Castro vs Montoya Predictions: A classic learning fight for the young prospect

Unbeaten super featherweight prospect Marc Castro will get an education on Saturday April 6 when he takes on Abraham Montoya. The Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, Nevada will stage the clash with DAZN broadcasting the bout. Here are my Castro vs Montoya predictions ahead of a true learning fight for Castro.

Castro has put together an 11-0 record so far, stopping eight of his opponents. He made the step up to 10-rounders last time out against former Chilean super featherweight champion Gonzalo Fuenzalida. Not that you would have noticed. Castro got his man out of there in the seventh. 

Getting Castro some experience over a longer distance is likely why Montoya has been sought. The Mexican has a 22-5-1 record but crucially, none of his defeats came via knockout. Montoya has given rounds to the likes of Moussa Gholam and Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov. A durable presence who you need to be gifted to beat, this is the ideal learning fight for Castro.

Castro looks ready for this jump in class. A World Junior and Youth champion at amateur level, big things are expected from the 24-year-old. Castro has the chance to collect a first career belt, with the regional WBC Continental Americas gold on the line. Not a bauble you tell the grandkids about, but a handy tool to secure a favourable world ranking down the line.

It is too early to say whether the world top 10 is where Castro will one day reside. He employs a neat and tidy style with a tight defence and judicious punch output. Castro is gifted as a counter-puncher but has also shown an ability to push the pace against some of the more reluctant opponents he has faced.

Cynics will point to the fact that Julio Madera had him down in the second round of their 2022 bout. But Castro recovered well and thoroughly outboxed his rival for the remainder of the fight. Mishaps like that are exactly what a boxer’s apprenticeship is for. The young prospect is working out the kinks on his way up.

Nobody has had Castro on the canvas since, with his performances only becoming more impressive along the way. As his opposition has moved from novices and never-weres to battle-tested pros, Castro’s performance level has moved up to meet the challenge. 

Montoya will test him like no other opponent thus far. The 29-year-old can punch and has a reputation for extending promising fighters. The learning curve gets steeper for Castro as he faces a boxer who won’t be intimidated by coming up against a touted future star. 

Prospect vs road warrior collisions are often hard to predict. You can’t know what a young fighter is capable of until they have been pushed to their limit. For what it’s worth, I don’t think Montoya will find Castro’s limit. He will endure, like he always does. It’ll go to to judge’s scorecards, but it will not be close. I see Castro’s schooled style being too much for the Mexican. I am tipping Castro by decision, which is priced at 1/3.

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