Corrales promoting his title defense on Mayweather-Vargas undercard

Dean Juipe

Friday, March 17, 2000 | 11:03 a.m.

Smiling, impeccably dressed and willing to engage anyone wishing to approach him, Diego Corrales appeared to be the antithesis of the man who headlines Saturday's boxing card at the MGM Grand Garden.

Make no mistake, it's Floyd Mayweather vs. Goyo Vargas topping the card, with Corrales' title defense against Derrick Gainer in a supporting role.

But with both Mayweather and Corrales world champions at 130 pounds, and with Mayweather reluctant to promote either himself or the card, the contrast to Corrales and his accessibility was almost startling.

"Why shouldn't I make myself available?" Corrales said Thursday in the almost surreal setting of the lobby of the MGM, where the card's final prefight press conference was held amid a bevy of curious bystanders. "I feel I should be out here talking to people who might want to talk to me. Most men would love to be in the position I am.

"I'm living the workingman's dream."

With Mayweather all but declining interviews and surrounding himself with servile followers, the promotion has suffered. At best, only half of the Grand Garden's seats figure to be filled for a championship doubleheader to be televised by HBO.

Mayweather, the World Boxing Council champion who is 22-0, is a minus 1300 betting favorite in the MGM sports book. Vargas, 40-6-1, is a plus 1000.

Corrales, the International Boxing Federation champion who is 30-0, is a slight favorite at a minus 190. Gainer, 33-4, is a plus 165.

What little Mayweather did have to say this week was demeaning toward a number of future opponents and Corrales in particular.

"The way I look at it is that being a nice guy will get you a lot farther in life than not being a nice guy," Corrales said. "If that's the difference between me and Floyd, maybe it's because I have more to prove.

"His words -- all the nice things he's said about me -- only motivate me. It would be a pleasure to fight him and prove him wrong, but even if that never happens I can thank him for helping to keep me motivated."

While Mayweather dismissed Corrales as an inferior fighter, the fact is these two could meet within the year at either 130 or 135 pounds.

Whether that happens or not, Corrales maintains he will continue to be driven to prove his skeptics wrong.

"(Robert) Garcia was talking the same way (as Mayweather) about me before we fought," Corrales said of the man he defeated for the IBF championship in October. "I remember him saying I wasn't in his caliber."

Corrales won that fight by technical knockout in the seventh round.

"The thing about fighting guys who act like they look down on you is this: If we fight and they win, then they've proven their point," Corrales said. "If a guy like Garcia or like Floyd thinks they're that much better than me, they'll blow by me and prove it in the ring."

Obviously, however, Corrales has met every challenge to date and at 22 years old is a potential superstar no matter how Mayweather feels about him. If it plays out that he does reach the upper level of the sport, he says his outlook won't change.

"I don't see myself as anything special," he said. "I'm just a person who enjoys his job, I genuinely do.

"I don't need an entourage or to feel I'm superior to anyone else.

"What good does that do?"