Never mind that Luis Zarazua just turned 17. The lightweight boxer from Edinburg has been in more than 100 matches, has an under-19 national ranking and estimates his record at about 93-9.That made handlers of the Lubbock Warriors’ Adam Castillo feel that much better about beating him. Castillo continual on an upward arc Sunday, winning a state title in the 132-pound weight class by outpointing Zarazua in the USA Boxing Texas state championships. Castillo, 19, won on four of the five judges’ scorecards, and will move on to the USA Boxing national tournament for the second year in a row.
“That young boy (Zarazua) is an outstanding boxer,” Warriors coach Edward Hernandez Jr. said. “He’s strong. He has good experience. It was a good test for us. We know we didn’t get just a freebie walkover into nationals.”With hometown fans encouraging him on at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Castillo turned it up halfway through the three-round fight.“The second round, I felt I started tagging him more, and I felt he started getting more tired,” Castillo said. “I could see every time I would throw four combinations, he would just throw two, so I kept on trying to throw more than what he would.”
The 5-foot-6 Castillo weighed 160 pounds when he joined the Warriors’ team two years ago. Even though Castillo’s shed nearly 30 pounds since, Zarazua said Castillo outmuscled him.“He’s a strong kid,” Zarazua said. “He was kind of sluggish. I needed more strength to wrestle. He would push me back a little. That was my main problem.”Castillo was the lone winner from Lubbock on Sunday’s 12-fight card and one of eight boxers who earned return trips to USA Boxing nationals in June in Colorado Springs, Colo.The state tournament carried more significance than usual, because it served as level one of eliminations toward the 2012 Olympics.
“That young boy (Zarazua) is an outstanding boxer,” Warriors coach Edward Hernandez Jr. said. “He’s strong. He has good experience. It was a good test for us. We know we didn’t get just a freebie walkover into nationals.”With hometown fans encouraging him on at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Castillo turned it up halfway through the three-round fight.“The second round, I felt I started tagging him more, and I felt he started getting more tired,” Castillo said. “I could see every time I would throw four combinations, he would just throw two, so I kept on trying to throw more than what he would.”
The 5-foot-6 Castillo weighed 160 pounds when he joined the Warriors’ team two years ago. Even though Castillo’s shed nearly 30 pounds since, Zarazua said Castillo outmuscled him.“He’s a strong kid,” Zarazua said. “He was kind of sluggish. I needed more strength to wrestle. He would push me back a little. That was my main problem.”Castillo was the lone winner from Lubbock on Sunday’s 12-fight card and one of eight boxers who earned return trips to USA Boxing nationals in June in Colorado Springs, Colo.The state tournament carried more significance than usual, because it served as level one of eliminations toward the 2012 Olympics.
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