Sunday, March 27, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Corrales closes in on Castillo

Lightweight champs finally set to meet May 7 in Las Vegas

By KEVIN IOLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Diego Corrales is signed to fight Jose Luis Castillo on May 7 at Mandalay Bay, a matchup that twice fell through because of contract problems. Photo by Clint Karlsen.

Diego Corrales desperately wanted to be at Mandalay Bay on March 5. But the WBO lightweight champion stayed in Southern California rather than attend the WBC lightweight title fight between Jose Luis Castillo and Julio Diaz.

Twice Corrales was supposed to have fought Castillo, but twice contract problems scuttled his chance. Several weeks before the Castillo-Diaz fight, though, Corrales signed to fight the winner May 7 at Mandalay Bay.

"I didn't want to break camp because this fight is so important I feel camp should supercede everything," Corrales said. "But believe me, I saw what went on. I watched from the sidelines. I was there, even though no one saw me. My heart and my mind were there, but I just couldn't afford to get out of camp.

"At this stage, training camp is more important than my wife, more important than my kids, more important than anything. I had to stay where I was."

Castillo overpowered Diaz, stopping him in the 10th round. Diaz boxed well, Corrales said, but couldn't keep Castillo off him.

Castillo said Corrales doesn't have a chin and predicted a knockout victory. That prompted Corrales to beg for Castillo to slug it out.

"I don't give any credence to what he says," Corrales said. "Everyone said (Acelino) Freitas was going to bomb me out, but guess what: He didn't. And if people think Castillo is going to do that, I don't care. They can feel what they want. But I know in my mind what is going to happen.

"It's going to be a lot different if I'm standing there throwing the shots than if it's someone else. But he can talk or do what he wants. I'm coming for a fight."

• BREWSTER READY -- Lamon Brewster, the WBO heavyweight champion, said all the right things before his fight in September with unheralded Kali Meehan. But the affable Brewster, a friend of Meehan, had a difficult time getting into the right frame of mind to fight.

It showed in Brewster's performance. He struggled to a split decision, and his stock plummeted despite the win.

Brewster vows things will be different when he defends his belt against Andrew Golota, who tries for a version of the heavyweight title for the third consecutive fight, May 21 in Chicago.

"I had some personal problems, but more so than that, I fought somebody I liked," said Brewster, who is training in Las Vegas. "I liked him as a person, and so I wasn't able to get into the fight against Kali like I wanted to. I thought the time away in camp would give me the edge to block out of my mind our friendship, but it couldn't.

"This fight is a different situation. I respect Golota for what he's done, but the personal relationship isn't there. And I know I have something to prove to people. I have to prove to people that I'm not a paper champion and that I am an asset to boxing."

Brewster has rehired trainer Jesse Reid, replacing Shadeed Suluki. Reid trained Brewster early in his career, but they split when Reid was working primarily in Los Angeles and Brewster was based in Indiana.

Brewster said Reid has had a significant impact upon him.

"There are trainers who are teachers and trainers who are motivators, and not too many I know of can motivate a fighter like Jesse," said Brewster, 31-2 with 27 knockouts. "You get to a certain level and you have a man who knows who to fight, he doesn't need to be taught. He needs to be motivated, to be pushed. Jesse knows how to do that.

"He's had 19 world champions, and he has experience in every situation and, as a fighter, you need the confidence in your trainer to know he knows. I know Jesse knows what he's talking about."

• HOPKINS SUED -- The IBF has sued Bernard Hopkins, claiming he intentionally underreported his income from his Sept. 18 fight against Oscar De La Hoya as a way to avoid paying more sanction fees. The WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF titles were at stake in the bout. The WBA and the WBO cap their sanction fees at $100,000, but the WBC and IBF charge 3 percent regardless of the purse.

Hopkins' bout agreement with the Nevada Athletic Commission showed a purse of $4 million, but Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who promoted the fight, said Hopkins made a guaranteed $8 million. Arum said he paid Hopkins the $4 million that was in the bout agreement and another $4 million to Hopkins' company on the night of the fight.

Hopkins also received $7 for every pay-per-view sale above 800,000. The fight hit about 1.1 million pay-per-view sales, netting Hopkins another $2.1 million.

The sanction fee was based on the guaranteed portion of the purse. Arum criticized the IBF and the WBC for not capping their fees.

"When you talk about some of these big fighters who are getting these huge guarantees, it's outrageous what they're asked to pay for a sanction fee," Arum said. "He did the contract the way he did to avoid that. He did the right thing. I don't blame Hopkins a bit."

Keith Kizer, the Nevada deputy attorney general who works with the state athletic commission, said Hopkins should have put the entire amount he was paid in the bout agreement. But Kizer said Hopkins paid all taxes on the $8 million.

Arum said De La Hoya got a $25 million guarantee for that night, which means he would have had to pay $750,000 to both the IBF and the WBC and $100,000 to both the WBO and the WBA. That would have been a total of $1.7 million in sanction fees.

• NOT SO FAST -- Although there have been numerous reports that Hopkins signed to defend his belts against Jermain Taylor on July 16, Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy Promotions chief executive officer, said no deal has been done.

"I keep reading where this fight is done, and I don't know where that's coming from," Schaefer said. "I hope we can get a deal, but there are issues as it relates to the two fighters, and there are issues as it relates to HBO. I am hopeful of closing it within a week. It sure is no done deal."

• TIDBITS -- James Toney will challenge John Ruiz on April 30 in New York's Madison Square Garden for the WBA heavyweight title. ... The March 19 fight at the MGM Grand Garden between Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao sold 350,000 pay-per-view subscriptions, HBO Pay-Per-View reported. ... A high-profile women's fight between Christy Martin and Lucia Rijker may wind up in Las Vegas. ... Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson said he probably will fight again in July in Washington, D.C. Kevin McBride is the likely opponent.