Jorge Fernando Castro (born August 18, 1967) is an Argentine former professional boxer who competed from 1987 to 2007. He held the World Boxing Association (WBA) middleweight title from 1994 to 1995. He is best known for his second defense of the title against John David Jackson in 1994.

Early years Castro, who in 1985 was set to become a professional boxer but suffered a bicycle accident that left him injured so badly that doctors told him he'd never be able to fight as a professional, recuperated from the accident and turned professional, defying the doctor's predictions, in 1987.

Professional career In December 1991, at Palais Omnisports, Bercy, France, Castro lost to Terry Norris by a wide unanimous decision in a challenge for the WBC super welterweight title. It was reported that prior to the bout, Castro had done roadwork for the first time in his life.

In June 1992, at the Civic Center in Pensacola, Florida, United States, Castro lost a wide decision over ten rounds to future pound for pound king Roy Jones Jr.

Castro became a world champion in 1994 by defeating Reggie Johnson in Buenos Aires by split decision to win the vacant WBA middleweight title. After defeating Alex Ramos by a knockout in two rounds to retain the belt, he travelled to Monterrey, Mexico, to defend against the former undefeated holder of the WBA title John David Jackson in December 1994.

What began merely as an undercard world title fight in a pay-per-view program featuring Félix Trinidad vs Oba Carr and Julio César Chávez vs Tony Lopez, soon became a fight that is part of boxing's lore. Castro was trailing badly on all three scorecards, with one eye closed and the other one only halfway opened, bleeding and taking combination after combination against the ropes. Seemingly on the verge of being stopped, Castro landed a left hook to Jackson's chin and Jackson hit the floor. Jackson got up, but he suffered two more knockdowns and Castro completed what could be said that was one of the greatest turnarounds ever in a boxing fight, retaining the title by a knockout in the ninth round.

At the press conference after the fight, Castro called his winning punch La mano de Dios, (The hand of God), in reference to the Hand of God goal by Diego Maradona during a win by Argentina national football team at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, which, like the fight, had taken place in Mexico. Therefore, that moment became known as boxing's version of The hand of God. The fight, and its ending, were talked about for months on many boxing magazines and books.

Castro defended his title another two times, including a rematch win over Reggie Johnson, and then he lost the title to Shinji Takehara by a decision in twelve. He split two 10-round decisions with Roberto Durán, winning the first in Argentina, but losing the rematch in Panama, and then he gave Jackson a rematch, this time winning by a decision in ten.

Castro has lost two more world championship fights: in December 2000, he went to Germany and lost by a knockout in 10 to WBC cruiserweight champion Juan Carlos Gómez, and in February 2002, he went to Phoenix and challenged IBF cruiserweight champion Vassiliy Jirov, a Kazakhstan native who lives in Phoenix, losing by a decision in twelve. Despite his failures in these attempts to become a world champion again, he did not announce a retirement until 2013.

On June 18, 2005, Jorge Castro suffered a car accident in Buenos Aires, with a collapsed lung and some broken ribs. The accident and its consequences were similar to the one suffered by archrival Duran in Buenos Aires a few years before. Castro required hospitalization and emergency surgery, and was in stable condition after the surgery. He recuperated from his injuries.

On April 22, 2006, Castro fought Jose Luis Herrera, losing by a fourth-round knockout. He had his "revenge" against the same opponent on January 27, 2007, when Castro won by technical K.O. in the second round.

Currently, he has a record of 130 wins, 11 losses and 3 draws, with 89 knockout wins, which ranks him among the most prolific knockout winners in boxing history according to the records of Ring Magazine.

