Colombian Boxer on the Rise
Alexander Castro (9-0, 7 KOs) continues his win streak with his latest victory over tough veteran Juan Carlos Raygosa (17-17-3, 6 KOs).
The championship match took place on June 5 in the Big Punch Arena in Tijuana as the two battled for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) FECARBOX Silver Middleweight title. When the final bell rang, it was Castro’s fist raised in victory with a unanimous decision (79-73 and 78-74 twice). The “Furia en el Ring” event was promoted by Jibaro’s Boxing Promotions.
As Team Castro celebrated the win, the brand new belt went on a journey from Mexico to California to Florida before eventually reaching Castro in his hometown of Tuluá, Colombia earlier this month. I caught up with the team to hear what’s new with the new Continental Federations champ.
Promoted by Cali Promotions (Sean Ford, Louis Dell and Dan Hartwick), managed by Steve Harpst and trained by Florida prizefighter Danny Santiago (“The Contender”), Castro has a solid team behind him.
The Colombiano, 25, has had his share of hardships but has found salvation through the sport of boxing. It has been a rocky road on his way to triumph. And the worldwide pandemic halted many events in boxing. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth; the young puncher knows what it’s like to wonder when your next meal will be? Castro, his mother and siblings have gone through times of adversity and his city has been tumultuous with the recent civil unrest. But since he began boxing at age 16, he strives for a better life for him and his family and he is doing whatever it takes for a shot at glory.
His trainer, Danny Santiago, says that Alex rides his bike for miles back and forth to the Boxeo y Mas Gym that Santiago owns. After first working with the athlete and connecting well with him, Santiago moved to Colombia to train Alex and about 10 other boxers looking to make a name for themselves. During his own pro career, Santiago (34-7-1, 20 KOs) won several title belts before retiring in 2016. The Ocala champ was recently inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame.
And now he’s building his own stable of hungry young lions like the undefeated Alex Castro. During my conversation with the boxing coach and his prized pupil, Santiago talks about the discipline and drive that Castro has to reach the upper echelon in the sport. He also mentions that Alex was an elite fighter with Selección Colombia de Boxeo. The amateur standout is a multiple national champ having had 60-70 amateur bouts before turning pro just two years ago. Cali Promotions has been with Castro since his first 2019 fight.
Now, as a new professional boxer reaching for the heights, Team Castro is building momentum with each and every victory.
“Alex has unlimited potential,” his manager Steve Harpst says. “He is very humble and has a great work ethic; Alex is an extremely likable kid and people are excited to see what he can do in the ring.”
As the excitement over their new prospect continues to rise, Castro’s fan base is also expanding as he fights in both Colombia and Mexico. And his legion of followers is strong in Southern California, where his promoters are based. On request by Team Castro, the WBC belt was first shipped to his promotional group in Los Angeles. It made a big splash at the local UPS Store where workers Gilbert and Edwin were thrilled to see a championship belt up close and said they can’t wait to watch Alex fight in the U.S. They packaged the WBC strap with the utmost of care to make sure the middleweight received the precious cargo. The heavy metal then made its way to the Santiagos in Florida before making the trek to Tuluá (in Valle del Cauca) where Alex was surrounded by well wishers who all wanted a glimpse of the shiny green and gold belt! He is quickly becoming a hero in his hometown.
The wait was worth it as Castro’s smile said it all. The pugilist let his gym mates hold the belt and also shared the moment with friends and family.
It was also a bittersweet win as Castro dedicated his fight to Rodney Cruz Hunt, who passed away from COVID-19 in March of this year. Team Castro had been working with Hunt in some of their Mexico bouts. When the boxer found out he would get the opportunity to fight for a WBC belt, he showed his sincere appreciation to WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman by telling him how Hunt was his inspiration to win the FECARBOX title. The live boxing event was promoted by former WBC champ Raul “Jibaro” Perez and the Castro crew was honored to meet the Mexican warrior and fight on his show in Tijuana. Castro was thrilled to meet the legendary “Jibaro (61-6-3, 42 KOs) who also won WBC FECARBOX belts during his own career.
Alex loved visiting Mexico and meeting those in boxing circles like Raul Perez, Hilda Ruiz, John Jairo Gomez Aguirre, Benjamin Rendon, Abel Ricardo Castillo, Alberto Jose Torres Martinez, Fernando Paramo, and others who were very helpful to the prospect.
While he is back training in Colombia now, Castro hopes for another matchup soon. His dream is to fight in the U.S. and his talent, discipline, and passion will hopefully see him one day fighting in the USA. He has already proved to be popular in the states especially in Los Angeles.
He enjoyed visiting Southern California last year when he had the chance to check out Venice Beach, run in the mountains, go bowling, try baseball, go salsa dancing, attend a movie screening and even got to watch some live pro fights. The unbeaten boxer says he is really hoping to travel to the U.S. again soon.
During our phone interview, I spoke to Alex about how his career first began, what motivates him and why he continues his quest for more.
Michele Chong: Tell me about how you became a boxer?
Alex Castro: Growing up fatherless (my father died at a young age), I had to fight and defend myself in the streets. One day, a friend saw me and invited me to his boxing gym to try it out and get a good workout. I got my butt kicked and I was so disappointed that it motivated me to learn to box just so I could go back and beat that guy in the ring!
And then I just kept going forward from there. I saw a way out of poverty by continuing to work out and train as a fighter.
MC: What has your journey been like since becoming a pro fighter?
AC: There’s been plenty of good, some bad, some highs and lows. But I’m ready for whatever comes my way.
MC: What’s the reaction been after you won your belt?
AC: Everyone is so happy for me! And so many people are reaching out to me, some that I hadn’t heard from in years.
MC: What are your future goals in the sport?
AC: My goal–my dream–is to fight in the U.S. and show the world what I’m capable of doing. I’m very excited about the future!
MC: You’ve been able to travel to California twice so far. What were your trips like?
AC: I have many great memories when I visited California! I really loved seeing EVERYTHING, trying new foods and even getting to ride in a sports car!
MC: Who are your favorite fighters?
AC: My favorite is Muhammad Ali because of how he fought and how he was able to get in his opponents’ minds.
MC: You dedicated your fight to Rodney Hunt. Tell me about this.
AC: I’m very grateful for Rodney’s support and friendship. We were all so sad when he passed away. I’m going to continue training hard and keep getting better so I can represent him and my team in the best way possible.
MC: Thanks for your time and congrats again!
AC: Thanks, Michele!
Having met and spent time with Alex in person, I believe he will keep fighting and pushing for more. He will gain experience with each contest and just like many poverty-stricken young kids like him, Castro is going to dream big and continue to shine. Each round, each fight will keep the fire burning within him. With countless hours in the gym, the blood, sweat and tears will all be worth it if he can make his goal a reality and punch his ticket to the top.
His team says the boxer has fast hands, good skills and an unbeatable work ethic. Castro vows to make everyone who believes in him proud; he is very thankful for Coach Santiago, his manager Harpst, his promoters Cali Promotions, Luis Bernardo, Rodney Hunt, Mauricio Sulaiman and the WBC.
And now with his new WBC belt, he is one step closer to his ultimate dream of becoming a world champion.
Photos courtesy of Team Castro
