By Jake Donovan
As the fighting Diaz lightweights (Juan, Julio and David) inch closer toward deciding who is the best Diaz in the lightweight division, another question arises: will the winner also determine who is the best lightweight in the world?
Some, in fact, many argue that such distinction belongs to Joel Casamayor. The Ring magazine ranks him as their lightweight champion, by virtue of beating the late Diego "Chico" Corrales in their rubber match last October. Corrales won their version of the title with a 10 th round TKO of Jose Luis Castillo in a May 2005 bout not only among the greatest of all time, but also the last time two fighters contending for the magazine's belt actually made the lightweight limit.
Corrales himself weighed in well over the limit for the Casamayor rubber match. The magazine, along with the WBC, whose title was also on the line, both made the determination that the belt was only on the line for Casamayor, whereas a Corrales win would render the title vacant. Casamayor won a split decision, thus making the latter scenario a moot point.
What the Cuban also made was a mess of the lightweight picture, having not fought since then. The reasons and excuses for the period of inactivity vary depending on which version you believe. What's not quite as open to interpretation is the fact that the rest of the division has been carrying their load in his absence.
So the question is, how much weight should being the champion hold?
If divisions were merely ranked from number one down, rather than starting with a champion at top, then the debate would rage on as to who deserves the top spot. Sure, Casamayor defeated Corrales in his last fight. Corrales weighed in 139½ lb. for a lightweight fight. Those who long for the old days of one champion, one division, would also have to recognize that such a fight would be recognized as an over-the-weight non-title affair.
But even including his last win as a lightweight achievement, it's not as if Casamayor's prior resume qualifies him for the top spot by default. Heading into the Corrales rubber match, Casamayor was 3-1-1 in his last five at lightweight, following a decision loss to Corrales in a fight that proved to be the last at 130 for both fighters.
His 3 wins were perceived tune-ups, and even at that, he spent much of his bout with Daniel Seda in retreat after the two exchanged knockdowns midway through. Wins over Antonio Ramirez and Lamont Pearson did little more than allow Casamayor to mark time while making his next move.
There's certainly no shame in narrowly losing to the December 2004 version of Castillo (The Ring and WBC champ at the time), as well as fighting then-unbeaten Almazbek Raiymkulov to a draw six months later. But neither outcome should propel one up the rankings.
So we're left with his win over Corrales. It's also where Casamayor last left off as an active fighter.
Barring injuries (which considering the latest stretch of postponements is asking a lot), Casamayor will end a 13-month hiatus in November, when he faces Jose Armando Santa Cruz in the chief support on the Miguel Cotto-Shane Mosley PPV card. Santa Cruz has won two straight against pedestrian opposition since his heartbreaking stoppage loss against David Diaz last August. Emphasis on "loss", as Santa Cruz has done nothing since then to earn a shot at the linear title many claim Casamayor to presently own.
David Diaz appeared to have done enough – after all he was the guy that won the fight. It was that fight that qualified him as the mandatory challenger to the alphabet title Casamayor would acquire with his subsequent win over Corrales.
For whatever reason, though, Diaz was dismissed as an unworthy challenge.
"I don't know what went wrong," wonders the Chicago native. "I beat Santa Cruz, and was told that I would get the winner of the third fight between Casamayor and Corrales, God rest his soul. Casamayor won, we were supposed to fight, but he never showed any interest. We agreed to the fight; he didn't. I guess he had other ideas."
Apparently he did. It was around that time that Casamayor pursued a long overdue rematch with Acelino Freitas, who won a controversial decision in their 2002 junior lightweight battle. Only neither Showtime nor HBO expressed any interest in such a bout. One bout that was discussed on Showtime was a battle between Casamayor and undefeated, rising star Juan Diaz, who was ready to pursue the top lightweights after signing with Don King late in 2006.
Juan was interested in the fight, only to find that Team Casamayor was dissatisfied with the money being offered, instead entertaining the idea of an alphabet unification match with Freitas. Showtime passed. HBO compromised; they instead matched Diaz and Freitas together in April, leaving Casamayor as the odd man out.
Due to his negotiating another fight while allowing the period to secure a mandatory defense expire, Casamayor found himself without a belt in Alphabet City, while Juan rolled to the biggest win of his career, forcing Freitas to quit on his stool after eight rounds.
So began the lightweight debate.
If Casamayor was still regarded as the man to beat, then the Frietas win made Juan Diaz number two with a bullet. Not one to settle for second place, Juan ordered his handlers to secure the fights necessary for their charge to lay claim as the best lightweight in the world.
It continues in October, when Juan Diaz faces Julio Diaz in about appropriately titled "El Dia de los Diaz" (The Day of the Diaz'). More so than a battle where the winner takes one step closer toward the top spot, Juan considers it a long time coming.
"Julio's been calling me out since last year," says Juan, who celebrated his 24th birthday Monday. "He kept insisting I put the books down, stop being a baby and take the fight.
"So now I'm taking advantage of this opportunity, to prove to him that it's a bad idea to call me out. I've never had a guy talk so much trash about me like that. Now that I'm entering my prime, I'm more than ready for this challenge. I'm going in very strong mentally and physically, and using his words as a great motivator."
