No, I would much very much count Castillo out. There's no way he beats Gomez at 122. He doesn't have the style nor the tools.
Chucho was a helluva bantam and an explosive puncher at 118, but I think @Greg Price99 with his excellent research of how any particular fighter fared in or around a certain division will back me up here when I say Castillo literally had no meaningful resume at 122 … and Gomez has arguably the best ever slate at super bantam. Castillo was a top bantam in his time and could mix it up with and even beat the very best, but he never really resided at 122 even long enough to have a cup of coffee. He was basically ineffective at featherweight when he moved up at the end of his career, which is as much evidence as we have of what he was capable of above 118. This is Bazooka all the way. Chucho would be game — probably too game for his own good — and get buzz-sawed down at some point, probably in the first six rounds would be my guess.
Completely agree, Pat. Gomez was 33-0-1 at SBW, including 18-0 in world title fights, all won by KO. I've not collated Castillo's record at SBW because I knew it wasn't enough for consideration in my top 10 of all time, but he's my #16 all time in the historically deeper BW division. As I said earlier in this thread, I consider Gomez both better relative to size and more proven at a higher weight division, he's my pick here.
I think Chucho is getting a little underrated here. I did name him as one of my top 10 all time favourites though, so grain of salt and all that. But I don't think he goes the way of Zarate and gets stopped early. I think Chucho was extremely tough, and took the best a prime, non-drained (and desperately close to his first loss) Olivares had to dish out and I don't think Gomez is more ferocious than that. If he is, it isn't by much imo. Chucho would probably go the way of Pintor rather than Zarate, imo. A back and forth war with Gomez's ring generalship and extra modicum of class taking the day by a late stoppage. Chucho, like Lupe, would have some success with his back to the ropes, or if the version of Gomez who shows up is a more disinterested one, then I think Chucho would exploit some of the lazier foot patterns Gomez could get into. Gomez TKO13-15 IMO.
Yes. I'm currently several months into a project to determine my top 10 all time in the 9 x "inbetweener" weight divisions, based solely on fights contested in those divisions. I worked from Minimumweight up and am currenty working on SFW, so literally half way through. The only challenger thus far to Gomez at SBW, as the clearest divisional GOAT, is Lopez at Min. Gomez's competition at SBW is vastly superior to Lopez's at Min, both in terms of actual opponents and challengers to the divisional all time #1 spot, but Gomez is every bit as far removed from the field, imo.
