Jose Luis Castillo, a former two-time champion who was part of one of boxing's greatest fights, quit on his stool after the fifth round Saturday against Alfonso Gomez and promptly announced his retirement.
Castillo, who has battled weight issues for years, landed just 47 punches before telling the referee after the fifth round that he wanted no more of Gomez. He then said he was done fighting after a career that spanned 71 bouts.
"I just found out tonight I don't have it anymore," Castillo said. "I want to apologize to the public and I am definitely announcing my retirement."
Castillo was fighting on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight at Cowboy Stadium, the kind of event he might have headlined in his prime. But he looked nothing like the fighter who engaged in a memorable brawl with Diego Corrales five years ago that lives in boxing lore.
He landed just about half of the punches that Gomez landed, and was on his way to a lopsided loss when he decided to quit, ending his career at the age of 36.
Castillo, a former lightweight and junior welterweight champion from Mexico, hadn't fought on a top level since a knockout loss to Ricky Hatton three years ago. He finished with a 60-10-1 career mark.
Gomez, who improved to 22-4-2, expressed admiration for his countryman.
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"I respect Castillo a lot. He has given us all entertaining fights," Gomez said.
Also on the undercard, former super featherweight champion Humberto Soto won a piece of the lightweight title in just his second fight at 135 pounds with a unanimous decision over David Diaz.
Soto knocked Diaz down in the first round and dominated the fight on his way to the win for the WBC version of the title. He also dropped Soto late in the final round, but he got up just as the bell sounded to end the fight.
Diaz was a former lightweight champion who lost his title when he was stopped in the ninth round by Pacquiao in June 2008.
In another fight, John Duddy of Ireland improved to 29-1 with a split decision win at middleweight over Mexico's Michael Medina. Duddy won by three points on two scorecards, and lose by three points on the third.
