The July 7 ESPN2 FNF troupe topped its mixed bag of silliness with world class past champion Joel Casamayor facing veteran Lamont Pearson in the feature attraction.

The former Cuban Olympic gold medal winner has won and lost in two meetings with current lightweight champ Diego Corrales - and has been nipped via split decision by Jose Luis Castillo, and a decision loss to Acelino Freitas.

No surprise in this outing with slick and tricky Lamont Pearson, the Cuban southpaw enters as the favorite - and while it was competitive early on, it was Casamayor the one in control - the straight left hands repeatedly found the mark between the peek-a-boo Pearson defense - and the constant pressure offense would wear down a game but outclassed Pearson.

A disciplined and patient Casamayor picked up the pace in stanza seven after something of a last hurrah for Pearson in candle six - and with it, the writing on the wall arrived via a nasty cut over the Pearson right eye in number eight.

Then numero nuevo with Casamayor on the attack and Pearson in trouble, referee Bobby Ferraro invites the ring medic in for a peek at the wounded orbit - Pearson agrees to call it a night - TKO at 44 seconds mark into stanza nine.

Post Scripts: Joel Casamayor (33-3-1, 21) ~ at a now age 34, the sun is setting a bit - the body looks fine and can handle a busy pace if doing the choreography. Still, should pick and choose carefully among the top ten field to ensure the big dollars continue coming. Says here, the wise thing is avoid another Corrales or Castillo. - A today Freitas a good choice, and Julio Diaz, Raheem also sound interesting.
                           
                       Lamont Pearson ( 23-4-1, 20) ~ a now age 35, and no threat to the lightweight elite, other than the nasty cut over the eye he did himself fine - problem with the aging veteran is he wears down if things get hectic. Has nice employment with Postal Service and can still pick up some extra change moonlighting at center stage.

The rest of the story: underneath card nothing more than another insult to serious minded viewers. Jr. middle semi-final pits local favorite Julio Garcia (36-2, 29) with Grover Wiley (30-7-1, 14) - Garcia the younger at age 19 and much taller at 6 feet facing unskilled age 31 ready and  willing to be had Wiley - Grover quickly dropped twice in opening stanza - also cut over right eye, and had there been a referee in charge it would have been aborted then and there - now stanza two and Grover the groveled falls again - is counted out at 24 seconds mark courtesy of right uppercut.

Earlier, the card was uglier yet : enter John Jackson, age 20, with five outings ending in five knockout wins and facing one Jeff Farmer at one win, one loss and zero stoppages - all Jackson in stanza one - now round two it’s Farmer down from right hand and subsequently on receiving end - enuf so that corner tosses in towel at 1:59 mark - otherwise Bobby the fraud Ferraro would have let the butchery continue.

Another quickie saw Yukeno Andino going to 6-0, 2 KO’s after dropping Chris Govan (2-3-1, 2) via right hook in opening stanza and then closing the show in round two with left hook - time 1:08 of number two.

Closing comments: Studio segment had pinch hitting Stan Verett  hosting with guest Diego Corrales - clearly a step up from the usual Brian no-clue Kenny fare.

Referee in charge: Bobby Ferraro … all these years and still doesn’t get it. Actually winked into camera when finishing pre-fight instructions … concluded by saying that anything below the navel is low. Hmmm.

GEL -