By: Sean Crose
Starling Castillo entered the ring at Orlando’s Caribe Royale Resort on Friday to score 16-0 against Otar Eranosyan 10-0 in a scheduled eight-round lightweight match. Castillo’s height advantage was evident from the opening bell. It looks like it will be a battle to see who can control the range, the taller Castillo or the aggressive Eranosyan. Then, a free-kick sent Castillo down.
Castillo got to his feet immediately and survived the count, but was brought back to the carpet before the end of the first half. He got up again, but the first three minutes clearly belonged to Eranosyan. Castillo spent the second trying to throw enough to keep his men flying. On the other hand, Eranosyan shows good defensive skills.
As the fight gets to the midpoint, it’s clear that Eranosyan’s power is telling the story. By season five, Castillo is ready to fight hard in a phone booth. Strategy definitely works better than maintaining range. As rounds came and went, it became clear that the fight was a grueling one, with Eranosyan moving forward and Castillo trying desperately to take him down.
By the seventh season, Eranosyan was talking trash to his man, as he was hitting hard while making it difficult for Castillo to land on him. Needless to say, Eranosyan threw punches in the eighth and final round while Castillo did his best. Not surprisingly, Eranosyn was awarded the decisive victory by the judges.
