It's already being compared to some of the greatest wars of all-time: Hagler-Hearns, Ali-Frazier III, Barrera-Morales, Pryor-Arguello. On Saturday night May 7th, Diego "Chico" Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo included themselves among those elite fighters by staging an epic battle of skill, determination, guts and glory, complete with plot, suspense and a twist ending.

The setting was Madalay Bay in Las Vegas, Cinco de Mayo weekend, and while the mainstream boxing fan anticipated the following weekend's bout between Felix Trinidad and Winky Wright, Corrales and Castillo let leather fly. It was expected to be all that it was, but somehow it still exceeded expectations. In the end, a swollen-faced Corrales had his arm raised in victory, after picking himself off the canvas twice in the 10th round to stop Castillo.

Corrales, 40-2 (34), became the undisputed world champion at lightweight by landing a left hook and then flurrying to Castillo's head as he had him on the ropes. It was a close, action-packed fight up until then, and after Castillo floored Corrales twice earlier in the round, "Chico" showed, as he did in his fight with Acelino Freitas, that he's still the man, mustering up the intestinal fortitude to defy the odds and mount one of the most unexpected comebacks in recent memeory. It was a triumph of the will ad naseum.

Castillo, 52-7-1 (46), looked to be on his way to a career-defining victory as he landed a flurry of punches and had Corrales looking like a beat fighter. But it is in this state where Corrales is most dangerous. Instead, Castillo was stopped for the third time in his pro career, all of the stoppages coming in the 10th round.

Castillo wants a rematch but Corrales is tentative. Castillo should get one, but regardless of what the future holds, no one will soon forget what these two great warriors left in the ring.

And after the conclusion of next week's "mega-fight" between Trinidad and Wright, it's likely the talk will still be about what happened on Saturday May 7th, Cinco de Mayo weekend at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.