Professional boxing record

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes144 Win Jose Luis HerreraTKO2 (10), 27 Jan 2007 143Loss129–11–3 Jose Luis HerreraTKO4 (10), 142Win129–10–3 Derrick HarmonTKO7 (12), 141Win128–10–3 Peter VenancioUD10 140Win127–10–3 Miguel AguirreUD12 139Win126–10–3 Aaron Orlando SoriaRTD7 (10), 138Win125–10–3 Arturo RiveraTKO2 (10) 137Win124–10–3 Miguel AguirreDQ5 (12) 136Win123–10–3 Livin CastilloKO4 (10) 135Loss122–10–3 Sebastiaan RothmannUD12 134Loss122–9–3 Paul BriggsUD10 133Win122–8–3 Miguel Angel RobledoKO9 (10) 132Win121–8–3 Etianne WhitakerUD10 131Win120–8–3 Sergio Martin BeazRTD7 (10), 130Loss119–8–3 Vassiliy JirovUD12 129Win119–7–3 Imamu MayfieldRTD9 (10), 128Win118–7–3 Peter VenancioKO8 (10), 127Win117–7–3 Peter VenancioUD10 126Win116–7–3 Roberto CoelhoTKO6 (10) 125Loss115–7–3 Juan Carlos GómezTKO10 (12), 124Win115–6–3 Fabian Alberto ChancalayKO7 (10) 123Win114–6–3 Marco Antonio DuarteTKO4 (10) 122Win113–6–3 Bruno Ruben GodoyRTD5 (10), 121Win112–6–3 Oscar Angel GomezKO7 (10) 120Win111–6–3 Juan Carlos Giménez FerreyraUD10 119Win110–6–3 Marco Antonio DuarteUD10 118Win109–6–3 Miguel Angel RobledoKO5 (10) 117 Draw108–6–3 Miguel Angel RobledoPTS10 116Win108–6–2 Miguel Angel RobledoUD10 115Win107–6–2 Sandro Abel VazquezKO4 (12) 114Win106–6–2 Armando GruesoKO2 (10) 113Win105–6–2 John David JacksonUD10 112Win104–6–2 Rogério LoboKO3 (12) 111Win103–6–2 Adolfo CaballeroKO1 (10) 110Win102–6–2 Nicasio Moray MartinezTKO4 (10) 109Loss101–6–2 Roberto DuránUD10 108Win101–5–2 Roberto DuránUD10 107Win100–5–2 Nicasio Moray MartinezKO4 (10) 106Win99–5–2 Sergio MedinaTKO1 (10) 105Loss98–5–2 Shinji TakeharaUD12 104Win98–4–2 Reggie JohnsonSD12 103Win97–4–2Anthony AndrewsTKO12 (12), 102Win96–4–2 John David JacksonTKO9 (12), 10 Dec 1994 101Win95–4–2 Alex RamosKO2 (12), 100Win94–4–2 Reggie JohnsonSD12 99Win93–4–2 Royan HammondKO4 (10) 98Win92–4–2 Francisco Bernabe BobadillaPTS10 97Win91–4–2 Francisco Bernabe BobadillaPTS10 96Win90–4–2 Wilberforce KiggunduTKO7 (10) 95Win89–4–2 Francisco Bernabe BobadillaPTS10 94Win88–4–2 Juan Italo MezaTKO4 (10) 93Win87–4–2Francisco de AssisKO9 (10) 92Win86–4–2Francisco de AssisTKO6 (10) 91Win85–4–2 Brinatty MaquilonTKO7 (10) 90Win84–4–2 Jorge Alberto MorelloTKO5 (10) 89Win83–4–2 Hector Abel LescanoKO9 (10) 88Win82–4–2 Brinatty MaquilonPTS10 87Win81–4–2 Jose Laercio Bezerra de LimaKO2 (10) 85Win80–4–2 Lorenzo Luis GarciaPTS10 85Win79–4–2 Abdenago JofreKO2 (10) 84Win78–4–2 Jacobo GarciaTKO5 (10) 83Win77–4–2 Juan Italo MezaPTS10 82Win76–4–2 Hector Hugo VilteKO5 (10) 81Win75–4–2 Lorenzo Luis GarciaPTS10 80Win74–4–2 Hector Abel LescanoPTS10 79Win73–4–2 Sergio Eduardo RonconiKO3 (10) 78Win72–4–2 Sandro Abel VazquezTKO5 (10) 77Win71–4–2 Danny VargasKO1 (10) 76Loss70–4–2 Roy Jones Jr.UD10 75Win70–3–2 Eduardo Domingo ContrerasKO8 (10) 74Win69–3–2 Anibal MirandaPTS10 73Win68–3–2 Ernesto Rafael SenaKO6 (12) 72Loss67–3–2 Terry NorrisUD12 71Win67–2–2 Joe HernandezTKO1 (8) 70Win66–2–2 Julio Abel GonzalezPTS10 69Win65–2–2 Edmundo Antonio DiazTKO5 (10) 68Win64–2–2 Juan Italo MezaPTS10 67Win63–2–2 Mario SanchezKO1 (10) 66Win62–2–2 Antonio MadureiraKO2 (10) 65Win61–2–2 Hernan Raul