By Kirk Jackson: Joel Casamayor certainly looked his age tonight against the younger fighter Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero. The fight in itself was boring, but there was one last flash of greatness from the all time Cuban great in the final round, when he sent ‘The Ghost‘ to the canvas off a counter right jab. The effort from Guerrero was lackadaisical, whether it is from distractions from his personal life or adjusting to the weight it’s beyond me. Maybe he was thrown off by his opponent’s southpaw stance, or legendary reputation of the former two division champion. Whatever was the case, Guerrero was able to defeat the former champion.

After all the grueling rounds put in over the years, every damaging punch sustained, after every soul altering bout, it has taken its toll and I hope Joel Casamayor calls it a career before he suffers any further damage. He has clearly lost his reflexes, speed, stamina, will, and overall skill to continue fighting at a high level.

Some may point out a decline in his game when he was given a gift decision against light weight contender Jose Armando Santa Cruz late in 2007. Cruz controlled the fight and in the eyes of many spectators won the fight without question. His decline was magnified even more in depth when he fought Michael Katsidis back in 2008. Katsidis is a tough fighter, but technically at a major disadvantage when facing Casamayor. After a slow start for Katsidis which included a few knock downs, he created a life and death war with Casamayor and was on the verge of beating and possibly knocking him out. Due to a lapse of defense and judgment, the cagey veteran was able to land a counter left hand that rocked Katsidis’ world and shifted all the momentum in Casamayor’s favor.

After knocking out the then undefeated fighter in perhaps the last great performance in his career, Casamayor would go on to lose his Lightweight Championship via ko to the Juan Manual Marquez who was moving up in weight. This had marked the first time the Cuban was stopped in his professional career. After taking more than a year off, Joel would move up to the welterweight division and fight a no namer in Jason Davis. Subsequently, after earning a decision over Davis, this brings us to his most recent bout, a decision loss against Robert Guerrero. In each one of his last 5 or 6 fights, he has shown decline and it will only continue. The wear and tear from a great lengthy amateur career, and from an extraordinary professional career is clearly evident. Many spectators can see it, let’s just hope Joel and the people in his corner see it and come to realization he probably shouldn’t be fighting anymore.