Cuban, Diaz want fight with Pacquiao
By NICK GIONGCO and JOSEPH LARIOSA
Manila Bulletin, Friday October 12, 2007
JOEL CASAMAYOR, the Cuban lightweight who is luring Manny Pacquiao for a megabuck match next year, branded trainer Freddie Roach as a failed boxer, while American David Diaz, the reigning WBC lightweight champion, has welcomed a projected bout with the General Santos slugger.
Casamayor is scheduled to battle Jose Armando Sta. Cruz next month for the World Boxing Council interim lightweight title in New York and, and , in an effort to draw attention, the 36-year-old 1992 Barcelona Olympics bantamweight gold medalist tagged Roach as a second-rate campaigner during his heydays.
"He (Roach) started to talk a lot of trash on me," Casamayor told *********.com in a break in training in Southern California. "He said I am washed up. Come over and prove it. He is lucky I don’t have a time machine and go back 70 years and dispose of him, too. I guess he forgot about what a mediocre fighter he was."
Casamayor, nicknamed El Cepillo, then trained his pistol on Pacquiao, the man who he craves so much.
"I would like Golden Boy (Promotions) to sign me a contract to get a big fight with Manny Pacquiao. I want Manny Pacquiao to step up the plate and show the world who the real lightweight champion of the world is. That is the only guy I would have in mind."
After outgunning Marco Antonio Barrera in Las Vegas over the weekend, Pacquiao spoke about the possibility of leaving the super-feather ranks of 130 lbs and go after the big boys at lightweight, which is for fighters 135 lbs and below.
When Pacquiao divulged his desire to challenge for the lightweight crown, he mentioned Diaz as a possible foe and this irked Casamayor even further.
Casamayor, the same boxer who knocked out Roberto Jalnaiz in just two minutes in the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Olympics, had logged almost 400 amateur fights, losing only a little over 30 matches, before turning professional.
Casamayor currently holds a pro record of 34-3-1 win-loss-draw slate with 21 knockouts. He hasn’t been stopped and his three losses were all on points to the late Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo and the now-retired Acelino Freitas.
For Diaz, the 31year-old ex-Olympian said he will fight Pacquiao if the prize is right, saying that he is willing to face the Filipino anywhere in the world.
Diaz’s Chicago-based manager, Jim Strickland, also looked forward to a possible clash between his boxer and Pacquiao.
"A fight with Pacquiao should generate a lot of money (for both sides). We need the money at this time. If we were able to generate interest in the Diaz-Erik Morales fight last August in Chicago, this one should have a similar interest" Strickland said
But if Pacquiao decides on fighting at the 130-pound limit, he is likely to face the winner of the WBA-WBO champion Juan Diaz and IBF champion Julio Diaz lightweight unification fight on Oct. 13 in this city.
The winner between HBO Joan Guzman (27-0) of Dominican Republic and Mexican Humberto Soto (42-5-2) on Nov. 17 also has chance to face Pacquiao. Also, the winner between WBC super featherweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez (47-3-1 with 35 KOs record) and Mexican-American super featherweight contender Rocky Juarez (27-3 and 19 KOs) on Nov. 3 in Arizona will also be considered.
By NICK GIONGCO and JOSEPH LARIOSA
Manila Bulletin, Friday October 12, 2007
JOEL CASAMAYOR, the Cuban lightweight who is luring Manny Pacquiao for a megabuck match next year, branded trainer Freddie Roach as a failed boxer, while American David Diaz, the reigning WBC lightweight champion, has welcomed a projected bout with the General Santos slugger.
Casamayor is scheduled to battle Jose Armando Sta. Cruz next month for the World Boxing Council interim lightweight title in New York and, and , in an effort to draw attention, the 36-year-old 1992 Barcelona Olympics bantamweight gold medalist tagged Roach as a second-rate campaigner during his heydays.
"He (Roach) started to talk a lot of trash on me," Casamayor told *********.com in a break in training in Southern California. "He said I am washed up. Come over and prove it. He is lucky I don’t have a time machine and go back 70 years and dispose of him, too. I guess he forgot about what a mediocre fighter he was."
Casamayor, nicknamed El Cepillo, then trained his pistol on Pacquiao, the man who he craves so much.
"I would like Golden Boy (Promotions) to sign me a contract to get a big fight with Manny Pacquiao. I want Manny Pacquiao to step up the plate and show the world who the real lightweight champion of the world is. That is the only guy I would have in mind."
After outgunning Marco Antonio Barrera in Las Vegas over the weekend, Pacquiao spoke about the possibility of leaving the super-feather ranks of 130 lbs and go after the big boys at lightweight, which is for fighters 135 lbs and below.
When Pacquiao divulged his desire to challenge for the lightweight crown, he mentioned Diaz as a possible foe and this irked Casamayor even further.
Casamayor, the same boxer who knocked out Roberto Jalnaiz in just two minutes in the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Olympics, had logged almost 400 amateur fights, losing only a little over 30 matches, before turning professional.
Casamayor currently holds a pro record of 34-3-1 win-loss-draw slate with 21 knockouts. He hasn’t been stopped and his three losses were all on points to the late Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo and the now-retired Acelino Freitas.
For Diaz, the 31year-old ex-Olympian said he will fight Pacquiao if the prize is right, saying that he is willing to face the Filipino anywhere in the world.
Diaz’s Chicago-based manager, Jim Strickland, also looked forward to a possible clash between his boxer and Pacquiao.
"A fight with Pacquiao should generate a lot of money (for both sides). We need the money at this time. If we were able to generate interest in the Diaz-Erik Morales fight last August in Chicago, this one should have a similar interest" Strickland said
But if Pacquiao decides on fighting at the 130-pound limit, he is likely to face the winner of the WBA-WBO champion Juan Diaz and IBF champion Julio Diaz lightweight unification fight on Oct. 13 in this city.
The winner between HBO Joan Guzman (27-0) of Dominican Republic and Mexican Humberto Soto (42-5-2) on Nov. 17 also has chance to face Pacquiao. Also, the winner between WBC super featherweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez (47-3-1 with 35 KOs record) and Mexican-American super featherweight contender Rocky Juarez (27-3 and 19 KOs) on Nov. 3 in Arizona will also be considered.
Comment