By Brent Matteo Alderson
Joel Casamayor has had a stellar boxing career. He won a Gold Medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, won the WBA 130-pound title, and currently holds the linear lightweight world championship. In compiling a solid 36-3-1 record that has entailed bouts with Acelino Freitas, Diego Corrales, and a prime Jose Luis Castillo - it’s clear that “el Cepillo” should be considered the most successful prize fighter to come out of Cuba since Jose Napoles immigrated to Mexico. All three of Casamayor's defeats have been by close razor-thin decisions and he has consistently fought and been successful against a high caliber of opposition.
The problem with Casamayor is that he’s 37-years old and during the course of the last three years it has become apparent that he’s past his prime. In his last bout against the very capable yet limited Michael Katsidis, Casamayor had to score an uncharacteristic late round knockout to salvage a victory.