Javier Castillejo
.
(Madrid, 1968).
Eight times world champion and six times European champion, he has the best resume in Spanish boxing.
Now Report + reviews his entire life and his career in Movistar Plus +.
What does it feel like when you see that whole race go by again? It makes you remember everything you've done, everything you've lived through, but above all it's a lot of happiness and a lot of pride to see everything I've achieved.
Because I sacrificed everything, youth, family, friends... to get to the top. Was it worth doing? Yes, of course.
If I were to be born again, I would be a boxer again, even with all the hardness that is required of you in terms of concentration, effort and not seeing your family.
You leave many things aside, especially when you're young you have to train and take care of yourself, but I would repeat.
How much has your family suffered? My mother and my wife have suffered a lot, but they have always been my support.
They have told me once to leave it, but they have always respected me, although they have thought about it many more times.
But my wife knew me like this and my mother gave birth to me like this.
This was my way.
Did you ever consider leaving when they told you? I've never thought about it because you have to respect the path even if it's hard.
If I've been happy and free, it's because I've managed to become world boxing champion. Born in Vallecas and raised in Parla, how important is your working-class origin in your professional career? and humble families because we want to achieve our dream.
And that can only be achieved with effort, although the path is more difficult. Whoever comes from a comfortable position has it easier to succeed, right? It is that those people who have everything do not achieve anything in life because they do not know how to fight.
Being humble gives you a spirit of sacrifice, of work, of respect, of hope, of dreaming that makes you a champion.
What is it like to come out of there and suddenly find yourself in the middle of the luxury of Las Vegas to compete with De la Hoya?
There you feel great and valued, but I have always been humble.
Being in big places like Las Vegas has never gone up for me because I already came big from here because of my work and my perseverance.
That was a gift, but I never thought beyond it, I've always known what I wanted and I didn't lose my mind.
Is it easy to lose it? Yes, but always remembering my origins from a humble neighborhood, what had happened and who my family was made me not believe God for being world champion. And after winning six European titles, the fridge is empty and having to repaint houses. That's where the television support for boxing ended, I couldn't find a sponsor, so I took the overalls and started working with the illusion of having another chance.
A year later they called me to compete in the European championship and there I got the victory to be world champion.
I bought my house, I paid for it all at once, but the fridge was empty.
My girl was small and since she had to keep eating, I decided to start painting again.
How lonely do you feel when you're at the top of a sport? Even if you're a champion and have your team, your teammates or 15,000 people, you still feel lonely.
I remember having the dressing room full and feeling a terrible loneliness.
I don't know if it's a scary thing, I don't think so, but it happens before going out to compete and doing something big. How do you stop that?
Is it a mental process? That's why boxing is so great because apart from the physical, the mind rules here, psychologically you have to be stronger than physically.
Many boxers are very strong physically but very weak mentally.
I have always been very strong physically and mentally.
That's what has helped me get up and move on. And when boxing is over, what happens? When boxing is over it was all shadows and darkness, I was lost.
It's natural after 21 years,
but even setting up a gym felt like it wasn't right.
Until you realize that you have to keep living.
The victories and applause are over, it's the family and friends who get you out of there.
Is that why so many athletes fall into depression after quitting? That's right, but I'm never going to stop being involved in boxing.
I have a gym with people who compete.
As a teacher you feel on another step, you teach a philosophy.
Especially to the youth that is a bit out of control, you have to teach them which is the way.
Do you have students with complicated situations to say that youth is out of control? Yes, I have come across many cases because the street is tougher than the ring.
In a ring there are athletes, in the street there are people lost without rules.
I have students who make mistakes in life and we are here to straighten them out with boxing,
who has a lot of discipline and many values.
First they have to be people and then athletes.
Has boxing been despised in Spain for being aggressive?
Boxing in this country does not exist because we have never taken care of it.
There was a time when it was a sport like football, but not anymore.
And whoever says boxing is aggressive has no fucking idea.
Boxing is not aggressive, it is hard, but life is also hard. If you had boxed in another country, would you be more recognized? I go on vacation to Germany, I boxed there in 2006, and people still stop me for the street, he asks me for photos and autographs.
This is a tambourine country and the situation we have annoys me because of those who come after us.
In Spain can you live from boxing right now?
If you are a World or European champion, you make a living from boxing, but I dare not say more.
And it still depends on how the boxer is.
if there is television or if you have a promoter.
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