Showtime, trying harder, laces ‘em up in September

Showtime, the Avis to HBO’s Hertz (or is it the other way around?) has been diligently hacking away at the acknowledged cable giant, HBO.

The network that used to show obscure British Commonwealth title fights and Don King-crafted mismatches stays in the hunt with their next heavyweight offering.

On the James Toney/ Samuel Peter Sept. 2 broadcast, the cabler announced an IBF world title fight between current 126-pound champion Eric Aiken (16-4, 12 KOs) and Robert Guerrero (18-1-1, 11 KOs).

That card will air live at 10 p.m. ET/PT from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, and I dare say, it strikes me as a more attractive viewing opportunity than paying to see Rahman/Maskaev II…

Also, if you hadn’t heard, Diego Corrales will meet Joel Casamayor for a third time on the Oct. 7, 2006 edition of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (9 p.m. ET/PT).

Corrales and Casamayor have each won one match; the Cuban cutie Casamayor won the first bout on a controversial sixth-round TKO as Corrales suffered a severely cut lip on Oct. 4, 2003. Corrales then evened the deal in their March 6, 2004 rematch when he defeated Casamayor by split decision for the vacant WBO junior lightweight title.