“I do believe that I won the first fight. It might have been by a small margin, but I won it. This time, we’re going to try everything to make sure we don’t leave the fight in the hands of the judges.”
WBO junior middleweight champion Brian Castaño held a Los Angeles media workout on Tuesday as he prepares to face unified WBC, WBA, and IBF world champion Jermell Charlo in a rematch as they each seek undisputed status at 154-pounds once again on Saturday, May 14 live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.
The Charlo vs. Castaño rematch will come nine months after they fought to a split draw. Here is what Castaño, along with his father and trainer Carlos Castaño, had to say Tuesday from Knockouts Boxing Gym.
Brian Castaño
“I’m very happy to be fighting in front of the Latino fans in Southern California. My message to the fans is that I’m going to leave it all in the ring. We’re going to be lifting up all four belts on fight night.
“I do believe that I won the first fight. It might have been by a small margin, but I won it. This time, we’re going to try everything to make sure we don’t leave the fight in the hands of the judges.
“I was training with one hand for quite a few weeks after the arm injury. But right now I really feel better and stronger than ever.
“I come to do my job. He can come in yelling and screaming, but I don’t really care. I’m focused on the task and just doing what I need to.
“We had a lot to learn from the first fight with Charlo. One of the biggest things that I learned is to be more cautious at times while I’m in the ring. He’s powerful, but I’m going to bring my power too. We learned from the first fight and we’re going to correct any errors we made.
“I’m always going to fight whoever the fans want me to face. Give me the name, and I’m ready to go. I want to fight the best. Elite opponents are what motivate me.
“Our press conference was intense and our exchanges definitely motivated me a lot. He saw a different fight than I did, if he saw himself winning eight rounds. I don’t know what he saw, because I felt like I won by two points.”
Carlos Castaño, Castaño’s Father and Trainer
“This rematch is going to be a hard fight. It is going to be an even closer fight than the first one. We have to be prepared for everything entering into the ring.
“We are ready to fight all 12 rounds. It is going to be a 12-rounds full of action. We know Charlo’s potential, and that he’s got great power. If it were up to me, I would prefer to get the knockout, but I also know we have a tough opponent.
“I look at Brian first and foremost as a boxer. When he is training, inside the ring, during the fight – I am his trainer. Outside of the boxing gym, I am then his father and he is my son.”