Corrales v Casamayor 3:it's about time!!!

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=7973&more=1

19.08.06 - By Wray Edwards - Photos © Wray Edwards: Coming up on three years ago Joel Casamayor managed to filet the inside of Diego Corrales' boca to the point that ring officials would not let Chico contimue. Corrales complained bitterly but had to eat the TKO along with a lot of his own blood. Eager to avenge this loss, Corrales signed to rematch just five months later and was barely able to scrounge a split D victory which brought him the WBO and IBA Superfeather titles.

Interestingly, as background to this second contest between the two, Joe Goosen, who had been Joel's trainer for their first bout, wound up in Diego's corner for the second contest. Many people felt that it was bad form for Joe to go directly from Joel to Diego prior to their second meeting. No decent interval, and all of that. In Joe's defense, there are some very interesting details which tend to soften suspicions.

About the time Joel was ready to train for his next bout, he was in residence at a mountain-top training facility near the Hearst Castle on the California coast. Joe was invited to live in a beautiful Spanish villa while training Casamayor. It was not to be. Unfortunately, for El Cepillo, Joe Goosen was in Hollywood training the movie star Adam Sandler, and he felt that the training camp was too far away from his commitments in Hollywood..

Moreover, Goosen had been approached by Shane Mosley who wanted Joe's good offices. Again, Goosen would have been required to travel. In this case the camp was in the mountains up in Big Bear southeast of L.A. Enter Diego Corrales, who was willing to travel to Goosen's bailiwick to assimilate his avuncular wisdom. And that's how Joel Casamayor's estranged trainer ended up in the opposite corner for his second bout with Chico.

I sat at the Ledyard as Joel and his corner cut it too close and lost the SD. Now, for the rubber match, it seems that Chico has faced the better competition in Freitas and Castillo. For those who put stock in such considerations there are significant downsides when it comes to Freitas and Castillo. For one, Diego was exampled by Freitas regarding mouthpiece spitting. Chico certainly observed that Freitas was given some significant leeway to gain rest time by loosing the mouthpiece more than once. He was, finally penalized, but not after demonstrating that one could gain a bit of valuable rest time with the ploy.

IMO Corrales might have gone to school in that bout and kept that option for future reference should extreme circumstances require the judicious use of the tactic to survive. Many feel that it was this reflex or design which enabled Chico to best Castillo in their first meeting. Well, things went downhill from there. Even though the fight was fought as if the two were duct-taped together and many thought the match to be historic, the tooth-guard still lurks with a threatening asterisk.

Downside number two might be the career-shortening abuse Chico appeared to have absorbed. Fights like that take a lot out of a guy. As if that wasn't bad enough, Diego, his people and the media hoopla jammed the two into another match way too soon IMO. Such was the allure of the increased bucks in the larger venue, that Diego, in a fit of unrealistic macho, agreed to fight Castillo even though Jose weighed in well over the required 135. He probably never considered the possibility that Jose had (IMO) not the least intention of making weight, nor interest in winning the lightweight title, but was only there to exact vicious revenge. The debate goes on about what it takes out of one to make weight and how that might affect a boxer's potential.

So, in Round four, a Castillo left put Chico to nappy-time from which he awoke with the question "What happened?" It is cliché that a boxer is set back a bit by a KO and needs two or three bouts to fully recover career momentum. As if that were not enough dreadful abuse by Jose, Diego's handlers and the media, an unbelievable mistake was made which led to absolute catastrophe. The jaw-dropping decision was made to ink a third fight between the two which was billed as a "trilogy" and/or "rubber match" which was completely bogus, as the Castillo weight fiasco prior to their second contest rendered such null and void.

A true trilogy or rubber match can only occur if the two boxers meet all necessary sanction and commission requirements leading up to each of the three fights. "Fool me once.your fault, fool me twice.shame on me". To the utter dismay of fight fans, media, indeed, every human consciousness on the planet which has the least cognizance of the sport, the WBC and Castillo's camp allowed a complete train-wreck to occur as Jose Castillo again failed to make weight and the fans, the media and the camps lost millions in time and money.

Somehow, Diego found enough common sense to back away from the flaming ruins of the portended bout and did not fight. This final insult almost completely overshadowed what fond memories might linger from Corrales-Castillo One. The first culpability award for this mess goes directly to the WBC which might have a slide for the weight mess prior to the second fight, but forewarned by that fiasco, there is absolutely no excuse what-so-ever for the traveshamockery the WBC allowed leading up to number three.

After the first weight incident, the WBC should have sent a representative to the Castillo camp to observe and report on every last detail of Castillo's progress, and with the professional hindsight of an organization with such urgent responsibilities, completely controlled the situation. They totally blew it. Jose's camp was obviously not up to the task either. Net result: This time, rather than being brutally KO'd, Chico was left stumbling forward with all the momentum of a boxer just out of camp and no one to fight. Almost nothing throws one off more than gathering steam, steeling the heart and leaning to the task, only to have the counterpoise missing and the rug pulled out.

Meanwhile Casamayor fought Almazbek Raiymkulov to a draw, Antonio Ramirez to a Round five KO and Lamont Pearson to a Ninth Round TKO. These contests were good, solid rust-preventers and the Ramirez fight at the Piquot Hard Rock with ESB ringside showed Joel to be still in excellent form.

Castillo will have not had any serious ring-time since his first bout with Castillo seventeen months ago. The rest was a total waste except for three training camps. The match should be a vintage Casamayor/Corrales event.a true trilogy.a true rubber match. It will be a pleasure to see Chico, free of the Castillo debacles, once again bending his might against the classical, rolling rhythm of El Cepillo. A long time coming, but should be worth the weight...uh, wait. See you at the fights.

