Joel Casamayor Looks to Rebound Against Robert Guerrero

Cuban-born Joel Casamayor (pictured above, at left) has had a long and distinguished career, one that includes having been a world champion four times over two divisions.

Always a crafty fighter who relied more on solid skills and deception rather than punching power, Casamayor says that he has to rely more on his ring generalship nowadays than he ever has.

"Of course, I think obviously when a fighter gets a little older in his career, he starts going a little more off experience. My ability is still there, but one thing that has changed as the years have gone by is my focus," said Casamayor, who turned 39 on July 12.

"I'm a lot more focused now than when I was as a younger fighter," said Casamayor, a 1992 Olympic gold medalist. "When I was a lot younger, I thought I would get away with some of the things I did in training camp that I shouldn't have. But I'm not doing that now. Experience is going to be there, but the ability and the conditioning and everything is going to be there on July 31."

That's when Casamayor (37-4-1, 22 knockouts) will challenge 27-year-old Robert Guerrero (26-1-1, 17 KOs) in a non-title, 10-round clash of southpaws at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas to be televised on HBO pay per view.

A former two-time IBF featherweight (126 pounds) and one-time IBF super featherweight (130 pounds) champion, Guerrero brings a 10-fight winning streak that includes nine knockouts into the clash with Casamayor, whom he will face as a junior welterweight (140 pounds).

"You know, Robert Guerrero is one of the best upcoming fighters in the world, and it's always a great opportunity to bring him to my den," said Casamayor, who is 6-1-1 since losing a split decision to Jose Luis Castillo for the WBC lightweight (135 pounds) title in December of 2004. "But if I beat Guerrero, I'm in line for anybody and I could fight any fight I would want."

Casamayor is coming off of November's eight-round, unanimous decision victory over Jason Davis (11-5-1, three KOs). He lost for the fourth time during a slump that has included two knockouts. They fought as welterweights (147 pounds), with Casamayor weighing in at a career-high 146 pounds to Davis' 142.

Casamayor's winning run includes an October, 2006, split-decision victory over the late former world champion, Diego Corrales. In March, 2008, he picked up a 10th-round knockout of previously unbeaten, current interim WBO lightweight king Michael Katsidis of Australia.

"Nobody can compare to Joel Casamayor on my resume. He is by far the best fighter that I'm going to be in the ring with, and I'm up for the challenge. I'm excited about it," said Guerrero, who will meet Casamayor at a maximum weight of 139 pounds. "With [Casamayor] being one of the elite fighters in the sport and also a lefty, you've got to take him seriously and be 100 percent ready and make sure no stone is unturned when you get in the ring with him."

Aainst Davis, Casamayor ended a nearly 14-month layoff, rebounding from a September of 2008 loss to Juan Manuel Marquez. Marquez stopped Casamayor for the first time in Casamayo'r career in the 11th-round of a tightly-contested, lightweight matchup.

In Saturday night's main event, the 36-year-old Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) will put his WBO and WBA lightweight crowns on the line against 26-year-old Juan Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs), in a rematch of their February, 2009, Fight of the Year won by Marquez with a ninth-round knockout.

Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs) is the madatory challenger to Marquez if he defeats Diaz. WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KOs) is also a consideration for Marquez.

But if he beats Guerrero, Casamayor would also like to enter the Juan Manuel Marquez sweepstakes.

"I've been pushing Golden Boy and my manager, Luis DeCubas, because I want a rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez. I think by beating Robert Guerrero, I'll be in line for Juan Manuel Marquez or Amir Khan or whoever it is. But that's [Marquez] the fight I'm hoping for, and it's the reason I took this fight," said Casamayor.

"I'm at 140 pounds right now, but as I said, if the opportunity opens itself at 135 pounds, I could still probably make the weight. Whatever it takes to get Marquez back in the ring," said Casamayor. "Marquez is a great Mexican warrior. A lot of people have been asking for that rematch. It was a very, very close fight. I thought the fight was stopped unjustly, but I mean that's boxing."

Casamayor earned his first world title in his 17th victory without a loss -- a June, 1999 unanimous decision victory over Antonio Hernandez (50-22, 38 KOs) for the interim WBA super featherweight belt.

In November of 1999, Casamayor defended that crown by decisioning Daniel Santos, setting up a May, 2000 bout with unbeaten WBA super world titlist, Jong-Kwon Baek. Despite his mark of 21-0-1, that included 18 knockouts, it was Baek who would be stopped on cuts in the fifth round.

Casamayor defended that crown four times, including three knockouts, before being dethroned by a decision loss to Acelino Freitas in a January, 2002 clash of unbeatens during which Freitas' WBO belt was also on the line.

Four wins later in October of 2003, Casamayor stopped Corrales in the sixth round of a battle during which each fighter was knocked to the canvas. Casamayor lost his March, 2004 rematch with Corrales by decision, and then was beaten by Castillo two fights later.

Before signing to fight Guerrero, Casamayor had been tabbed to face Khan. But when that fight fell out, the veteran had no problem shifting his training focus to Guerrero, despite Guerrero's being a fellow left-hander.

"I was getting prepared for Amir Khan, and everyone knows that I am a warrior. I'll fight anybody in the world, and for this fight, it turned out that it wasn't going to be Amir Khan," said Casamayor. "So it is Robert Guerrero, and I made certain adjustments that I had to in camp. But all I did was focus myself a little bit more and then forget about the Khan fight. I'll take care of Guerrero first, and then I'll take it from there."

Casamayor won't rule out campaigning as a junior welterweight, where he could challenge Khan, WBC and IBF king Devon Alexander (20-0, 13 KOs), or, perhaps WBO champ Tim Bradley (26-0, 11 KOs).

"Basically, wherever [Golden Boy Promotions CEO] Richard [Schaefer] tells me there's a great opportunity -- at 135 or 140, whichever it is," said Casamayor, "I'm there."