Arturo Gatti vs Jose Luis Castillo @ 140

[ElTerribleMorales]

I love Arturo Gatti as much as the next guy, but he lost to fighters like Ivan Robinson x2, Angel Manfredy, and this was in his prime.

Jose Luis Castillo in his prime beat fighters like Stevie Johnston x2, Diego Corrales, Joel Casamayor.

Jose Luis Castillo was an elite fighter Arturo Gatti wasn't, at 140 its not a fair match up because it isn't prime for prime. At 135 Jose Luis Castillo would stop Arturo Gatti late on.

exactly but he was saying Gatti/Castillo at 140, and IMO this was the best Gatti was in his entire career since he would box a lot more, prime for prime Castillo would have won no doubt but still wouldn't have been a cake walk, lets not forget that it's the same Gatti who took DLH's shots and although he went down he came back for more and held his own a bit

[rjj tszyu]

You can only go off what each fighter did @140 and with that in mind Gatti has to take it for me. Castillo was without doubt the better fighter but when he did move up to 140 he was past it and wasn't very good at all where as Gatti put some very good performances in at 140. It's ok saying but he was huge at 135, yes but maybe he kept dropping down to 135 because he wasn't comfortable in the higher weights. He never looked that comfortable at 140 for me!

[Dizaster]

Still think Castillo is the only person to have beaten Floyd Mayweather...

Think he was such a solid fighter through the period you are talking about... Would have been a tremendous fight/s, and wouldn't count Gatti out...

But Castillo had a tonne of heart as well and would just edge Gatti out..

[Master]

For sentimental reasons Gatti would be getting an ass whooping but turns it round with a huge left hook, like Corrales did, and win the fight.

[Spicoli]

Gatti is Gatti and much respect, but he cant touch Castillo in that 00'-04' time frame.

[:::PSL:::]

Gatti all the way at 140.

I'm about to make a Gatti sigi right now as appreciation to what he contributed to the sports. Dude was a fooking warrior.

[Master]

PSL that was brutal by Gatti on poor old Camache.

[Spicoli]

Didnt Gamache have permanent damage off that fight?

[TitoFan]

I voted before reading the posts and happened to go with the majority (Castillo). I agree with most if not all of the arguments posted here. It would've been a hell of a fight... but Castillo was just a notch above.

[AirJordanIV]

Ouch!! Gamanche got it bad that night, but in all fairness, Arturo had like 18 pounds on him that night. I'm going with Castillo. JLC was awesome is underappreciated.

[Nameless]

Yeah just to be clear, I was refering to the specific period of about 2000-2004 when Gatti was fairly comfortable at 140 and (IMO) Castillo could of probably fought at 140, no problem.

In that timeframe it would have been Castillo all day for me. Loved Gatti, but Castillo was just on another level & while I don't think Gatti would have been embarassed, I think Castillo takes the win 75% of the time.

I agree. No matter how much I loved Gatti and his tremendous power, I think that Castillo is too technical for Thunder and would be way too elusive.

[Taeth]

If were talking prime V prime at 140, i would have to go with Castillo 2-1 in a trilogy.

Castillo taking the first fight with a clinical display of pugilistic perfection.
2nd fight would be an all out brawl, with Castillo getting drawn into a battle of gut's and will's, this time Gatti coming out on top with a devastating body KO ( ala Hatton esq ) in the later rounds.
Finally, Castillo would get the better of Gatti in the final fight, it would be a mix and match of the previous two, cute boxing but pure gut's with Castillo coming through to stop Gatti late in the fight.

That was an old Castillo, a young Castillo would have stopped Hatton. Also he has a better chin than Gatti, he would have knocked Gatti out.

[Master]

If were talking prime V prime at 140, i would have to go with Castillo 2-1 in a trilogy.

Castillo taking the first fight with a clinical display of pugilistic perfection.
2nd fight would be an all out brawl, with Castillo getting drawn into a battle of gut's and will's, this time Gatti coming out on top with a devastating body KO ( ala Hatton esq ) in the later rounds.
Finally, Castillo would get the better of Gatti in the final fight, it would be a mix and match of the previous two, cute boxing but pure gut's with Castillo coming through to stop Gatti late in the fight.

That was an old Castillo, a young Castillo would have stopped Hatton. Also he has a better chin than Gatti, he would have knocked Gatti out.

Castillio was never a great super lightweight, Hatton would have beaten a prime version.