Perez RamosTKO6 (12) 64Win60–2–2 Ikleff Ahmed HadjallaPTS8 63Win59–2–2 Mario Alberto Gaston ChavezTKO8 (12) 62Win58–2–2 Miguel Angel ArroyoKO1 (12) 61Win57–2–2 Judas ClotteySD8 60Win56–2–2 Bruno Ruben GodoyTKO5 (10) 59Win55–2–2 Sergio Eduardo RonconiTKO6 (10) 58Win54–2–2 Ramon Rogue GarroTKO3 (10) 57Win53–2–2 Felipe Nino MolinarKO4 (10) 56Win52–2–2 Hugo Raul MarinangeliTKO12 (12) 55Loss51–2–2 Hector Hugo ViltePTS10 54Win51–1–2 Francisco Bernabe BobadillaPTS10 53Win50–1–2 David Ellis VenegasKO1 (10) 52Win49–1–2 Julio Abel GonzalezPTS10 51Win48–1–2 Ricardo Hector SilvaKO3 (10) 50Win47–1–2 Pedro Ramon ChaveroKO2 (10) 49Win46–1–2 Juan Italo MezaUD10 48Win45–1–2 Jorge Argentino TejadaPTS10 47Win44–1–2 Hector Abel LescanoTKO6 (10) 46Win43–1–2 Cesar Roberto GuerreroKO6 (10) 45Win42–1–2 Daniel Omar DominguezTKO2 (10) 44Win41–1–2 Miguel Angel ArroyoRTD9 (10) 43Win40–1–2 Juan Carlos OrtízKO9 (10) 41Win39–1–2 Jose Maria Julian RaiesKO2 (10) 40Win38–1–2 Jack TorranceTKO5 (10) 39Loss37–1–2 Lorenzo Luis GarciaPTS10 38Win37–0–2 Jorge Alberto MorelloPTS10 37Win36–0–2 Hugo Raul MarinangeliKO4 (12) 37Win35–0–2 Ernesto Rafael SenaPTS10 36Win34–0–2 Jorge Oscar MartinezKO4 (10) 35Win33–0–2 Lorenzo Luis GarciaPTS10 34Win32–0–2 Jose Eugenio TolozaTKO4 (10) 33Win31–0–2 Roberto Osvaldo DiazKO1 (10) 32Win30–0–2 Mario Edgardo MatthysseTKO7 (10) 31Win29–0–2 Juan Carlos OrtízTKO2 (10) 30Win28–0–2 Jean-Pierre IniamaTKO4 (8) 29Win27–0–2 Alphonso BaileyKO5 (8) 28Win26–0–2 Ramon Angel AlegreKO4 (10) 27Win25–0–2 Ramon Gaspar AbeldanoKO1 (10) 26Win24–0–2 Fernando Dos Santos ErnestoKO2 (10) 25Win23–0–2 Antonio Rene JuarezPTS10 24Win22–0–2 Ramon Gaspar AbeldanoUD10 23Win21–0–2 Robinson Rodrigo ZamoraKO2 (10) 22Win20–0–2 Carlos Fauriciano PastranRTD2 (10)2 Jul 1988 21Win19–0–2 Carlos Cesar PrietoKO7 (8)17 Jun 1988 20Win18–0–2 Carlos Victor VelazquezKO6 (10)28 May 1988 19Win17–0–2 Ramon Florencio RamosKO1 (10)13 May 1988 18Win16–0–2 Domingo Simon SosaTKO1 (10)9 Apr 1988 17Win15–0–2 Hugo Alfredo LueroTKO7 (10)19 Mar 1988 16Win14–0–2 Cesar Oscar PerezKO1 (10)4 Mar 1988 15Win13–0–2 Pedro RuizKO3 (8)19 Feb 1988 14Win12–0–2 Hugo Alfredo LueroDQ8 (10)15 Jan 1988 13Win11–0–2 Sergio Eduardo RonconiPTS1023 Dec 1987 12Win10–0–2 Jose Alberto AlvaradoKO3 (8)11 Dec 1987 11Win9–0–2 Jorge PinoPTS1013 Nov 1987 10Win8–0–2 Sergio Norberto CombisPTS109 Oct 1987 9Win7–0–2 Antonio Rene JuarezPTS1024 Sep 1987 7Win6–0–2 Luis Armando SanchezTKO2 (8)12 Sep 1987 7Draw5–0–2 Jorge Alberto MorelloPTS104 Aug 1987 6Win5–0–1 Carlos Omar AlmadaRTD3 (8)3 Jul 1987 5Win4–0–1 Sergio SaezKO1 (6)5 Jun 1987 4Win3–0–1 Jose Alberto AlvaradoKO2 (8)7 May 1987 3Win2–0–1 Roberto MartinezPTS610 Apr 1987 2Draw1–0–1 Jorge Alberto MorelloPTS614 Mar 1987 1Win1–0 Patricio German CaracciKO1 (6)14 Feb 1987

Personal life On May 13, 2007, Locomotora Castro joined the reality TV show Gran Hermano Famosos (Big Brother), along with 13 other celebrities from Argentina. The show was aired on Telefe Channel. Castro was the 8th eliminated, after staying in the house 58 days. He was a contestant in Bailando 2011, but he and his partner, Sofía Macaggi, were the 2nd couple eliminated.

References

External links