FREITAS, CORRALES EYE TITLE AT FOXWOODS

Acelino “Popo” Freitas and Diego “Chico” Corrales, two of the biggest blasters on the block, are going to let it all hang out in this showdown of world champions when they step into the ring Saturday at Foxwoods Resort Casino at Mashantucket, Conn.

Actually, the defense belongs to Freitas, the WBO
lightweight champion from Salvador, Brazil , but Corrales, the WBO junior lightweight ruler out of Sacramento, Calif., will be making a large claim in this 12-round pairing with’ Showtime televising at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

Showtime Championship Boxing will precede Freitas-Corrales with a replay of Britain’s Danny Williams’ four-round knockout of former champion Mike Tyson a week earlier in Louisville, Ky.

Promoter Art Pelullo out of Philadelphia with options on Freitas, sounded philosophic in declaring “August is traditional with hot weather and we also have a red hot fight with guys like Freitas and Corrales who can hit the canvas more times than deVinci’s brush amid heavy action.”

In some respects, the credentials of Freitas and Corrales almost make experience sounds like twins

Acelino, 28, a pro since 1995, is 12-0 in world championship fights, having win the WBO lightweight crown Jan.3 at Foxwoods with a 12-round decision over incumbent Artur Grigorian in his last outing. The Latin knockout artist won the WBO 130-pound belt with a one-round kayo of Anatoly Alexandrov and made 10 successful defenses before moving up in weight after a four-year reign. Acelino took the WBA junior lightweight title with a controversial victory over Joel Casamayor Jan.12, 2002 in Las Vegas.

Corrales, 26, is 5-1 in world title bouts, having won the vacant WBO jr. lightweight title from Casamayor in a split decision rematch Mar.8 at Foxwoods. The elongated Corrales captured the IBF junior lightweight belt Oct .23, 1999, TKO'ing Roberto Garcia in Las Vegas and made three defenses.

Freitas and Corrales have been excellent in recent
national teleconference interviews.

Before breaking camp and heading for Connecticut, both champions deserved high pluses.

Oscar Suarez. trainer / translator, reports “ Frietas has never looked better.”

“Popo get s better every time we get close to a big fight. He is a great learner and sharp student. When you see a world champion like Popo get as hungry as it is. It’s a pleasure to be working with him.”

“I have trained very hard for this fight. I know that is one of my most import ant fights. In the past I trained five days, but for Corrales, it’s been six days. When people talk about this being. I’m not concerned that Corrales is 5’11 and I’m only 5’6”. When we train, we always train for a tall guy like Chico. It won’t make any difference, I see him as a person with two hands and two legs. Like he is my same height. The media asks me if I noticed anything about the jab Chico used with Casamayor. Basically, we train hard. We are ready for everything and anything that Diego might bring into the ring. Our strategy isn’t strength it’s intelligence.”

Corrales, working with trainer Joe Goossen, says “we have had a terrific camp for we feel will be a terrific camp.”

“I’ve heard some are calling this fight a candidate for fight of the year. I do not feel any pressure about that, making it something it might not be. I have a plan and I’m going to stick to that for the whole fight. If it goes to a war then that’s what it will be. I love to box but it always want to see myself at some point where I challenge myself,” Corrales said.

“If the action calls for fighting on the outside, in order to dictate the pace, you have to control the outside as well as the inside. People ask me if it bothers me to
fight on the inside, No way. I’ve been asked about fighting in hostile territory. The bottom line is I fight very few bouts in Sacramento, my home town.”

Media types were also pressuring Freitas about the strength of Corrales’ jab.

‘We’re not worried about anybody’s jab because it’s part of boxing. Basically, our strategy is really hard work. About my weight, the media asks, I hope to stay at the 10-rounds, that’s the range I want to stay in.”

The issue between the two champions --Freitas or Corrales ---and their opinion on who is the heaviest puncher in the 135-pound division.

“I definitely believe that Diego has a great quality and that is why he is where he is today. He really possesses big punching power definitely. We are going to give Diego the respect t hat he deserves to have as a man and as a person, in the ring, it is a different story. Saturday, you will see who the best puncher is,” Freitas opined.

Corrales doesn’t anticipate any problems going up in weight.

“Pounds will not be a problem. I have been perfect. I’m six-foot tall. I can carry that weight. It gives me the ability to do some other things in camp. It will play a lot into our strategy and will play a lot into the fight because having a guy my size is an awkward thing as far as Acelino goes because he is so short. I am sure he has never seen or been in a ring with a six-footer before. I have never been in better shape. The fight may turn into a brawl, and that’s okay with me because I love to fight.”

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas and a regular contributor to Ringsports.Com and other leading boxing websites.)