It was reported from reliable sources, such as Boxingtalk and Fightnews that recently unretired WBO Lightweight Champion Acelino Freitas was going to be fighting WBC Interim Lightweight Champion David Diaz.
Why fight the Interim Champion, when he could fight the WBC's real Lightweight Champion Joel Casamayor, who also happens to be the current kingpin of the division following his split decision victory over Corrales last October? The same Casamayor whom Freitas posted a victory, albeit a narrow victory, against back in January of 2002?
Freitas, following his split decision, title-winning effort over Zahir Raheem in April of last year, announced to the world his retirement from boxing. To lay any further claim to his supremacy in the lightweight division, he would have had to rematch then WBC Champion Diego Corrales, who had dropped Freitas three times and forced him to wave the white flag in the 10th round of their clash in August 2004.
What would be the point in rematching a guy, who so thoroughly asserted his dominance, when chances are such a result could conceivably happen again? For one taking the path of least resistance, there would be absolutely no point in one subjecting one's self to such a thrashing for a second time. Therefore, Freitas opted to retire.
It was not until October 2006, when Casamayor upset Corrales for the Lightweight Championship of the World, that Freitas would conveniently unretire and attempt to reemerge as a force in boxing, and possibly as the best lightweight in the world, by calling out the man he once defeated at 130lbs, Casamayor.
At this moment, there are talks of a Lightweight Unification rematch between WBC and RING Magazine Champion Joel Casamayor and WBO titlist Acelino Freitas. In all likelihood, Freitas has to feel safe that his nemesis, Corrales, outgrew the lightweight division and will be moving up in weight upon his return to the ring. Maybe Freitas feels safe taking on Casamayor. but is there any guarantee that Freitas can defeat Casamayor in a rematch???
Would a loss to Casamayor trigger yet another retirement from the sport for Freitas? Can Freitas find the courage, or the stomach, to present himself as the fighter that the boxing world once perceived him to be prior to that embarrassing loss at the hands of Corrales? Has Freitas found the will power to summon up the courage to be a man and abandon that path of least resistance? One can only hope. Time will tell, as this is a new year. Time, in the career of Freitas, is ticking away.
Why fight the Interim Champion, when he could fight the WBC's real Lightweight Champion Joel Casamayor, who also happens to be the current kingpin of the division following his split decision victory over Corrales last October? The same Casamayor whom Freitas posted a victory, albeit a narrow victory, against back in January of 2002?
Freitas, following his split decision, title-winning effort over Zahir Raheem in April of last year, announced to the world his retirement from boxing. To lay any further claim to his supremacy in the lightweight division, he would have had to rematch then WBC Champion Diego Corrales, who had dropped Freitas three times and forced him to wave the white flag in the 10th round of their clash in August 2004.
What would be the point in rematching a guy, who so thoroughly asserted his dominance, when chances are such a result could conceivably happen again? For one taking the path of least resistance, there would be absolutely no point in one subjecting one's self to such a thrashing for a second time. Therefore, Freitas opted to retire.
It was not until October 2006, when Casamayor upset Corrales for the Lightweight Championship of the World, that Freitas would conveniently unretire and attempt to reemerge as a force in boxing, and possibly as the best lightweight in the world, by calling out the man he once defeated at 130lbs, Casamayor.
At this moment, there are talks of a Lightweight Unification rematch between WBC and RING Magazine Champion Joel Casamayor and WBO titlist Acelino Freitas. In all likelihood, Freitas has to feel safe that his nemesis, Corrales, outgrew the lightweight division and will be moving up in weight upon his return to the ring. Maybe Freitas feels safe taking on Casamayor. but is there any guarantee that Freitas can defeat Casamayor in a rematch???
Would a loss to Casamayor trigger yet another retirement from the sport for Freitas? Can Freitas find the courage, or the stomach, to present himself as the fighter that the boxing world once perceived him to be prior to that embarrassing loss at the hands of Corrales? Has Freitas found the will power to summon up the courage to be a man and abandon that path of least resistance? One can only hope. Time will tell, as this is a new year. Time, in the career of Freitas, is ticking away.
