Columnist Dean Juipe: Corley, Bailey should put on good show in D.C.

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Jan. 2, 2003 | 9:07 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4084.

It's an old and timeworn scenario, yet one that can make for an attractive fight. It's the boxer vs. the puncher, and it will be played out again Saturday on a Showtime-televised card from the nation's capital.

DeMarcus Corley is "the boxer" and Randall Bailey fits the role of "the puncher" in a junior welterweight fight scheduled for 12 rounds at the Armory in Washington, D.C.

Corley would have to be considered a slight favorite. He's 27-1-1 with 16 knockouts and hasn't been beaten since something of a fluke loss to Daniel Lujan four years ago.

Among Corley's recent victories was one over Felix Flores in 2001 in Las Vegas.

Bailey is 26-2 with all 26 wins by knockout. But he has lost twice since 2000, dropping a decision to Ener Julio and losing by seventh-round TKO to Diobelys Hurtado.

"If you don't have confidence in yourself, you are in the wrong business," Corley said, expecting to handle Bailey and position himself for a fight with undisputed world champion Kostya Tszyu. "Some people may be turned off by the way I come across, but it is all about believing in yourself."

Corley is a southpaw who has been known to showboat, but he may keep that at a minimum with Bailey in the other corner. The latter is obviously a big hitter and he needs the win to prove he's neither a one-dimensional nor regional fighter.

An equally interesting undercard fight between World Boxing Association junior flyweight champ Rosendo Alvarez and Beibis Mendoza was cancelled this week when Alvarez said he was injured. He and Mendoza were to have fought for a third time, their first two -- both in Las Vegas -- ending in a disqualification win for Mendoza and a decision win for Alvarez in the rematch.

Showtime will attempt to compensate by adding International Boxing Federation junior bantamweight champion Felix Machado to the card in a title defense against the unrated Luis Perez.