Fittingly enough, the bout takes place in Chicago, hometown to the division's third Diaz – David. The same town that played host to David's spirited unanimous decision over faded future Hall of Famer Erik Morales.
While he admits the win over today's version of Morales is no longer grounds to demand a spot atop the division, David believes the string of Windy City lightweight fights can only enhance the present debate of who's number one.
"I think it's great for the city. I admit, before my fight with Morales and even the Santa Cruz fight, I was known around the neighborhood, but not confused with the best of the best. But after these last two fights, especially Morales taking place here, my name's starting to ring out more and more. With the other two Diaz' coming to town, it can only be good for the city, and for myself. Hopefully I get the winner, where we can put all four belts on the line, or whatever number there are incase somebody happens to get stripped.
At least one other Diaz agrees.
"I think it's great – and kind of funny - that there are three Diaz' are in the same division. People want to see who the real Diaz is. We all have titles. Even if people believe that Casamayor is the champ, how can you give him credit when he's not fighting anybody? The same magazine that claims he's a champ also has all three Diaz' as the top three in the division. If we're all fighting each other, and he's not fighting anyone, how can he still claim to be the best?"
It's a question that requires an answer, though one that remains a hypothetical scenario for the moment. The top spot is still very much up for grabs, and chances are that one Diaz-Diaz match will not be immediately followed by another. Chances are the winner of the October 13 "dia de los Diaz" battle will either be stripped of at least one alphabet title, or forced to make a mandatory or two before facing the opponent of their choice.
Even if the latter is forced upon the winner, it can only strengthen the argument for the last man standing. Undefeated all-action warrior Michael Katsidis represents the mandatory challenger for one of the belts on the line. One condition that comes with the Diaz-Diaz bout is that the winner agrees no later than ten days after the fight to terms with a bout against Katsidis, to take place no later than 120 days following the fight (which would be February 9, 2008, for those without a calendar handy).
There's certainly no harm in a Diaz-Katsidis bout, whether it's Juan or Julio. Though recent rumors have DAVID Diaz possibly stepping in to face Katsidis in about that would headline a January 2008 HBO Boxing After Dark telecast. It's a bout David welcomes. Then again, he would welcome ANY bout that places him in the ring.
"I hated that the whole mess with Casamayor kept me out of the ring for almost a year. In a way, it was a blessing because when he wavered, Erik Morales stepped in. A win over Casamayor may go a little further in the lightweight division, but beating Morales helped put my name out there.
"I really don't care who I fight next. I'd love the winner of Diaz-Diaz, but will fight anyone they say I need to fight in order to prove myself. I never had a problem with that. What I do have a problem with is another forced layoff. Luckily, unlike Casamayor these days, we now have other top lightweights always willing to fight the best."
Which would bring us to the next mandatory challenger in line for the winner of Juan-Julio Diaz: Nate Campbell , who has patiently waited for a fight with Julio Diaz to materialize, or even a rematch with Casamayor (who narrowly defeated Campbell in 2003, resulting in Nate's first professional loss).
The Windy City played a part in positioning Campbell toward such a fight, as he tore through Matt Zegan in their IBF eliminator last October at the Allstate Arena. Campbell liked Chicago – and the thought of a Diaz fight – so much that he's decided to come back to town, as he appears on the undercard in a stay busy bout versus Humberto Toledo.
With Casamayor-Santa Cruz slated for November, some sort of final four will have to emerge from David Diaz, Campbell, Katsidis and the dia de los Diaz victor. One thing is for certain, none are interested in following Casamayor's lead and sit on their hands.
"All I ask from all of this is I fight someone early next year," insists David. "I went through enough problems early in my career. That part of my career is behind me. I'm 31 years old, finally near the top of the division, and want to keep moving forward. I don't want to stop once I hit the top, I want to prove for a long time that I'm the best.
Maybe a day will come when I have to prove it against Joel Casamayor, but I'll tell you what – if I'm getting to the top by fighting beating guys like the winner of Diaz-Diaz, Katsidis, Campbell or whoever else, then it will come to the point where Casamayor will need me, not the other way around. He had his chance to fight me, to get me out of the way, and he turned down the fight. Now I have the belt, defended it, and looking to fight the other best fighters in the division, while he's out fighting guys I beat. It's not my problem that he let himself wind up with the short end of the stick. Just don't come back with talk about you're the best and I need you, when I'm the one in the thick of things."
Juan Diaz echoes such sentiments – to a point.
"When I beat Freitas last April, I became a unified champion. Max Kellerman and others can say what they want about belts. But what they can't deny is that I'm going out of my way to fight the best. I wanted Casamayor, he didn't make himself available; I took on the guy who beat him, Freitas. I beat him, now I'm taking on Julio Diaz. After that, I want David Diaz because that will give me all four titles, which nobody else in the sport can claim right now, or no other lightweight in history.
