Old friend helps Casamayor prepare for fight
Posted on Mon, Oct. 22, 2007
BY SANTOS A. PEREZ
sperez@MiamiHerald.com
Joel Casamayor's bid to become the best fighter in the lightweight class
will be bolstered by a familiar face.
Veteran trainer Joe Goossen, who worked with Casamayor during
Casamayor's reign as a super-featherweight champion, again will guide
the Miramar resident. Casamayor is training in Goossen's camp in Los
Angeles as he prepares for a bout against Jose Armando Santa Cruz on
Nov. 10.
The bout will be on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto- Shane Mosley
welterweight title fight at Madison Square Garden in New York.
''Joe and I always have had good chemistry working together,'' Casamayor
said by telephone from Los Angeles on Friday. ``I want to finish my
career with Joe as my trainer.''
Goossen's first association with Casamayor ended after the first of
Casamayor's three title bouts against Diego Corrales in October 2003.
The Casamayor-Goossen reunion now features Casamayor seeking marquee
fights in the 135-pound class. An impressive performance against Santa
Cruz and the influence of his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy
Promotions, could propel this Cuba native and 1992 Olympic gold medalist
to more coveted bouts.
''My concentration right now is the fight against Santa Cruz,''
Casamayor said. ``When it comes time to plan for the bigger fights, I
will leave that to my promoter.''
Casamayor is recognized as a second-tier interim champion by the World
Boxing Council. He would accept a bout against the sanctioning body's
title holder, David Diaz. But every established lightweight is targeting
Manny Pacquiao after Pacquiao's recent decision to move up to that
weight class.
In fact, Juan Diaz, who holds three major sanctioning body lightweight
belts, also stressed his wish to fight Pacquiao, ignoring Casamayor's
presence in the division.
''He's an old fighter,'' Diaz said of Casamayor, 36, shortly after he
defeated Julio Diaz in a title unification bout Oct. 13. ``I'd rather
fight the best young fighters out there.''
''I don't care what he says,'' Casamayor said. ``He knows the type of
fighter I am. I would love to get a fight with him and bust his mouth.''
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