By Rick Reeno
 
In 2001, Diego Corrales was knocked down five times by Floyd Mayweather and stopped in 10 rounds when his corner threw in the towel. Most experts thought Corrales' days as a top contender were over for good, that Corrales was exposed. The experts have never been so wrong. Due to personal issues outside of the ring, Corrales would not enter the ring again until 2003. Corrales went on to fight 5 times in 2003. He knocked out four of the opponents and was stopped in 6 rounds by Joel Casamayor when the ring doctor felt a cut in Diego's mouth was too severe to let the fight go on any further. The fight was exciting and saw both fighters hitting the deck in the fourth round, a rematch was demanded. 
 
In 2004, it was a banner year for Corrales. He avenged his loss to Joel Casamayor by winning a 12 round unanimous decision and picked up the WBO super featherweight title. He then moved up to 135 pounds and upset the undefeated Acelino Freitas to win the WBO lightweight title. Corrales' win over Freitas shocked the boxing world. After winning the boxing match for the first seven rounds by out-hustling his opponent, Freitas would see the beginning of the end, start in the eight round. Freitas was dropped once in the eight, once in the ninth and after the third knockdown in the tenth, Freitas shockingly quit the fight by telling the referee Michael Ortega that he did not want to continue.
 
It all came down to a single fight in 2005, when Corrales challenged the WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo to a unification showdown. Most saw the bout as a fight of the year candidate. Not one person could of predicted that after the fight, the bout would end up being called the fight of the century. Both men went toe to toe in brutal fashion from the opening bell and fought most of the war at close range. After being knocked down twice by Castillo in the tenth round, it appeared to be the end for Castillo.
 
Then the unthinkable happened. Underestimating how hurt Corrales actually was, Castillo went in for the kill and got caught with a huge right hand. Corrales would follow up with a monster left that sent Castillo into the ropes. After a short exchange, Castillo was backed into the ropes by more hard shots from Corrales. Once Corrales had Castillo against the ropes, he began to fire devastating punches to a very hurt and defenseless Castillo. Seeing that Castillo was out on his feet, referee Tony Weeks jumped in to save Castillo and stopped the fight.
 
After a fight so grand, there was an immediate outcry by the public for a rematch. The public's demand was satisfied when a press conference was held to announce a rematch between both men on October 8, at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. The bout will be the main event of pay per view that is backed by a great undercard.
 
BoxingScene sat down with Corrales to discuss the first Castillo bout, the rematch, Erik Morales, Floyd Mayweather and much more.
 
BoxingScene.com: Did you ever think after the loss to Floyd Mayweather and all of the personal problems that ensured afterwards, that you would get yourself back to this level and become bigger than ever?
 
Diego Corrales: I knew I would make it back. I mean, there was no way that I was ever going to give up. I always felt that I had a chance to get back. You never expect things to go like this. This is kind of crazy. I'm bigger and I'm better than I was before. It' cool, I knew I would come back though.
 
BoxingScene.com: I know that most people agree that you were not in proper state of mind when you lost to Floyd Mayweather, especially with all of the personal problems that were going on in your life at the time. Is a rematch with Mayweather a long term goal for you?
 
Diego Corrales: I'll tell you the truth. I want that rematch, absolutely. But is that my long term goal? No. My life and my career revolve around something different. My long term goal is to show everybody in the world that no matter what you do or what happens to you, you can become anything. Now I'm fighting for something different. Now it's all about showing what I've been through and where I got back to. How far I can come. Showing that I can overcome anything. That is the best thing in the world to say, "you know what, here I am." Everybody counted me out. Everybody said I couldn't do it. There is no way that I can come back from what I came back from. But, I'm still here.
 
BoxingScene.com: Do you think that because you have been fighting the best fighters in your division in back to back fashion, people are finally starting to move on from the loss to Floyd Mayweather and realizing that you are not the same fighter that you were back then?
 
Diego Corrales: Absolutely. I think everybody does and the ones that don't, they will realize soon enough. I know what I'm going to do and I know what I'm capable of doing. Now all it is, is showing the world what I'm capable of doing. It's going out there and making everybody see that I am one of the best fighters out there.
 
BoxingScene.com: Who would you say gave you the most trouble in the ring, other than Mayweather? It appeared that Joel Casamayor gave you and Castillo some fits.
 
Diego Corrales: Cas is Class. He is a very, very crafty boxer and that in itself makes him very difficult to deal with. And not to mention that he does have a little bit of pop. Both me and Castillo said the same thing, the guy punches a little bit harder than people think. People really don't give him a lot of credit for his punching ability. He's a headache. 
 
BoxingScene.com: Do you think people also underestimate his hand speed?
 
Diego Corrales: You know what, it's his timing. Not his hand speed, it's his timing. His damn timing, he throws a combo shot and you start think where it came from. Next thing you know you are getting with some shots that you never saw coming.
 
BoxingScene.com: Not to look past the bout with Castillo, but after the next fight, would Acelino Freitas be the next opponent for you in a rematch? Is there an option for them to exercise for a fight with the winner?
 
