Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Corrales puts title on line against Cuba's Casamayor
10-06-2006

LAS VEGAS, USA (AFP): World Boxing Council lightweight champion Diego Corrales, denied a third shot at Jose Luis Castillo, will put his title on the line against another longtime rival Saturday when he fights Cuba's Joel Casamayor.

Casamayor triumphed in their first encounter on a disputed sixth-round technical knockout
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Casamayor sent Corrales to the canvas twice in that October 2003 bout, and Casamayor appeared to have turned the tables when the fight was stopped because of severe bleeding from cuts in Casamayor's mouth.

Corrales evened the score six months later, out-boxing the Cuban to earn a narrow split decision.

Corrales was dropped in the 10th round and cut over the right eye in the fight, but he had piled up enough rounds early to get the nod on two of the three judges' scorecards.

In the two and a half years since that bout, Casamayor's career has largely languished, while Corrales's stock has soared.

In part that was due to Corrales' first fight against Castillo, in May 2005, when Corrales climbed off the canvas for a 10th-round technical knockout that gave him the World Boxing Council crown and the lightly regarded World Boxing Organization belt.

Corrales lost the re-match in October of 2005, but kept his belts because of Castillo's failure to make the 135-pound limit.

And a much-hyped third fight in June was cancelled when Castillo again failed to make weight.

Despite that disappointment, Corrales said the longer than expected layoff had done him good.

"It was a needed break," said Corrales who brings a record of 40-3 with 33 knockouts to the bout. "I had camps in between to stay sharp. I am happy, my body feels good."

Casamayor, 35, is upset that it has taken Corrales so long to get back to him.

"I am going to put the mouthpiece through his mouth again," vowed the challenger who boasts a record of 33-3-1.

On the undercard at Mandalay Bay, unbeaten Aussie Vic Darchinyan puts his International Boxing Federation flyweight title on the line against Glenn Donaire.

Darchinyan brings a record of 26-0 with 21 knockouts. On June 3 Darchinyan stopped Mexico's Luis Maldonado in the eighth round in Las Vegas to retain the IBF belt.

That fight was supposed to be on the undercard of the "War to Settle the Score" between Jose Luis Castillo and Diego Corrales that was cancelled when Castillo failed to make the weight.

Donaire brings a record of 16-2-1 with nine knockouts.