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When Jose Luis Castillo and Diego Corrales conclude their trilogy at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, their places in boxing lore will finally be realized.
Great trilogies typically involve two memorable fights with a forgettable one sandwiched in between. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier’s first and third fights are all-time classics, while the second pales in comparison. More recently, the first and the third fights of the Barrera/Morales and Gatti/Ward trilogies were “Fights of the Year”, while the second bouts never reached these heights.
Corrales and Castillo’s first bout supersedes any laudatory adjective. Their rematch, much like the aforementioned trilogies, was utterly forgettable, if not for all of the controversy surrounding Castillo’s inability to make weight. In the third meeting, their place in trilogy history hangs in the balance.
Fair or not, the third bout often dictates the greatness of a trilogy. It is part of our “what have you done for me lately” mentality. After Castillo disgraced the sport last October, when his camp attempted to manipulate the scales, a sour taste permeated the taste buds of boxing fans. It was another reason for the main****** media to boycott what had been a heavily hyped promotion. The memory of their first bout faded, and the “weight-gate” scandal had come to represent their rivalry.
Still, the memory of their last bout has not completely damaged the anticipation of their upcoming contest. Ticket sales are brisk, message boards are abuzz, and the bout can be seen on Showtime, instead of paying a $50 dollar pay-per-view fee. [details]
Great trilogies typically involve two memorable fights with a forgettable one sandwiched in between. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier’s first and third fights are all-time classics, while the second pales in comparison. More recently, the first and the third fights of the Barrera/Morales and Gatti/Ward trilogies were “Fights of the Year”, while the second bouts never reached these heights.
Corrales and Castillo’s first bout supersedes any laudatory adjective. Their rematch, much like the aforementioned trilogies, was utterly forgettable, if not for all of the controversy surrounding Castillo’s inability to make weight. In the third meeting, their place in trilogy history hangs in the balance.
Fair or not, the third bout often dictates the greatness of a trilogy. It is part of our “what have you done for me lately” mentality. After Castillo disgraced the sport last October, when his camp attempted to manipulate the scales, a sour taste permeated the taste buds of boxing fans. It was another reason for the main****** media to boycott what had been a heavily hyped promotion. The memory of their first bout faded, and the “weight-gate” scandal had come to represent their rivalry.
Still, the memory of their last bout has not completely damaged the anticipation of their upcoming contest. Ticket sales are brisk, message boards are abuzz, and the bout can be seen on Showtime, instead of paying a $50 dollar pay-per-view fee. [details]