5 3 , ▁Cast ell ani ▁lost ▁to ▁French man ▁Pierre ▁Lang lo is ▁in ▁twelve ▁r ounds ▁before ▁ 4 , 8 8 7 ▁fans ▁in ▁a ▁Mad ison ▁Garden ▁ups et ▁Split ▁Dec ision . ▁ ▁The ▁bout ▁confirmed ▁Cast ell ani ' s ▁standing ▁as ▁the ▁top ▁cont ender ▁for ▁the ▁title ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Not ably , ▁the ▁match ▁became ▁Cast ell ani ' s ▁exit ▁from ▁a ▁World ▁Middle weight ▁Title ▁elim ination ▁tournament . ▁Cast ell ani ▁led ▁the ▁pre - f ight ▁bet ting ▁ 3 - 1 ▁over ▁the ▁French man ▁who ▁had ▁a ▁spot ty ▁record ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁well ▁known ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁fans . ▁ ▁In ▁an ▁extremely ▁close ▁split ▁decision , ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁jud ges ▁scored ▁for ▁Lang lo is ▁but ▁only ▁by ▁one ▁point . ▁▁ ▁Lang lo is ' s ▁strong ▁finish ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁two ▁r ounds ▁se aled ▁his ▁victory , ▁and ▁he ▁appeared ▁the ▁ag gress or ▁throughout ▁the ▁bout , ▁but ▁Cast ell ani ' s ▁speed ▁and ▁foot work ▁remained ▁impress ive ▁in ▁the ▁very ▁close ▁bout . ▁ ▁A ▁critical ▁question ▁was ▁whether ▁Cast ell ani ▁had ▁been ▁knock ed ▁down ▁in ▁the ▁ele vent h ▁round ▁or ▁pushed . ▁ ▁The ▁jud ges ▁disag re ed ▁on ▁the ▁issue , ▁and ▁it ▁s way ed ▁one ▁judge ▁and ▁ref eree ▁Ruby ▁Gold stein ' s ▁scoring ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁Lang lo is ▁in ▁the ▁close ▁bout .