Diego Corrales: No, there is no option for him to exercise. Not at all. I mean, why would he even want to. I don't believe that he even wants to. They (Freitas camp) say he wants to, but I don't see it. I made the guy quit. How could he even say that he wants to do it again?
 
BoxingScene.com: Maybe he can't walk the streets of Brazil.
 
Diego Corrales: (laughing) That could be enough to make a person want to do it then. You might be right. I don't know. Honestly, I can't look past Castillo and I know that my job lies with Castillo. So all I can say is, whatever happens after the fight is whatever happens after the fight. I can't see anything past it. I know what I have to do and Castillo was a tough customer to deal with. I have a job on my hands and I have no idea who will be after that. Whoever wants to, I don't care. I have an open door policy. Whoever wants some, can come get some.
 
BoxingScene.com: Do you ever see yourself going up to junior welterweight and chasing some of those seven figure opponents up there?
 
Diego Corrales: Would I ever go to 140? I mean, I think 140 would be cool, but there is so much for me to do right now. Honestly, there is so much that I have to do first. I have to take care of so many names out there. You have Erik Morales out there, a possibility with Marco Antonio Barrera. There are too many people there right now for me to go. And I can't leave and have anybody say, "well, Diego left the division and he didn't fight everybody."
 
BoxingScene.com: What's your comment to Erik Morales saying that Manny Pacquiao would be his last opponent at 130 and that he wants the winner of your fight with Castillo?
 
Diego Corrales: You know, hey, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. It don't bother me at all.
 
BoxingScene.com: Some experts have said that Morales may bite off a little more than he could chew if he decides to move up and fight you or Castillo. The general feeling is that he is not strong enough to compete with you guys. What's your take?
 
Diego Corrales: You have to look at Erik and see what he did when he fought (Manny) Pacquiao. That was a perfect performance on Erik's part. You can never count out a guy like that. Erik is too much of a veteran. Erik is slick and a very smart ring savvy man. Those things make a difference. The strength, I don't believe that he is as strong as me or Castillo, but I do believe that he is smart enough to handle either one of us.
 
BoxingScene.com: Going back to the fight with Jose Luis Castillo, is there anything that you would have done different or would you have played it out the same exact way?
 
Diego Corrales: I would have played it out exactly the same way. I mean that was, you couldn't have had a script better than that. That was my pride, my everything and it was me doing it my way. It was awesome. I couldn't see doing anything different. I think if I do anything different, the fight would not meet the standard and make the kind of impression that it made.
 
BoxingScene.com: Going into the final round. You were down two times. After the second knockdown, did you feel the fight was close enough where you felt that you needed a knockout in order to win the fight?
 
Diego Corrales: No, actually you know what went through my mind? I was like ok. I was cool, I said let me sit back. I felt good. I felt clear. I was much clearer after the second knockdown than after the first one. I was like you know what, let's get in there and get it right back together and take care of this fight. I knew that I needed a knockdown to maybe secure it and I was hurting the guy. So I knew there would be chances to hurt the guy, knock the guy down or possibly stop him, but I didn't think it would happen like that.
 
BoxingScene.com: Do you think he may underestimated you a little bit by chasing a puncher around like that?
 
Diego Corrales: I think he might have. I think he might have underestimated my punch. I think he may of felt that I wasn't as strong as I was. He found out otherwise.
 
BoxingScene.com: Going into the rematch. Do you think there is pressure on both of you guys to play out a copycat script of the first fight?
 
Diego Corrales: Well, I don't feel any pressure. I don't know what he feels. It's a little different and each person is different. He might, I don't feel any pressure. I feel you know, totally comfortable knowing that I have to go out there and win this fight. I know that here I am and performances are everything and I need to have a great performance.
 
BoxingScene.com: What about Castillo surprised you in the fight or gave you the most trouble?
 
Diego Corrales: Well, actually I shocked at how damn tough he was. The guy was unbelievably tough. No matter what you did, you could hit the guy with a sledgehammer and he wasn't going anywhere. I've never faced anybody that could do that before.
 
BoxingScene.com: I know that you said at the press conference and put it on record, that you will do everything in your power, even die in the ring, in order to win this fight?
 
Diego Corrales: Yeah. That's true. That is the honest truth. Yes I will. I refuse to let him the division back. I've taken the division and done so much. I can't let him have it back. It's mine now. I'm not letting him have it back and I will die in that ring before I give it back.
 
BoxingScene.com: How do you feel about the comparisons to the legendary Thomas Hearns? Does is make you feel good to get compared so often to such a great fighter?
 
Diego Corrales: Yeah, it feels great to even be brought up in the same breath as Tommy Hearns. These guys are like royalty in boxing, these guys are links kings of the sport. The people of that era were phenomenal and molded boxing into what it is today. They are the reason that people like myself can take full advantage of the earnings, the fans and everything. Just everything, they have molded boxing into what it is today. To even be brought up in the same sentence as these guys is awesome.
 
BoxingScene.com: In closing, what would you like to say to the people counting down the days on their calendar and patiently waiting for you and Castillo to get it on in the rematch?
 
Diego Corrales: Don't miss it! It will be as good as the first fight. I honesty think this fight will be as good as the first fight. This is going to be one of the best fights. It's going to be a repeat all over again.