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CORRALES AND CASTILLO AT IT AGAIN
By Joe Santoliquito
The epic lightweight war between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo caught so many fans in such a visceral way, the fight has passed to almost legendary status since it took place in May. Now it's time for the hard part. A rematch that comes close to the first incarnation. It looks as if Corrales and Castillo will get that chance on either October 8 or October 15, in Las Vegas again, according to Showtime Executive Producer Jay Larkin and Gary Shaw, Corrales' promoter. The fight will be televised on Showtime Pay-Per-View. "It's as good as done," Larkin said. "You couldn't put a better fight than that on, and my only concern is equaling a fight that's become a legend. If it's anything like the first fight, and Castillo wins, you set up a rubber match. But as a fan, you worry about the intensity of the first fight. Can these guys do it again? They both apparently seem to be in good shape right now. I was bruised just from watching them the first time." In late-June, Shaw and Top Rank head Bob Arum met with Larkin at the Showtime offices in New York City to hammer out the details of the rematch. "Both fighters want to do it, and it's definitely a fight the public wants to see again," Shaw said. "There's no doubt, it'll be a replay of the first fight." Asked if Corrales and Castillo could endure another all-out battle, Shaw assured that Corrales' health was okay after "Chico" came off the canvas to score a 10-round stoppage of Castillo to win the world lightweight title. "I always worry about the health of my fighters, and when Diego and I went to England after the Castillo fight, I watched for everything, slurred speech and things like that," Shaw said. "But this is a fight that if you saw it the first time, you want to see again. If you missed it, you have to see it. There's a guarantee these guys will put on the same fight as they did the first time." |
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