luis Collazo (UD 12) and Juan Urango (UD 12).

PREDICTION: I predict the "Fight of the Year II," as Castillo and Hatton will fall just short of the classic war that Cotto and Judah just put on. This fight will have less drama than the former, but each fighter’s aggressive fighting style and lack of one-punch knockout power (leading to more punches thrown) will produce a highly-competitive scrap. In the end, Jose Luis Castillo will have his hand raised in victory, adding the second universally-recognized championship belt to his collection.