Sharkie’s Week in Boxing - Casamayor vs Freitas

By Frank Gonzalez

2002 has arrived by storm.

Joel Casamayor (26-0-0-16 KO’s) Vs. Acelino Freitas (30-0-0-29 KO’s)

13.01 - There seems to be a new trend developing in Boxing here in 2002; the REAL fight. Two guys of relative status who are proven winners taking on each other with their belts on the line, it’s like Boxing heaven. Casamayor vs. Freitas proved to be another candidate for fight of the year.

Casamayor predicted the fight wouldn’t go past five rounds and that he’d win. Freitas didn’t make any boasts or predictions. During the recent press conference, both seemed to actually like each other, as they were friendly and even complimentary. Of course their amicable relations ceased once they entered the ring.

At 26 years old, Freitas is still untested in the minds of many. His fights average 3 rounds per bout, as he tends to finish opponents off early with his relentless power punching. He has fought against fighters with decent records who are relatively unknown here in the USA. With the exception of Afred Kotey, whom he beat by unanimous decision in 10 rounds, he’s never gone past 10 rounds in his professional career, leaving his stamina a question mark. He won the WBO Super Featherweight title in August of 99’ when he stopped Anatoly Alexandrov in the first round.

30 year-old Joel Casamayor had an extensive amateur career. He won the gold medal in the 92’ Olympics fighting for the Cuban National team. In 2000 he won the WBA Junior Lightweight title. His style is well balanced; he is a very good boxer who has respectable power. Since turning pro in 1996, he’s never lost a fight. Some of his recent opposition has not been of the highest caliber, but from what he’s demonstrated so far are the skills of a champion.

At the opening bell, Freitas came on fast, and caught Casamayor early with some power shots. In the third round, Casamayor slipped while Freitas delivered a punch and it was ruled a knock down. Casamayor seemed patient for the first few rounds and the result was that he lost the first five rounds. Acelino was scoring with heavy punches, which bothered Joel and made him more cautious. After a head butt, J.C. was bleeding and seemed more urgent to do what he usually does best; hit and not be hit. It seemed Casamayor underestimated Freitas. He paid dearly for that miscalculation.

At the start of the sixth round, Casamayor picked up his tempo and started to figure out the tiring Freitas who had spent much of himself early. J.C. started to use dirty tactics like punching behind the head, pushing off with his forearm in Freitas neck. After being warned by Joe Cortez, the referee, again he took a very obvious calculated shot at the back of Freitas neck and had a point deducted by Cortez. Had he not fouled, he would have won that round. For a smart fighter, that was stupid.

From the seventh on, Casamayor made his own run and was able to turn the tide of the fight from that point. He still took an occasional big shot here and there but was more effective from rounds seven through 12 using opportunistic defense and some clean punches. It appeared that J.C. had better long-term stamina than A.F. who spent rounds seven through nine trying to cruise on his apparent lead while keeping out of harms, all the while trying to regain his momentum. By the 10th round, Freitas and Casamayor both did so well I thought it an even round with J.C. controlling the first minute and a half and A.F. controlling the last half of the round.

From rounds 10-12, J.C. won the 11th, while Freitas held his own in the final round, scoring what I felt was an even round to end the bout. It was a great fight with an honest decision. The scorecards were read as follows:

R. Byrd-114-112 for Freitas Bill Graham-114-112 for Freitas

Dave Moretti-114-112 for Freitas

It was a Unanimous Decision for Acelino Freitas. Freitas should now go after Steve Forbes, owner of the IBF Super Featherweight title and consolidate the belts.

* * *

It’s too bad Floyd Mayweather left the division while such good fighters remained unbeaten. I don’t remember Floyd ever beating either of these warriors who proved to be the best available competition at 130-pounds. Seems like Floyd took the safety route to the next level. Rumor has it he’ll fight an easy fight at 135lbs. before seeking the WBC/WBO title that is currently the property of Jose L. Castillo, or the IBF’s Paul Spadafora. I’d like to see how Floyd would do against the likes of Leonard Dorin, new holder of the WBA 135 pound title. Dorin would be willing to take a few punches to deliver a few of his own. That would be interesting.

