Corrales ready to go to war

DIEGO CORRALES returns to action after a year out of the ring in Las Vegas tomorrow night when he defends his WBC lightweight title in a potentially explosive rubber match against Joel Casamayor.

Corrales, arguably the sport’s most exciting fighter, has been itching to return since a projected third meeting with Jose Luis Castillo was called off when Castillo didn’t make the weight.

It is testament to Corrales’ enduring warrior instinct that he should wish to return against the classy Cuban, who boasts four knockdowns over the champion in their previous meetings.

Corrales was forced out of their first fight in October 2003 after the seventh round due to bad bleeding. He outboxed Casamayor in their rematch six months later for a split decision.

Casamayor’s heated demands for a rematch succeeded in getting under the skin even of the normally respectful Corrales, who said: “When I am done there will not be enough of him to send him back to Cuba.

“I think we have bad blood between us because we started off on the wrong foot and we stayed that way. I know he is going to bring an explosive performance but it means everything to me too.”

Corrales starts a big favourite, although it remains to be seen whether he has been affected either by his long layoff or his crushing fourth-round knockout loss to Castillo last year.

Casamayor, 35, has lost some of his sharpness and failed to win in three of his last six fights — but his chances appear to have been heavily underrated for this contest.

Casamayor said: “I have been calling him out for three years and finally on Saturday night we are going to war. On Saturday night I am going to put him in his grave — it is time to end him.”

The Cuban, who called Corrales a “coward” for not facing him earlier, has every chance of boxing his way to victory if Corrales is showing any ill effects from his former wars.

But just about everybody outside Casamayor’s close circle and the Cuban exile community in Florida will be hoping one of boxing’s most popular figures can summon up another night of savage glory.