Casamayor will beat Corrales for what in reality should be his 3rd win against him.

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Originally Posted by Violent Demise

Casamayor will beat Corrales for what in reality should be his 3rd win against him.

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I agree that he deserved to win the 2nd, but I don't think he'll win this one he has been inactive and didn't look great on FNF, never know though.

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Originally Posted by p4pking

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Originally Posted by Violent Demise

Casamayor will beat Corrales for what in reality should be his 3rd win against him.

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I agree that he deserved to win the 2nd, but I don't think he'll win this one he has been inactive and didn't look great on FNF, never know though.

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Casamayor didn't look great in his last fight, but atleast he won. If I remember correctly, Corrales is coming off a brutal knock out loss.

People forget that when the 1st fight was stopped Chico had Casa hurt and he already demonstarted he had the power to floor him with that left hook . The rematch Chico just outboxed the cuban and I think since then Joel has gone backwards . It remains to be seen what Chico has left too but id make him odds on

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Originally Posted by GAME

People forget that when the 1st fight was stopped Chico had Casa hurt and he already demonstarted he had the power to floor him with that left hook . The rematch Chico just outboxed the cuban and I think since then Joel has gone backwards . It remains to be seen what Chico has left too but id make him odds on

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Mostly agreed bro,CC.I believe that Chico definitely won the second or at most,it was a draw,he outboxed Casamayor for a long long perios of that fight and it was only towards the last few rounds and the knockdown that got Cas back into it. Kudos to Chico,his resume is looking more and more awesome! I am a big fan of JoelI think he's slick,smart and I think the outcome of this fight depends on which tactics Corrales uses,will he try to outbox him or will he chase him?

I think the JLC loss will not affect Corrales because he has had a long break since then,so he should be fine. It should be a great fight as this is surelly Joel's last big chance,he's had 4 chances already(2 against Chico,1 against Freitas and JLC)

You can make a case for Casamayor being undefeated . He could have got the decisions against Chico , Castillo and Freitas and if he did we'd be talking p4p great but at this stage and age I think its too late for him to make the impact he could have . Id have loved to see him go against pbf at superfeather when they were both at their best

Although Joel did not look that great against Pearson I feel he'll win a decision over Corrales. I just think Casamayor is a better all round fighter. Corrales' chin has always worried me as well, he seems to get hit clean a hell of a lot!

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Originally Posted by GAME

You can make a case for Casamayor being undefeated . He could have got the decisions against Chico , Castillo and Freitas and if he did we'd be talking p4p great but at this stage and age I think its too late for him to make the impact he could have . Id have loved to see him go against pbf at superfeather when they were both at their best

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I agree I thought he won all of those fights...I really would have like to see him fight PBF before Floyd moved up.

Corrales has some brutal fights, this one should be no exception.

Casamayor is damaged goods. Thats why Corrales is fighting him now

How is Cas damaged goods?? He's looked decent in his last few fights and has never been as beaten as Chico.

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Originally Posted by El Phenomena

How is Cas damaged goods?? He's looked decent in his last few fights and has never been as beaten as Chico.

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He looked bad against Kid Diamond, was dropped by the guy that Derrick Gainer nearly KO'd and in his last fight took some wide shots, and those aren't exactly the class of Corrales. I would like Casamayor to win but I don't like what I see in him lately.

But MJ,you have to remember that Chico was brutally KO#ed wo who knows,the wars may have caught up on him too although I think the rest period will have done him good. I think Cas can win but it depends on Chico#s tactics/

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Originally Posted by El Phenomena

But MJ,you have to remember that Chico was brutally KO#ed wo who knows,the wars may have caught up on him too although I think the rest period will have done him good. I think Cas can win but it depends on Chico#s tactics/

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Chico's been KO'd but he's also been well rested, he's been through a space where two fights could have taken place and he's well rested, he will probably be as rejuvenated as Tszyu and DelaHoya were after their "rests" Casamayor has been active and getting worse.

I still think it will be a great and close fight though. Chico could get rusty? And you could see Tszyu's rust v Hatton and Oscar was only fighting Mayorga,this is diferent.

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Originally Posted by El Phenomena

I still think it will be a great and close fight though. Chico could get rusty? And you could see Tszyu's rust v Hatton and Oscar was only fighting Mayorga,this is diferent.

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I'm not so sure. Casamayor's reflexes seem to be shot and his style isn't the same one that beat Corrales the first and second times. He fights completely different now and i think Corrales should pick him apart by now. I want Casamayor to win but he doesn't look the same.

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Originally Posted by Majesty

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Originally Posted by El Phenomena

I still think it will be a great and close fight though. Chico could get rusty? And you could see Tszyu's rust v Hatton and Oscar was only fighting Mayorga,this is diferent.

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I'm not so sure. Casamayor's reflexes seem to be shot and his style isn't the same one that beat Corrales the first and second times. He fights completely different now and i think Corrales should pick him apart by now. I want Casamayor to win but he doesn't look the same.

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CC, he really really doesn't look as sharp as he has in the past. If it was just his last fight I would consider it a toss up as he could have just taken the guy easily, but I thought he lost to Kid Diamond and he is nowhere near the calibre of fighter that Casa had previously beaten.

I think Casamayor will win by decision, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him knock Corrales out. Both fighters have faded since they met last but I still feel Casamayor is the better of the two!