Many bandwagon riders may assume Floyd would have beaten either Freitas or Casamayor but since he moved on from Super Featherweight, we probably will never find out. I like either’s chances against Floyd who has not taken on all comers at 130 pounds. Mayweather was frustrated by the over zealous, soft punching Jesus Chavez.

How would he handle Freitas’ voluminous power-punching style or Casamayor’s slick defensive counter-punching techniques? It is an unsolved mystery.

The Other Fights…

Alvin Brown (17-4-1-6 KO’s) Vs. Wayne McCullough (23-3-0-14 KO’s)

Although “Pocket Rocket” Wayne McCullough can’t get a license to fight in the U.K. due to a cyst between his brain and skull which could prove lethal to him if he is hit on the head again, he was easily given a license by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, complete with rationale as to why he’s cleared to fight here in the USA. Dr. Williams at ringside explained that Wayne’s had the same cyst for many years and it hasn’t grown any since his many fights and so is assumed safe. Ok. Medical care in the USA is a BUSINESS, designed to make profits, as opposed to the U.K. where it is nationalized and free.

McCullough is an exciting fighter who throws lots of power punches at the expense of being hit often in the exchanges. He had little problem dispatching Alvin Brown to the canvas twice in the second round. The first knock down was from a hook to the face. The second from a mean body blow that kept Brown down for longer than the 10 count. The “Rocket” improved his record to 24-3-0-15 KO’s. McCullough might not be so lucky with better opposition, but against mediocre fighters, Wayne may have a few good fights left in him.

* * *

Jeff Lacy (6-0-0-6 KO’s) Vs. Fike Wilson (10-4-1-7 KO’s)

Former Olympian and Super Middleweight prospect Jeff Lacy improved his record to 7-0 with 7 KO’s as he hit ‘Fake’ Wilson about four times before Wilson chickened out of the fight going into a posture of surrender causing the ref to stop the fight early in the first round. In the same school as Ricardo Williams and Panchito Bojado, Jeff Lacy is an up and coming fighter whose record is being carefully built up on a steady diet of super easy fights.

In other sports like football, basketball and baseball, some of the best prospects that come out of stellar careers in college don’t always do so well in the pros. How many number one draft picks turn out to be busts? Look at Ryan Leaf, number one draft pick of the San Diego Chargers a few years ago. Leaf was great in college but was hideous in the pros. If Leaf were able to play against Pop Warner little leaguers after his great college career, maybe he’d have still looked magnificent. It doesn’t work that way in organized legitimate sports. I believe the same holds true for boxers. They move up from the amateur ranks and if they are lucky enough to sign with a well-connected promoter or manager, they get to build their records to something like 15-0 before ever taking on mediocre opponents. The smell of that is foul.

I look at guys like Bojado, Williams and Lacy as fighters in the ‘scam cocoon’ stage. Fans see them looking invincible against sub par opponents and get all excited and actually believe that these UNTESTED young fighters are for real. They may be for real, but we’d never know based on the level of competition they face early in their careers. If they are so good, why don’t we get to see them fight at least mediocre fighters who fight back? If their handlers aren’t going to match them with half way decent competition, these fights shouldn’t be on television. That takes away program space that could go to honestly deserving fighters trying to climb their way into contention. I’d prefer to see competitive fights between unknowns than mismatches that showcase tomorrow’s crop of protected fighters. There are so many real fighters that deserve that publicity, it’s a shame they won’t get it so that we can see Panchito Bojado miss a punch as his opponent throws himself to the canvas, then have to listen to the announcers rave about how great a prospect Bojado is. That conflicts with the spirit of true competition, which is what Boxing should be all about. Apparently it’s all about corruption, so I must be swimming upstream here.

Until next time, enjoy all your favorite sports.

Sharkie