Boxer Jose Luis Castillo journeys to his third and final weigh-in Friday at Caesars Palace. Photo by Isaac Brekken/Review-Journal

Jose Luis Castillo failed three times to make the 135-pound lightweight limit Friday for his rematch against Diego Corrales tonight at the Thomas & Mack Center, coming in 3 1/2 pounds over on his final attempt.

Castillo was fined 10 percent of his $1.2 million purse, or $120,000, for failing to make the weight. By state law, half of that is added to Corrales' purse and the other $60,000 goes to the state's general fund.

After a dispute of several hours, the Corrales and Castillo camps agreed to a compromise that will allow the fight to go on as scheduled.

Castillo will weigh in at 3 p.m. today at the Thomas & Mack Center and must make a 147-pound limit. He agreed to pay Corrales $75,000 for every pound he is over that. Corrales, who made the 135-pound limit on his first try, does not have to weigh in again.

Both the WBC and WBO are willing to sanction the bout for their lightweight titles, but Corrales promoter Gary Shaw is uncertain if that will occur or if the bout will be a non-title match.

Shaw said he would meet with Castillo promoter Bob Arum today to determine that. If they fight for the title, the belts would be vacant if Corrales loses, but Castillo would not claim them. Corrales would retain the belts if he wins or draws in that scenario.

Castillo weighed 137 at the first weigh-in attempt Friday at 2:45 p.m. at an outdoor arena at Caesars Palace and was given two hours to lose the weight.

After working out in the sauna, he weighed 138 1/2 at 3:45 p.m. He returned at 4:15 p.m., with 30 minutes remaining, and again weighed 138 1/2. He turned to Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, and said, "I'm really sorry."

Castillo spokesman Ricardo Jimenez said the fighter returned with 30 minutes to spare because he knew he could not lose any more weight.

At the second weigh-in, Ratner caught Castillo physician Armando Barak attempting to tamper with the scale.

Barak had placed his sneaker underneath the top part of the scale that presses down when someone stands on it, applying upward pressure to make it appear Castillo weighed less than he did.

Ratner noticed it and became irate. "I'm unusually angry right now," Ratner said.

The commission temporarily suspended Barak and barred him from being in Castillo's dressing room, the ring and the corner.

Castillo's manager and Mexican promoter, Fernando Beltran, blamed the failure to make weight squarely on Barak, who could not be reached for comment.

Beltran said Barak was brought into Castillo's camp to help the fighter make weight. Beltran said Barak fired trainer Tiburcio Garcia two weeks ago. Beltran said he decided to rehire Garcia earlier this week.

"I have no explanation and I'm so embarrassed," Beltran said. "I'm 100 percent positive he trained very hard and got into great shape. He wanted to make it a sensational night for the fans and that's what he still intends to do.

"I want to tell all the fans I offer my apologies and I'm sorry for what happened at the weigh-in. That was a disrespect to the fans, the sanctioning organizations and to Castillo and Corrales.

"Dr. Armando is an egomaniac who was taking care of the camp and for some reason decided to fire Garcia," Beltran said. "Unfortunately, when the firing occurred is when he stopped losing weight. You don't lose weight eating at the restaurants in the Wynn."

There remains one more hurdle to clear to make sure the fight occurs.

Ratner said if Castillo gains too much weight, the commission would consider not sanctioning it if it deems it unsafe.

Castillo once weighed in at 150 pounds for a nontitle fight against Juan Angel Macias on Jan. 25, 2002. It is not uncommon for fighters at that weight class to gain more than 10 pounds from the time of the weigh-in until the fight.

n NOTE -- Corrales is now a minus-140 favorite at the Caesars Palace sportsbook. Castillo is plus-120 and the over/under that the fight will go 10 full is minus-155 and won't go is plus-135.