Columnist Dean Juipe: Corrales says he’s fully ready to face Freitas

Dean Juipe

Thursday, July 29, 2004 | 9:27 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.

Regardless of the outcome of his fight against Acelino Freitas, Diego Corrales won't find himself looking back and second guessing his preparation.

"No matter what happens, I have worked to the fullest of my abilities," he said this week in Los Angeles, where he's training for an Aug. 7 fight at Mashantucket, Conn., that will be televised by the Showtime cable network.

"I'm more ready than I've ever been in my life," Corrales said. "I have never been in better shape. I have left everything on the table."

Corrales, of Las Vegas, is a former world champion who is 38-2 with 31 knockouts. He's also coming off a decision victory against ex-champ Joel Casamayor in a fight that was held March 6 at Mandalay Bay.

Freitas is 35-0 with 31 KOs and is habitually ranked among the finest fighters in the world. Nonetheless, bettors in Las Vegas have made Corrales a minus 130 favorite, with Freitas even, in the sports book at the MGM.

"I'm not letting this opportunity pass me by," Corrales said. "He's a good guy, but when we hit the scales, it's on.

"The fight may turn into a brawl because of my nature (but) that's OK because I love to fight."

Each of the 130-pound contestants is a brawler.

"If Freitas wants to go glove to glove, he can't go forever," Corrales said, issuing a warning of sorts. "He can come out like King Kong (but) I will control everything."

Yet even Corrales knows the danger of getting into a slugfest.

"He's proved that he has great skills," Corrales said. "He is physically strong. He will keep me on my toes.

"He and I both know that both of us can bail ourselves out with one punch."

"I've never fought this soon after a fight, but I like it," Ali said. "I didn't have to worry about getting out of shape and then having to get back in shape.

"So it's sort of a luxury in some ways. I couldn't do it for certain opponents, but it seemed like a good opportunity for me to try it."

She's 17-0 with 14 knockouts and is now fighting as a light heavyweight.

Nunez is 9-1 with five KOs.

IBF heavyweight champion Chris Byrd of Las Vegas has filed suit against promoter Don King, seeking to terminate a contract that Byrd claims King has failed to fulfill. ... Heavyweight contender James Toney is slated to return Sept. 23 in Temecula, Calif., with Rydell Booker providing the opposition. ... Former boxing judge Lou Tabat of North Las Vegas has been appointed to work the Athens Olympics, his third Olympic assignment. Calling Athens "interesting but a little scary," Tabat said he would be assigned a task similar to the functions he carried out in previous Olympics, such as timekeeping or overseeing training sessions. ... Christina Kwan, a cousin to noted figure skater Michelle Kwan and a Las Vegas resident and UNLV graduate, won Wednesday's final in the 95-pound division of the USA Nationals in Spokane, Wash. She'll compete next in the Internatio nal Games in Argentina in November.