Corrales vs. Castillo this Saturdayby Mark RothsteinOnce upon a time, boxer Floyd Patterson was a hero for bringing the heavyweight title back to America. Patterson went on to bigger and better things as a minister before passing away earlier this month at age 71. His title belt? A forgotten relic. Nicolay Valuev is fighting Owen Beck this Saturday in Hanover, Germany for Valuev's WBA title. You wouldn't know it, though, unless you're a diehard boxing fan. The fight everyone is talking about is Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo. At stake is the WBC lightweight title that Corrales took from Castillo in May of last year, in what Ring Magazine labeled the Fight of the Year. Castillo got some revenge in October with a fourth-round knockout of Corrales, but the title was not up for grabs because Castillo weighed in at 138 pounds, well over the 135-pound limit. He was stripped of the WBO portion of his championship as a result. For the quickest and easiest depositing methods available, sign-up today at BetUS.com, "for over 14 years they have been the Pioneers and World-wide Leaders in Online Sports, Poker, Casino and Racebook Gaming!" Always receive great odds, huge bonuses and fast payouts only at BetUS.com! BET ON FOOTBALL! Deposit $300 and get $100 in Bonuses! Observers were not impressed by the heavier Castillo's ability to beat Corrales last October. However, the challenger remains a -250 favorite to regain his title. Corrales is the +190 underdog. This is despite the 5-foot-11 Castillo's struggles to make weight - he usually tips the scales at around 165 pounds in between fights, and WBC officials have been keeping a close eye on Castillo during training to ensure he doesn't spoil Saturday's much-anticipated event by failing once again to slim down. Castillo has already stated this will be his last bout as a lightweight; he is slated to move up to the junior welterweight division to fight WBO champion Miguel Cotto on Nov. 11. The question marks don't end there. Castillo-Corrales III was supposed to go in February, but Corrales had to pull out with a rib injury. There are those who believe Corrales faked the injury in order to have more time to prepare for this fight. Corrales himself also has trouble getting down to 135 pounds, but at age 28, his conditioning problems are not nearly as taxing as the 32-year-old Castillo's. A year's worth of controversy has only served to whet the appetites of boxing fans for the third installment in this trilogy. The first bout was an absolute classic. The two boxers went toe-to-toe for the first nine rounds, exchanging heavy blows without surcease. Castillo knocked down Corrales twice in the 10th before the challenger replied with a devastating surprise right. Referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight moments later when Corrales had Castillo pinned and apparently helpless against the ropes. Castillo supporters maintain the fight was stopped prematurely. The consensus is that Corrales, who has a two-inch reach advantage over the 5-foot-8 Castillo, needs to avoid falling into the same punchfest Saturday night that nearly cost him victory in the first bout. However, Corrales is anything but a technical master. He grew up in the street gangs of Sacramento, Calif., and his upbringing is reflected in the way he dishes out violence in the ring. The telling blow in the first fight may never have come if Castillo hadn't forced the harried Corrales to backpedal into a range that happened to play to his advantage. Castillo is by far the more polished boxer of the two. He's unlikely to make the same mistake twice. Saturday's fight takes place on Showtime at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Vic Darchinyan vs. Luis Maldonado for Darchinyan's IBF flyweight title is on the undercard. Both fights are scheduled for 12 rounds. Comments or Questions? Email FaceOff@BetUS.com. --- by BetUSradio at 1800-sports.com on June 01, 2006
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