Jorge 'Locomotora' Castro, Former Boxing World Champion, Dies at 59

Former world champion boxer Jorge 'Locomotora' Castro died Wednesday at the age of 59 after suffering a heart attack.

Castro, an Argentine native, had a prolific career spanning 20 years, during which he won 130 of his 144 professional fights, with 89 victories by knockout. He became the WBA middleweight champion seven years after turning professional in 1987, defeating Reggie Johnson.

His daughter, Quimely, shared details of his final moments, describing his passing as natural. She recounted that he began experiencing chest pain while with her and his mother during a routine outing. "My dad’s passing was natural. He had a heart attack. His chest started to hurt and he couldn’t take it," Quimely told Argentine media. "It was just a matter of 15 minutes, nothing more."

She explained that after feeling unwell, Castro went to the bathroom and upon returning, complained of chest pain. Despite initial assumptions it was related to smoking, the pain intensified. "That’s when we called the authorities at the place and it was like that, so fast, just like I’m telling it," his daughter said. "They took him to a separate room, started doing CPR on him privately, and that was it."

Castro's career included notable bouts such as his split-decision victory for the WBA middleweight title and facing legendary fighters like Roberto Duran and Roy Jones Jr. He also had a memorable comeback victory against David Jackson in December 1994. Castro had previously challenged for the WBC light-middleweight belt in 1991, losing to Terry Norris.

Outside of his boxing career, Castro was married six times and had 15 children and 14 grandchildren.