Diego Corrales felt crushed when rib and wrist injuries forced him to pull out of a Feb. 4 rubber match against Jose Luis Castillo.

But Corrales' trainer, Joe Goossen, said Friday the layoff was the best thing that could have happened to the WBC lightweight champion.

Corrales has an entirely different attitude as he prepares for the third fight, rescheduled for June 3, at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"He's vibrant, he's alive, he's full of pep," Goossen said. "You can see it when he walks into the gym. You can tell if they shuffle in with their bag or if they come in alert and ready to go."

Corrales stopped Castillo in the 10th round of their May 7, 2005, bout at Mandalay Bay, a fight that has been hailed as among the greatest in boxing history. Castillo (54-7-1, 47 knockouts) gained a measure of revenge when he stopped Corrales in the fourth round of their Oct. 2 rematch.

Goossen said the physical toll the first two fights took on Corrales (40-3, 33 KOs) was apparent as the fighter was preparing in January, even before the injuries. Once he got hurt, Corrales didn't come to the gym again until early April.

When Corrales did, Goossen said, he was a different man.

"I talk to the sparring partners a lot and ask them how his punches feel, how his quickness seems, things like that, and they're telling me that he's really on point right now," Goossen said.

Goossen said although Corrales is in his 10th year as a pro, he's still learning. To challenge him, Goossen has had to present things in different ways, he said.

Corrales has responded superbly, Goossen said. Because the fighters know each other so well, Goossen said the little things are going to be critical.

"When you've been in the ring with a guy and watching tape of him as often as these guys have with each other, you're going to pretty much know everything there is to know about him," Goossen said. "We have to really pay attention to the most minute details, because they can be the difference between winning and losing. We're kind of looking at the game plan and tweaking a few things and integrating them into what we're doing. I really think you're going to see a totally different fighter in there than you did the last time because of it."

• 'SNAKE' VS. VARGAS? -- Sergio Mora, champion of the first season of the reality show "The Contender," might soon find himself in a matchup against a big-name opponent.

Mora, who bought a home in Las Vegas after winning the series' $1 million prize last year, might get a shot at Fernando Vargas this year.

Contender promoter Jeff Wald said he is having discussions about matching Mora (18-0, four KOs), nicknamed "Snake," with Vargas.

Vargas first must fight Shane Mosley on July 15 at the MGM Grand.

Wald said Peter Manfredo Jr., who lost to Mora in the finals last year, probably will fight perennial title contender Omar Sheika in June or July.

Wald also received an offer from Gary Shaw, the promoter of former super middleweight world champion Jeff Lacy, for a fight in October. Wald said he's not sure that bout can be made.

Season 2 of "The Contender" will begin July 18 on ESPN. The challenges the boxers had to take part in on last year's show have been eliminated, as have the phony news conferences, Wald said.

Among this year's participants is Las Vegan Steve Forbes.

• MORE FROM MORA -- Mora stopped Archak TerMeliksetian in the seventh round Thursday at the Aladdin.

Referee Robert Byrd jumped in to halt the fight as Mora was pounding at TerMeliksetian's head.

Many thought the stoppage was too soon, including TerMeliksetian, who shoved Byrd out of frustration.

Mora said he had no opinion.

"I couldn't tell you, because the referee launched me halfway across the ring," Mora said.

• WEIGHT LOSS -- Winky Wright, who will meet middleweight champion Jermain Taylor on June 17 in Memphis, Tenn., has been mentioned by Oscar De La Hoya as a potential opponent for his farewell bout Sept. 16.

But De La Hoya is insisting that, no matter the opponent, the bout will be contested at 154 pounds.

Wright hasn't fought at that weight in 18 months because he had trouble shedding the final pounds.

"But for Oscar, I could make it," Wright said with a laugh. "For Oscar, I'd get to '47."

Wright then made it clear that while 154 is a possibility, 147 would be asking too much of his body.

• MOVING ALONG -- Trainer Ronnie Shields has been thrilled with the progress of 22-year-old Juan Diaz, who has the WBA lightweight title.

When IBF champion Jesus Chavez was injured and had to pull out of his planned March 25 title defense against Marco Antonio Barrera at the MGM Grand, promoters tried to save the show by offering the fight to Diaz.

But Barrera declined to accept Diaz. Barrera instead will fight Rocky Juarez, who is moving up from featherweight, on May 20 in Los Angeles.

"That shows you what people think of Juan," Shields said. "There's not a lightweight out there with faster hands, but he's also very accurate. He's really making a lot of progress."

• SLOW PROGRESS -- Jack Mesi said he plans to continue to move his son, heavyweight Joe Mesi, along slowly in his comeback from a two-year medical suspension.

Mesi returned to boxing April 1 with a unanimous eight-round decision over Ron Bellamy.

Jack Mesi is working on plans for his son's second comeback after a successful legal battle with the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Joe Mesi's weight is down to 238 pounds and he's continuing to work on redeveloping his skills, Jack Mesi said.

"I don't think he's ready yet for 10-rounders, so we'll get him another eight-rounder, maybe two, before we move him up," Jack Mesi said.

He said he had nothing concrete to report about Joe Mesi's next fight.