WBC pays funeral expenses for 1980s contender Ruben Castillo

The World Boxing Council has covered full funeral expenses for former featherweight and junior lightweight challenger Ruben Castillo.

Castillo died on February 24 after a battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. His funeral took place on March 19 in Covina, California, with a prayer service taking place the day before.

Castillo, who retired with a professional record of 67-10-2 (35 KOs), fought for the WBC title four times, each unsuccessfully. Alexis Arguello stopped him in 1980 in his first attempt at winning the WBC junior lightweight title. Later that same year, Salvador Sanchez defeated Castillo in a fight for the WBC featherweight title. Castillo lost to Juan Laporte in a WBC featherweight title fight in 1983, and was knocked out in 1985 by Julio Cesar Chavez Snr in a bout for the WBC junior lightweight title.

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“Ruben really was one of a kind,” boxing reporter Michelle Chong told BoxingScene. “He may not have won his title fights, but Ruben was always recognized and respected by the WBC and his peers.”

Castillo is survived by his wife, Cynthia, and his children Lisa, Ruben Jnr, Rashelle, Serena, Tiffany, Crystal, Samantha, Tom and Nikki.

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.