CORRALES' REGIMEN IS NOT SEXY.

Byline: ROBERT MORALES Boxing

Diego Corrales was talking about his training regimen last week at the Van Nuys gym owned by his trainer, Joe Goossen.

He talked about how, as he gets closer to fight time, he doesn't get to eat the delicious lasagna and spaghetti made by Goossen's wife. Then one reporter brought out the intimacy card, and Corrales knew of what the reporter spoke.

As the story goes, Roberto Duran once postponed a fight because he failed to heed boxing's oldest rule - no intimacy during training.

Corrales will be taking on Jose Luis Castillo on Saturday at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Corrales will put his World Boxing Organization lightweight title on the line. Castillo's World Boxing Council belt also is on the table. Showtime will televise.

Corrales, although embarrassed, explained the effects a fighter can feel if he falls off the wagon, so to speak.

``There were a few times earlier in my career where I didn't follow the same regimen,'' said Corrales, who said he hadn't ``seen'' his wife during the 10 weeks he's been in training. ``Now I follow the same regimen.

``You don't have the same edge. You don't have the same mental edge or the same physical edge as you do when you don't. Your mood is different. The way you carry yourself in the ring. It's very, very different. You're not as aggressive, not as sharp. It makes a very big difference.''

Corrales (39-2, 32 KOs), of Sacramento, will need all of the strength he can muster against Mexico's Castillo (52-6-1, 46 KOs). Then again, so will Castillo. Both fighters have solid knockout ratios, and both of their chins will be tested.

Corrales claims he might be more dangerous because he has similarly devastating power in both hands. Castillo isn't convinced.

``I think a good, solid punch can knock anyone out,'' Castillo said. ``Even an elephant can go down with a good, solid punch. I am looking to see if he really does have the power to knock me down, to knock me out.''

--Unifying force: James ``Lights Out'' Toney took the World Boxing Association heavyweight belt from John Ruiz with a unanimous decision Saturday in New York. Now that Toney holds one of the four recognized titles, there is a chance the division could get unified.

Toney will fight anybody. And his promoter, Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions in Sherman Oaks, will gladly put him in with anybody. Ever since Toney moved up to heavyweight, he and Goossen have made no bones about wanting to not only win a heavyweight title, but unify the division.

The only thing that can prevent this from happening is the other three champions and their promoters not wanting to risk their belts. Hopefully, they will realize that these belts don't mean diddly unless they put them on the line.

Don King has two of the other champions - Lamon Brewster (WBO) and Chris Byrd (IBF). Vitali Klitschko, the WBC champion, promotes himself under the K2-Promotions banner headed by him and his younger brother, heavyweight contender Wladimir.

Toney will accept a fight with any of them. The question is, will they accept a fight with him?

By the way, Ruiz claims he is retiring. Thank goodness.

--Hopkins-Taylor a done deal: It appeared weeks ago that the fight between undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins and Jermain Taylor was a done deal. It wasn't, but the contracts were finally signed late last week, and the two will square off July 16 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The press tour begins Tuesday in New York and continues Wednesday in Los Angeles. The card will be promoted by Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.

--Gonzalez in Palm Springs: former WBO light heavyweight champion Julio Gonzalez will take on fellow contender Montell Griffin Thursday in an IBF title elimination fight at Spa Resort & Casino in Palm Springs.

Gonzalez, of Huntington Beach via Mexico, is 37-2 with 23 knockouts. He won the WBO title Oct. 18, 2003, with a split decision over then-champion Dariusz Michalczewski in Michalczewski's native Germany. Gonzalez went back to Germany on Jan. 17, 2004, and lost his belt on a unanimous decision to Zsolt Erdie of Hungary.

Griffin is 47-5 with 30 knockouts.

The Goossen Tutor Promotions card will be televised on Fox's ``Best Damn Sports Show Period.''

--Johnson is fighter of year: Glen Johnson, who has been chosen Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America, will receive his award Friday at the annual BWAA banquet at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Johnson is promoted by Goossen Tutor. He claimed the honor because of his three victories in 2004. He won the vacant IBF light heavyweight championship with a unanimous decision over Clinton Woods on Feb. 6; he knocked out Roy Jones Jr. on Sept. 25; and he won a split decision over Antonio Tarver on Dec. 18 at Staples Center.

--Coulda been a contender: Ishe Smith of Las Vegas lost to Sergio Mora on the April 24 edition of NBC's ``The Contender.'' All except the championship bout - which will take place on May 24 in Las Vegas - have been worked by judges provided by the California State Athletic Commission.

Smith said that when he found out one of the judges had given Mora every round in what appeared to be a close fight, he was stunned. Smith said he hurt Mora in the final round and thought he, not Mora, would be announced as the winner.

``We're in the corner like, 'We got it, we got it won,' and one judge has the fight 5-0,'' said Smith, who is training at the Goossen gym. ``I mean, I'm not mad at the show, but it just goes to show you that you can't clean up everything in boxing.

``You are going to have that bad judging.''

--Chavez training tour: The training tour for Julio Cesar Chavez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. begins this week. The father-son team will make stops in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Houston, San Antonio, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Father and son will fight on the same card on May 28 at Staples Center. Chavez Sr. will throw out the first pitch May 20 when the Dodgers and Angels play at Dodger Stadium.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

James Toney, center, beat John Ruiz on Saturday for the WBA heavyweight title.

Box:

FIGHT SCHEDULE