Boxing: SEDA PROVES TO BE A STUBBORN TASK FOR 'EL CEPILLO' CASAMAYOR

Coming into the Joel ‘El Cepillo’ Casamayor-Daniel Seda fight I couldn’t shake my mind of a third party who was linked between the two fighters. That man was Derrick Gainer, with whom Seda did battle in August of 2002 in Puerto Rico. In their encounter Gainer, a slick-punching southpaw with pop, decked Seda early in the first round and had the Puerto Rican native befuddled over the next two rounds. Gainer cracked Seda with looping left hands that seemed to come from out of nowhere and looked to be on his way towards and easy victory before a clash of heads caused a headbutt which would prematurely end the contest. No clear winner was declared but the consensus feeling was that Seda was given a break and was lucky to come away with the No Contest verdict.

Fast forward nearly two years later and we were faced with a similar situation at Miami’s AmericanAirlines Arena. Seda would be going to war with Casamayor, a fighter who shared many of Gainer's same qualities, being that he is slick, quick, left handed, and would presumably be a step ahead of young Seda. I expected Casamayor to deck Seda early in the bout and finish things off within the next couple of rounds in electrifying fashion. Boy was I in for a surprise.

Former super-featherweight world champion Joel Casamayor a knockdown in a wild fifth round and a late round surged from determined Daniel Seda to take a 10 round decision at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida (picture by Showtime/Tom Casino).

In a quality Showtime main event, Casamayor, 32, threatened to overwhelm the previously unbeaten over the first four and a half rounds. Seda seemed to be out of his depth, was stunned by a cross in the second and had everything he tried shut down by the former 130lbs champion.