By Dave Wilcox (photo by Tom Casino)

This weekend in Las Vegas, a glorious event will take place. Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo will once again try to make history when they step into the ring at the Thomas and Mack Center on Saturday night.

Their first fight is the type of stuff that legends are made from. The two fighters gave fans an evening to remember. When discussions of the best fights of all time come up, we can now comfortably put Corrales-Castillo I on the pedestal with the likes of Hagler-Hearns and The Thrilla in Manilla.

The first meeting was so brutal, that most of us felt that the fighters should take time off to recuperate. Instead of time off, they step right back in there five months later. I guess that should be considered a noble feat, but I can’t help thinking that a few more months on the couch couldn’t hurt.

Having said that, I can’t wait for Saturday night.  A fight like this is why we all love our beloved sport of Boxing. This fight will make me forget about paying fifty dollars to watch Roy Jones vs. Antonio Tarver. I won’t think of the state of the Heavyweight division during the broadcast. I won’t even remember that John Ruiz and Chris Byrd are “champions” this weekend. I’ll just sit back and thank the Boxing gods for giving me this fight. Watching a great fight is the next best thing to watching my son play High School Football.

You can have your Baseball playoffs and you can have the Sunday ticket if you wish. For my money a big fight is the best sporting event there is. I’m getting all fired up just thinking about it. Kick your feet up and enjoy...I certainly will.

The fight:

The first fight between Jose Luis Castillo and Chico Corrales saw both men take a horrible beating. These two guys traded bombs all night. As much as I loved that style of fighting, I can’t see history repeating itself on Saturday night. We will see a more disciplined game plan from Castillo this time.

I see him using his superior Boxing skills to out work Corrales. Corrales is actually a very technically sound fighter, he just chooses not to use that ability on a consistent basis. His warrior spirit comes out and he just can’t seem to resist the urge to slug it out. Corrales will try to turn it into round 11 of the first fight, but the veteran Castillo won’t fall into that trap this time. I see Castillo wearing down Chico and winning by way of a late round stoppage. I don’t foresee this fight living up to the expectations of their first bout, but it will be a damn good fight. You won’t hear anyone in the post fight interviews say how pleased they were that they went the distance and didn’t get knocked out in this one.

The undercard:

The first fight between Castillo and Corrales was the fight of the year. Some would argue that Jorge Arce vs. Hussein Hussein was the runner up for that honor. On the undercard of Castillo and Corrales this Saturday, we will be treated to a rematch between Arce and Hussein. I was ringside for their first bout and it was a slugfest. I look for more of the same from these two. The WBC flyweight strap will be on the line.

Also on the card is “Manny’s brother” Bobby Pacquiao vs. Carlos Hernandez. I feel Hernandez will be too much for Pacquiao and should win comfortably in this one.

El Grande Campion Jr. will continue his quest towards a title as well. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is not just hype. The kid has tremendous skill and should do well if the powers don’t rush him to quickly into a title shot. Watch how this kid puts combinations together. A fighter that young and green shouldn’t know how to do that yet. It must be heredity.

From top to bottom, this is a great fight card and shouldn’t be missed by any fight fan. If you’re not a big fan, buy this Pay-Per View anyway. You’ll probably be a fan afterwards.

 Roy Jones aftermath:

How pathetic was it to hear Roy Jones boast how he didn’t get knocked out? Oh how the mighty have fallen. Roy Jones should have never taken the third fight with Tarver and he should never fight again. He says he wants to save his image and legacy by continuing his career. That is a very bad idea.

The longer he fights, the more I’ll remember the last three Jones fights and forget about his past greatness against the likes of James Toney and John Ruiz. (Did I put the words Ruiz and greatness in the same sentence?)  It’s over Roy, back to the HBO booth for you.  Besides, if you were a true great, you would do anything within your power to make sure George Foreman never has a microphone in front of his mouth again.

The Heavyweights:

It was very refreshing to see two solid Heavyweights fight each other when Wlad Klitschko took on Samuel Peter a few weeks back. Wlad answered questions about his heart, but did nothing to prove to me that his chin is solid. He did fight a very smart fight and came away with the impressive win over Peter. I also think Peter proved that he is for real. With a little more seasoning he will continue to become a force in the division. Once he learns to throw in combinations, he will be scary.

It wasn’t very refreshing to see Chris Byrd waltz through another “title” defense. It is impressive that Byrd was been able to accomplish so much with his limited size and power, but that doesn’t mean I want to see it.

James Toney is back and I must say I’m pretty happy about it. This dull division needs a guy like Toney to liven the place up a little. Hopefully Toney will be able to get another shot at the title soon. He is absolutely one of the best heavyweights out there. What he lacks in height and reach, he makes up for with his unmatched technical ability. He counters and rolls with punches better than anyone in Boxing. He is a joy to watch……and listen to.

My hope is that Vitali Klitschko defeats Hasim Rahman and then gives Toney his much deserved shot. Vitali says he wants the big fight and there isn’t a bigger one than a Klitschko-Toney bout.

Random thoughts:

-Am I the only one irritated that Erik Morales is still getting the rematch with Manny Pacquiao? Shouldn’t Zahir Raheem get the shot?

-I was reminded of one of my favorite fighters of years past when I read that Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini is being inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame. Congratulations Boom Boom!

-My personal thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Leavander Johnson. He was a true champ in every sense of the word.

-Is Larry Merchant retired yet?

Keep punching