Professional Career
Castillejo made his professional debut on July 22 of 1988, when he outpointed Ángel Díez over six rounds in Madrid. He had an immediate rematch with Díez, on September 2 of the same year. Their second fight resulted in Castillejo's first knockout win, when he beat Diez in the fourth round. On November 4, he had his first fight outside Madrid, and his first knockout win in the first round, when he beat Juan Perez in Torrejón.
Castillejo had four more wins, before he was defeated for the first time. On August 19, 1989, he lost an eight round decision to Del Bryan, in Benidorm. But he followed that loss with a streak of twenty two victories in a row.
Among the most notable wins during that streak were a fourth round knockout on October 19, 1990, of Alfonzo Redondo, which gave Castillejo the Spanish Welterweight Championship, at Leganés. On July 5, 1991, he retained that national championship, with another fourth round knockout victory, this time against Domingo Sanchez, in Lugo. On April 10, 1992, Castillejo got his first win against a former or future world champion, when he knocked out former IBF lightweight champion, Puerto Rican Harry Arroyo, in three rounds at Leganes. He followed that victory with another win versus a former world champion, the former WBC light welterweight champion Saoul Mamby of Jamaica, by an eight round decision on May 15, at Bilbao. On December 12 of that year, Castillejo added the WBC's Mundo Hispano light middleweight title, when he defeated Enrique Areco by a twelve round decision in Areco.
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