CORRALES IN SPLIT NOD BUT OKS THIRD PAIRING

Sequels in boxing rarely match the original if it happens to be a war, so it looks like Diego “Chico” Corrales and Joel Casamayor may have to go for a trilogy for a definitive point on who is the better man.

Corrales. 26, out of Sacramento, CA., evened the score Saturday night on a controversial 12-round split decision over Casamayor, 32, Miami, FL., to win the WBO super featherweight crown at the Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket,Conn.

In this rematch, the intense rivals had completely changed their styles.....nothing like the explosive action last Oct.4 in Las Vegas when the pressuring Casamayor knocked Corrales down twice, cutting his eyes and mouth with the blood creating a sixth round TKO.

Corrales, seven-inches taller at six-foot, boxed well behind a steady jab to gain an advantage in the middle rounds as southpaw Casamayor, moving left and right, was trying to find the punching rhythm of their first fight when he was the dominator although both fighters were on the canvas.

Referee Steve Smoger, in his 106th world title bout, was an alert third man from the outset, warning Casamayor for holding behind the head in the second round. Smoger checked both men when they came out of a clinch in the eighth round rubbing their heads. Casamayor’s road game with fienting low with combinaions that sometimes missed the mark. Joe Goossen, in his well-documented debut as the trainer who switched corners, hard pressed Corrales to resume jabbing once Casamayor began to score inside with both hands.

Casamayor, a superb boxer-puncher with speed that fashioned a 29-1,18 KOs ledger since turning pro in1996, couldn’t solve Corrales’ jab early and missed badly trying to get inside. However, when he did score in sequence, Casamayor posted the fight’s only knockdown in the10th round but never found the finisher.

Corrales was pleased to lift his 37-2, 31 KOs record and win his second world title.

In the judges’ official scoring, Don O’Neil and Julie Lederman both tabbed Corrales 115-112 while Steve
Weisfeld voted for Casamayor, 114-113. This observer saw it Casamayor, 115-112.

Casamayor was quicker coming out for round 10, backing Corrales up with a left-right-right. When Corrales tried to throw a right, the former WBA 130-pound ruler caught him walking into a straight left to the chin.The ex-IBF super featherweight king skidded on his trunks but he was erect when Smoger’s count reached “eight”.

Casamayor caught Corrales again with several rights, backing him up, but never close to dropping him again like the twin knockdowns of their first match.

Corrales, with a right eye cut, appeared to knock Casamayor off balance early in the 11th round but the latter caught his elongated adversary with a shot that almost spun him sideways. Corrales was rubbing his head with his gloves but the 1992 Olympic gold medalist did not seize the advantage.

The decision appeared on the line in the 12th round but neither ex-champion acted like a warrior thinking knockout. Casamayor did back up his ambitious target with rights and several combinations but Corrales stayed in the chase with that left jab that gave him points early.

Corrales, who won the IBF130-pound crown when he TKO’d Roberto Garcia Oct.13,1999 in Las Vegas, defended it against John Brown, Derrick Gainer, and Angel Manfredy. In his first career loss, the pride of Northern California faced WBC super featherweight king Floyd Mayweather, Jr., losing on a 10th round TKO Jan.20, 2001 in a unification bout.

Corrales, who had parted company with Kenny Adams, his original trainer, was pleased with the addition of Goossen, adding “I have been working with southpaws during the last year and you will see the difference.

“Going in, Joe wanted me to box and that’s what I did with the jab. Casamayor was chasing me but he wasn’t doing anything. Joe Goossen was a tremendous help and I have to give him a lot of respect. I had a lot of pressure behind my jab. I never saw the punch on the knockdown coming but I wasn’t hurt. My job is to fight but as far as a rematch, we can do it again. Casamayor is a very good fighter.”

Neither Casamayor, nor Buddy McGirt, who replaced Goossen as trainer, had no complaints, both fighters embracing each other at the final bell.

“I had to change my style for this fight, but even before the knockdown, I felt I was in control. There is no reason not to have a rematch.”

MGirt, considered one of top trainers in boxing, added “Joe Goossen is a good student. I did not have any pressure on me. It was on Joe. I just came in where he left off.”

JOHNSON ‘TOO SHARP’ IN TKO’ing BOLANO IN FOUR

In an exciting pairing of southpaws, Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, 32, Washington, D.C., simply had too much speed and power for Luis Bolano, 31, from the Dominican Republic, scoring a TKO victory at 2:40 of the fourth round in their WBO junior bantamweight bout scheduled for 12 rounds in the semi-final.

Johnson, raising his resume to 43-2, 28 KOs, warmed up in the first round, He showed a big right hand in the second and third rounds against the seasoned undefeated Bolano, who was making his first start in a year.

Bolano, ranked in the top five at 115 in all major organizations, was willing to trade punches in the third round, landing two hard rights to the head before Johnson countered to the body.

In the fourth round, Johnson, a former two-time IBF champion, traded jabs with Bolano, who landed a good left to the head. In the next salvo, Johnson dropped Bolano with a right-left to the jaw.The valiant Latino managed to rise and threw a combination before Johnson finished the night with a mean right hand to the body. Referee Arthur Mercante, Jr., started to count and then called it off. Bolano’s record dipped to 38-1, 28 KOs.

“It took me a little time to get my distance. Since we are both southpaws, I knew I could land my left over his jab. I was ready for this fight. I’d say it was one of my better fights. Bolano wasn’t expecting that right to the body, He is a good fighter, but I’m am quicker. I’m the best 115-pound fighter in the world,” Johnson reflected.

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas and a regular contributor to boxing and
sports publications and websites.)