By Rusty Rubin, managing editor, of Ringsports.com, and author of “Off the Canvas”, a historically accurate view of American history and the social problems of the times, as witnessed by an 80-year old ex-champion. “Off the Canvas” takes you from the time of the Great Depression till the World Trade Center disaster and is a book that has been getting rave reviews. Copies are $15.00 each available at Ringsports.com and on-line major book retailers. For a list of the reviews please contact me.***

This week's big fight comes from Las Vegas, where Diego Corrales goes into a title go against Jose Luis Castillo in what promises to be a great match-up for fight fans. The fight is on Showtime and is definitely worth a look-see.

Castillo, a veteran fighter is slow to get out of the gate, but once he does, he’s hard to control. Problem for Corrales is he’s a slow starter also, which neutralizes that advantage.

Corrales, the Los Angeles based World Boxing Hall of Fame ‘Fighter of the Year’ in 2004, although considerably taller, only has a one inch reach advantage, and Castillo tends to swell around the eyes and cut on occasion.

Word has it that Diego has some personal problems and if true, he can’t let that keep his mind off business. Castillo is a tough cookie and has more experience then Corrales. They’ve both fought tough opponents, so that becomes a wash.

Okay, the job here is to pick a winner, and it’s not an easy task. You can flip a coin and have about as good a chance of winning this one as not. I’ll take the guy with the bigger reach against the guy who may have some pretty badly cut and swollen eyes at fights end.

Corrales by a very close decision.

Agree or disagree, I always welcome comments.

My good friend Stephen B. Acunto, who founded the American Association for the Improvement of Boxing, along with Rocky Marciano, now has his book “Champions Boxing Guide” available in Spanish. For details visit Steve’s website: AAIB.org

Please help me with my upcoming new book. Send all boxing jokes, stories, quips and boxing oddities to (Rusty@ringsports.com), thanks, and members of the boxing media are free to send this most welcome information as well. All submissions used will be given full credit, if used in the book, and it will be given on who submits the story first, basis. Here’s your chance to have your name in print, instead of ‘America’s Most Wanted’ posters.***

Agree or disagree, feel free to express your views.

Glove2Glove:

Prayers for the soul of the mother of boxing guy and friend, Fred Ryan of Portland, OR. Fred’s mom passed away over the past weekend.

Also prayers for the soul of the mother of boxing scribe Keith Terciera, who passes away on May 2, after a long illness.

Prayers for Crystal Platzner, wife of boxing good guy, Harrin. Crys underwent some serious surgery and your prayers for a complete recovery seem to have been answered, as Harrin reports the surgery was a complete success.

Prayers for boxing promoter and all around good guy Clem Crowley who could use a push in the get well ranks just about now.

Dub Harris, WWII hero and founder and past President of the World Boxing Hall of Fame has suffered a stroke in Southern California. Please pray for his quick return to health.***

Prayers needed for the return to health of Alfonso Luna, father of our outstanding photographer Ray Luna, who has taken ill in Southern California.

Please say prayers for the return to health of Helen Wambolt, wife of our East Coast World Boxing Hall of Fame writer Danny Wambolt. Cards will also be most welcome.***

Please say prayers for the return to health of Orazio Esposito, father of our photographer Richard Esposito.***

Sandy Johnson a great gal as well as a staff member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission is fighting breast cancer. A call, e-mail or card, along with your prayers would really do a lot to raise the spirits of an old friend.***

Special prayers go out to Mills Lane for his complete recovery. Mills, who moved from Reno to New York, suffered a stroke a few years back. He may be down, but knowing him personally, he’s far from out.***

Prayers for the return to health of Don Donelson, father of writer Tom, and Gene Sebastian, brother of former middleweight champ Billy Soose. Both are suffering from congestive heart disease.

Please say prayers for Phill Grazide of Santa Rosa, CA. a big supporter of amateur boxing, who is suffering the crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis.***

Needless to say we need prayers for the return to health of both former champs Greg Page and Gerald McClellan, both confined to wheelchairs.***

Glove2Glove is a non-denominational group set up to aide those boxing folks and their relatives in need of prayers and cards. We accept no money and only contact our members when someone is in need. It’s free to join. Simply send us your e-mail address. And even if you’re not a member, feel free to contact us if you are aware of some boxing person in need.***

Touching on politics briefly: A lot of people have asked me about the ‘nuclear option’ a straight up and down majority vote on judicial nominees that is being considered by the US Senate.

What’s wrong with it? Isn’t America governed by majority rule? Yes, but the party in power wants to change the rules mid-stream, and that does not bode well for our democracy which relies on the checks and balances system of government. The filibuster, which the Democrats threaten on these nominees is within their legal rights and it’s the only way to prevent bad nominees from getting appointed to judgeships.

I’m not calling the President’s choices for these offices poor, I have no reason to do so. But obviously, the minority party, does have some reasons or these judges would be approved without any problems, as 95% of the President’s nominees already have been.

The danger of changing rules in mid-stream is all to obvious, and gives an advantage to the party in power, with no recourse by the minority, and that’s where the dangers lie, far more so I feel than the appointment of these ten Appeals Court Judges.

Majority rule is fair, but not so when the minority has no say at all in the qualifications of these judges who will be serving on the bench for life. Stacking the court can be very dangerous, because if there’s an up and down vote, there would be no purpose in having hearings, the President’s choice would just be rubber stamped.

This friends, is the true danger of a lame duck President. He can stack the deck for future generations, he can pardon criminals and repay his friends for favors they did during his tenure in the White House. The Dems do this as good as the Republicans do, but stacking the deck, as the nuclear option would allow for is asking for trouble, big-time.

And for the record, this is one good reason why we shouldn’t allow term limits, but I can also give you plenty of reasons why we should.

For the record, contrary to popular beliefs, I am not a radical liberal or a wild-eyed conservative, although in truth I have been called both. I prefer to think of myself as a moderate who takes one issue at a time and tries to deal with it on a sensible basis. Some of my ideas may seem radical to the left, or a bit over the edge to the right, but every issue is something that I view differently, and I think in truth, everyone else should as well. Nothing wrong with being a free thinker. This world needs a lot more of them.

Agree or disagree, I’d like to hear from you (Rusty@ringsports.com), and feel free to pass this along to your representatives, most of whom aren’t really your representatives anyhow.