Former WBA middleweight world champion Jorge 'Locomotora' Castro has died aged 59 after collapsing at a bingo hall in Argentina. Police confirmed that he died while at the venue on Wednesday.
Championship career and legacy
Born in Santa Cruz, Castro became the WBA middleweight world champion after beating Reggie Johnson in 1994. Later that same year, 'Locomotora' defended his title against John David Jackson in what was The Ring's Fight of the Year.
After retirement, Castro returned to Argentina and was well known in the Buenos Aires area for his charitable work at soup kitchens and community centres.
Circumstances of death
The death is still being investigated, but the report said he suffered a drop in insulin levels caused by his diabetic condition. The emergency services were called, and Castro received medical treatment at the scene, but he died while receiving CPR.
Castro’s daughter said of her father’s death: “My dad’s passing was natural. He had a heart attack. His chest started to hurt and he couldn’t take it. It was just a matter of 15 minutes, nothing more. The Scientific Police already took care of proving it was totally natural.”
Final moments and career record
“He was with me and my mom. We had a routine outing with my mom. They’re very close friends; they haven’t been a couple for 15 years already, but they’re very close friends. It was an outing the three of us did,” she added.
“We were fine and suddenly he told me, ‘I’m going to the bathroom.’ He went to the bathroom and when he came back he said, ‘My chest hurts a little.’ I told him, ‘That’s because you smoke like a savage.’ He told me, ‘It hurts a lot, daughter.’ That’s when we called the authorities at the place and it was like that, so fast, just like I’m telling it. They took him to a separate room, started doing CPR on him privately, and that was it.”
He is considered one of the greatest Argentine boxers of all time, having posted a professional record of 144 fights. Included in those were 130 wins (90 by knockout), 11 losses, and three draws.
