By Scoop Malinowski

Super trainer Joe Goossen is one of the best trainers in boxing. He is the man who guided two brothers named Gabriel and Rafael Ruelas from the age of 11 and 12 all the way to WBC and IBF world championships in the 1990’s. He trained a superb fighter named Michael Nunn all the way to the Middleweight title and pound-for-pound number one honors in the late ’80s early ’90s.

This past weekend Goossen did it again, by laying out the blueprint strategy for Diego Corrales to defeat his former client Joel Casamayor.

Here’s the latest from the always insightful elite trainer Joe Goossen:

Boxinginsider.com: I saw you and Joel had a very long embrace there in the ring just before the decision was announced. Care to share what was said?

Joe Goossen: “Yeah, we said a couple of personal things to each other. I spent a long time with Joel. That was not just an ordinary working relationship. We spent years together, six days a week. I felt very close with him family-wise. And he respected me like a father figure. Never gave me one bit of resistance ever. Listened to everything I told him, we were successful with it. (The parting of ways) was not the highlight of my life. I’m happy for Diego. It’s really the highlight for him. And I want it to be for he and his wife. It was a lowpoint for me to see Joel on the other end of the stick. But now that it’s over, it’s over. And I don’t think. And I don’t think there’s ever any going back. I do love the guy. That’s something we share, I think he would say and reciprocate. The bottom line is certain business moves are made. That’s the way it ended up and Diego ended up with me and that’s the way it is.”

Boxinginsider.com: What was the difference in what was a very close fight - in your eyes?

Joe Goossen: “Well the difference was is that, if you stand up and walk towards Joel you’re gonna get your clock cleaned. Okay? The guy’s won over 400 fights in his life, amateur and pro. Our game plan in the first fight with Diego was to move certain ways and do certain things. And I knew what those were. And how effective they were against Diego. And so I said, Here’s what we did to you. Here’s what you have to do to stop that. And that’s it in a fundamental and simplistic way of putting it. We worked on the things to stop what worked against him. And, you know, we prevailed and I’m extremely happy for Diego and his wife. You know, like I said, I was a kid, and I love fighters. They’re great people. Yeah you take your lumps sometimes. But overall, I wouldn’t trade my life for anything. I’m so happy for a guy like Diego.”

Boxinginsider.com: Did Diego surprise you with his masterful performance?

Joe Goossen: “No. He would have suprised me had he not done what we worked on. Look, we spent 30-35 rounds on the floor each day. We went over this vision, this gameplan every day. We ate, slept and drank it. I would have been surprised had he not executed it. Again…we had 4 1/2 weeks against a guy I had 4 1/2 years. It’s pretty amazing and a testament to his athletic ability and his intelligence and his ability to follow a game plan. And I’m speaking of Diego.”

Boxinginsider.com: Diego really only made one mistake against such a great fighter. That one single mistake really, in the 10th round…

Joe Goossen: “Yeah, like that album, ‘Momentary Lapse of Reasoning [laughs].”

Boxinginsider.com: Who was that by?

Joe Goossen: “Pink Floyd. (Looks unsure)…either that or The Moody Blues, I’m not sure.”

Boxinginsider.com: The rest of the fight pretty much was Diego. Diego was the hunter.

Joe Goossen: “It was. When you score a fight in the professional game, it’s effective aggressiveness. Diego was the hunter. If it wasn’t for Diego in the first nine rounds, there wasn’t much of a fight. He was the one looking for a fight all night.”

Boxinginsider.com: What’s next? Possibly Erik Morales?

Joe Goossen: “The reason I’d like to see Diego fight Erik Morales…you’d sell out like a 20-30,000 seat arena. You’ve got some real electricity in that fight. You hold that fight in Las Vegas or Los Angeles, and you know Morales, he has many, many Mexican fans. And they are the great fans of all time, because they love the fights. Everyone loves the fights but they really go out and support the Mexican fighters. For Morales against Jesus Chavez they had a huge crowd. Imagine if it was Diego Corrales who just beat Casamayor? And a Corrales-Erik Morales would sell out a 20-30,000 seat arena. Without a doubt. I already know it.”

Note: I asked Corrales promoter Gary Shaw about such a Corrales-Morales unification superfight. And his response: He doubted if Bob Arum would ever do it. So Team Corrales is ready and willing. Is Erik Morales and Bob Arum?