"If after all of that, people still say that I have to beat Casamayor to remove any doubt, then that's fine, bring it on. I have no problem showing him or anyone else that I am the true champion. All I ask is that if and when that day comes where the two of us collide, people see what he's done – or hasn't done – while I'm out there beating all of the top lightweights. Winning fights against all of the top contenders has to count for something."
It should for those who long for a system where you can only become the best by beating the best, and a champion is defined by taking on all comers.
O-SCAR - THE MAGAZINE… OWNER
It appears that nothing can stop or even slow down the corporate monopoly that has become Golden Boy Enterprises. Sports and Entertainment Publishing, LLC, an autonomous member of the GBE Family, acquired the rights to The Ring magazine among other publications under the umbrella of Kappa Publishing Group, Inc., it was announced last week.
Debates raged within minutes of the news, chief among the concern was that de la Hoya would use his newfound position of power to compromise content in forthcoming issues of The Ring and its sister publications. Such concerns prompted statements from both Golden Boy Promotions (via press release) and The Ring magazine (Editor-In-Chief Nigel Collins voicing his opinion in his most recent online "Letter from the Editor" column), dismissing potential conflicts of interest under the latest alignment.
"We have a very skilled and capable team at The Ring, headed by Publisher Stu Saks and Editor-in-Chief Nigel Collins, and I have all the confidence that these magazines will not only continue to prosper, but in fact grow globally," said de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Enterprises. "These magazines will be held in an editorial trust where they will be operating totally independent of any influence from me or others from the Golden Boy Companies as it relates to editorial direction or content."
Collins insists that as long as he remains in charge, the only changes that will come about will be for the better. No Golden Boy Ring championships, no "Top 10 Reasons Why The World Awaits Mayweather-de la Hoya II." No truth to the rumor that their pound-for-pound rankings will become Oro-de-Oro and instead rank the richest fighters in the world.
For what it's worth, Collins strikes most, if not all, boxing insiders as a stand-up guy, one whose word and a handshake would be more binding than most written contracts. It is in that spirit that reservations should be set aside at least for the immediate future, and see how everything plays out.
One point of concern, however: when approached with the question of why de la Hoya and Bernard Hopkins (The Ring's reigning light heavyweight champion) have taken a more active cause in promoting The Ring championship, Collins was recently quoted by former Ring managing editor and current MaxBoxing.com contributor Eric Raskin with the following:
"I honestly believe that Oscar and Bernard and the whole Golden Boy outfit are turning more toward The Ring championship policy because they honestly feel that it's good for boxing… I really don't feel that a world champion should have to pay money to defend his title. It's preposterous. And I think that we are philosophically aligned on that to a large degree. I think it's more a philosophical agreement on how things should be in boxing—and I think the agreement in philosophy came before the sale of the magazine, not afterward."
As alluded to earlier, I do not hesitate in believing that Collins believes it to be true. Perhaps Hopkins has in fact changed his ways over the years, putting more stock (figuratively speaking, of course) into the policy than has been the case in the past.
But Oscar? Perhaps I'll co-sign on Collins' belief the day GBP ceases with references to their president as a ten-time world champion in six different weight classes. Or Collins calling his new boss on such a statement, whichever comes first. (My money's on the latter)
FIGHTING IN SEPTEMBER
I thought my eyes were deceiving me when I saw Jorge Arce in a Las Vegas boxing ring Sunday night. Perhaps it was just an exhibition fight, a way for Arce and his fellow Mexican pugilists to pass time while celebrating Mexican Independence Day. Anything but an official prizefight. At least not in September, the month of postponements and cancellations.
But alas, it was in fact Mexico's favorite Big Brother, five months removed from a humiliating points loss to top junior bantamweight contender Cristian Mijares, testing the bantamweight waters against fringe contender Tomas Rojas in the main event of a Top Rank card aired live on TV Azteca.
Arce was dominant, though not overly spectacular, in taking out Rojas a minute into the sixth round of their scheduled twelve. A tiger won't change his stripes, and the bloodthirsty Arce will never be confused with Willie Pep or Pernell Whitaker in terms of pure boxing skills. But at last glance, there was no law against blocking an occasional punch with something other than your face.
Rumors of a potential Arce-Martin Castillo showdown have re-surfaced. Whether or not that bout ever materializes remains to be seen. One decision Arce will be forced to make in the near future, is at which division he plans on campaigning. Since vacating his linear junior flyweight crown in late in 2004, the diminutive slugger hasn't spent longer than eighteen months at any given weight class. Bantamweight didn't seem like a good fit. Then again, neither did eating punches all night from Mijares, still very much a major player at 115.
Junior flyweight is most certainly a good fit for Edgar Sosa, who dominated battle-tested Lorenzo Trejo in the ninth round of their co-feature. Sosa became the father of a healthy baby boy just two days prior, making the win double the pleasure this weekend.
For boxing fans, it was a pleasure to see a fight air on stateside television in September.
Jake Donovan’s column runs every Tuesday on BoxingScene.com. In addition to his contributions as a writer, Jake is also licensed as a manager, promoter and judge (ABC certified), and is a member of the Tennessee Boxing Advisory Board. He may be reached for questions and comments at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.