Marc Castro: “I am proud of El Salvador and Mexico”

Californian boxer Marc Castro is starting to gain strong attention in the super featherweight category due to the size of the three cards he has been involved in.

On December 19, he made his professional debut on Mexican Luis Javier Valdes by KO as Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez against Callum Smith at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Then, on February 27 of this year, he secured his second win in two rounds by technical knockout of American John Moraga as “Canillo” Alvarez against Avni Yildirim at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

While on May 8 he added his third victory as a professional boxer by TKO to Aztec Irving Marcías Castillo on a Saúl lvarez card against Billy Joe Saunders at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The son of El Salvador’s Toni Castro and Mexican Lorena Camacho, the boxer born in Fresno, California 21 years ago as Marc Anthony Castro, chatted in a fun way to Deportes LPG as he showed off his most famous profile to date and emphasized his moral values ​​and pride in his Salvadoran and Mexican roots, just as He does every time he steps into the ring and shows all the colors and shields of both countries to show that he is a thirsty promise for victory.

What feelings do you have when you talk about your life for the first time with the sports press in El Salvador?
I am proud that my father always tells me how difficult life is there in El Salvador and that even though he is here in the United States, he never forgets his family and acquaintances who are there and now have contact with the Salvadoran press. His social networks make me happy because all the support I receive from Salvadorans has made my family very happy, especially my father.

Many boxing experts classify you as an athlete who uses the orthodox stance in boxing. Is that right?
That’s right, my dad said he didn’t teach his son to be a boxer, he taught him to be a fighter, someone who fights, not boxing.

You showed that in the three fights you fought and that you won by knockout…
That’s how it is. My dad was always my coach, we make a good team and when we met (Eddie) “El Chapo” Reynoso, coach of “Canelo” Alvarez, he told my dad he was doing a good job with me. They said that they could not imagine how they motivated my father, because these words from the coach of “Canelo” (Alvarez) have a huge impact on my career.

How was your experience as an amateur, especially when you won the 2015 and 2016 World Youth Gold Medals in Russia in the rooster category representing the United States?
Well, I have an anecdote about that. When I represented the United States in those competitions, all the boxers from other countries thought I was Cuban, because of my family name, I always told them that I wasn’t Cuban, that I was Salvadoran and Mexican because I was the only one who spoke Spanish in the group. I have always been proud of my roots, because it is good to represent a great country like the United States, but I have never forgotten where my parents came from, who came to this country in search of the best for their families.

Is that why you always walk into the ring with both flags in hand?
That’s how it is. At my father’s request, every time I fought inside the United States, my pants always wore the symbols of the two countries, first for Mexico and behind El Salvador and I liked them very much. When they ask me where my roots come from, I don’t say I’m more Mexican or more Salvadorian, I always say I hold both countries with pride, my country’s pride is El Salvador and Mexico. A lot of times people don’t understand that, as a boxer, I want them to see me representing both countries, even though I was born in the United States, everyone knows I’m American, but I also want them to know that I have Mexican and Salvadoran roots.

How did your passion for boxing arise and when did you decide to jump into the professional field?
When my father arrived in the United States he started boxing to defend himself because he didn’t know the language and he defended himself with his fists and one day he was no longer trapped, he was an amateur, he won 15 fights and was unbeaten, but he had a passion for teaching boxing and everyone always tells me they remember I was in Gym I watch him training and from the age of four he put on gloves on me and I started boxing, before it was a game, he was talking to him and it occurred to him to give a show where the kids were trapped People liked, but I was young, then I grew up, but I was in the gym for five Days, every day, but something in me seemed to convince him, I played soccer like every kid my age, but let me play soccer after training with him in boxing. I never stopped boxing, it’s something that came from me, and one day my dad decided to close the gym but I convinced him not to, I told him I wanted to box and he taught me many things, then we went to the national championships and I started winning, then I came to represent the United States in tournaments International until I decided to move to the professional field because boxing is my passion.

How did this friendship arise with Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez, who listed you in his last three boxing cards?

I had the opportunity to go watch his training and see how he trained, with his sacrifices and I said to myself that I can do it too, that I could become something as great in boxing as him one day, and it has motivated me so far, we keep going like the first time.

Everyone told me there is a close connection to ‘Canelo’, it’s a connection that everyone looks at; We met in 2019 but we didn’t talk to him much about his training but in the last fight he came to where I was and greeted me, it was a big gesture on his part to me because I thought he wouldn’t. Look at me, many of his organization asked me several times to leave that place but I wanted a picture with him. He arrived and greeted me and showed me his humility with this gesture and that for me I will never forget him. I had the opportunity to speak with him last December after my first fight and he asked me to keep working hard and focus on my work.

Will you get a chance to fight the evening of his next battle?

I hope so, but I think I will be able to fight again in July but I don’t have a date yet, I don’t know the competitor and in which city, but I want to fight in California, in Los Angeles, we are working on it, I hope to fight about three more times This year, in July, September and the last in December.

How does your father feel to be your coach in your career?

I have a manager but my dad is my coach, he feels good because he always tells me no one will take better care of me than him, he tells me not to try to exercise too much, he guides me, he knows me the body better which is something I love because it’s something not all boxers have, he takes great care of me He knows me, and he’ll never try to hurt me.

What did they tell you about Carlos ‘El Famoso’ Hernández, another Californian boxer with Salvadoran roots who was the world champion?

I was told that he was a great boxer in the middleweight class and that he presented himself as a Salvadoran until he won the world title. I had a chance to see him in the box, against (Floyd) Mayweather Jr. and against Bobby Pacquiao, both of whom I was watching his fights.

Of your three pro battles so far, which are the toughest ones you’ve faced?

I think they were all difficult, the first fight because of the tension it caused you, in the second fight we worked a lot because of its characteristics and the last fight was more difficult but I had time to work. In that fight I had my first two try, but I feel the hardest fight you have to face is with yourself. I say this because I am still learning about the changes in my body, I know which part of it I have to work towards physical balance that will help me in the future in my career.

What habits weigh the most in your home, Mexican or Salvadorian?
I think it’s mixed, yesterday we ate pupusas and sandwiches, many times we ate pupusas, plantains (fried), other times we eat mexican dishes, but what I like the most are the pupusas, especially pork rinds, but I explained that I only ate the virgins my grandmother made (Maria Benitez) who lives here in Fresno, I have never eaten virgins from other places, but I was told that virgins made in El Salvador are richer than those made here in the States.

Which of your parents followed Marc Anthony’s Puerto Rican music until they baptized you in his name?
My mother, Marc Anthony was her favorite singer, and she admired her and that’s why she gave me this name.

Who makes your family?

There are six of us at home, my mother, Lorena Camacho, my father, Tony Castro and my three sisters, Jasmine, the eldest, Roxana and my twin sister Esmeralda, I am the only son in the family.

Have you not visited El Salvador before?

Never but my older sister Jazmin I went to El Salvador that was in 2006 and I stayed for about a month my dad has a family in San Miguel I hope to visit him soon One of my goals is to get there soon I am very believer in God I feel blessed From him, I thank from the bottom of my heart that the people of El Salvador are aware of my career, my father always tells me that from where he came he had nothing, he tells me many stories about El Salvador and that one day I can fight a historic battle there. At the moment the promoter wants me to go visit El Salvador and fight there, I think in five years I had a dream of fighting for a world title in El Salvador, I want to tell and show the Salvadoran people that I didn’t forget where we came from and what better to do with this method.