By: Sean Crose
Starling Castillo entered the ring at Orlando’s Caribe Royale Resort on Friday to put his 16-0 record on the line against the 10-0 Otar Eranosyan in a scheduled 8 round lightweight affair. Castillo’s height advantage was clear right from the opening bell. It looked as if it would be a battle to see who could control the range, the taller Castillo or the aggressive Eranosyan. Then a solid left sent Castillo down.
Castillo got up immediately and survived the count, but was sent to the mat again before the end of the first. He got up once more, but the opening three minutes clearly belonged to Eranosyan. Castillo spent the second trying to throw enough to keep his man at bay. Eranosyan, on the other hand, showed sound defensive skills.
As the fight headed into the midpoint, it was clear that Eranosyan’s strength was telling the tale. By the fifth, Castillo was willing to fight hard in a phone booth. The strategy certainly seemed to work better than maintaining range. As the rounds came and went it was obvious that the fight was a grueling affair, with Eranosyan moving forward and Castillo trying desperately to outpunch him.
By the seventh, Eranosyan was trash talking his man, for he was hitting hard while making it hard for Castillo to land on him clean. Needless to say, Eranosyan fired punches in bunches in the eighth and final round while Castillo gamely did what he could. It was no surprise when Eranosyn was awarded the decision win from the judges.