- Diego Corrales
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Diego Corrales Statistics Real name Diego Corrales Nickname(s) Chico Rated at Lightweight
Super FeatherweightHeight 5′ 10½″ / 179cm Reach 70″ / 178cm Nationality American Born August 25, 1977
Columbia, South Carolina[1]Died May 7, 2007 (Age 29)
Las Vegas, Nevada, USAStance Orthodox Boxing record Total fights 45 Wins 40 Wins by KO 33 Losses 5 Diego "Chico" Corrales (August 25, 1977 – May 7, 2007) was an American boxer.[2]
He was The Ring, WBC and WBO World Lightweight champion. He was previously in the Super featherweight division where he held the IBF and WBO World Championships.
Corrales was a two-division world champion having won four world titles and defeating fellow notable champions Acelino Freitas, Joel Casamayor and José Luis Castillo.
In 2005, Corrales received the prestigious The Ring & Boxing Writers Association of America's Fight of the Year awards for his acclaimed Lightweight bout with José Luis Castillo.
Contents
Early life
Corrales was born in Columbia, South Carolina to a Colombian father and a Mexican mother.[3] Corrales' early life was filled with violence; he was raised in the Oak Park section of Sacramento, was involved with street gangs at age 13, and witnessed his best friend's death via drive-by shooting. Corrales had a degree in culinary arts. He trained at "Sac Pal" (Sacramento Police Athletic League) Boxing Gym with Manny Fernandez[4]
Amateur career
Corrales compiled an amateur boxing record of 105-12.[5] In 1994, he took second place at the United States Amateur Championships, losing to Frankie Carmona on points in the featherweight final. He was a bronze medalist at featherweight in the 1995 Pan American Games. At lightweight, he lost in the 1995 World Championships in Berlin, Germany to Marco Rudolph.
Professional career
Corrales was victorious in his pro boxing debut on March 19, 1996. On October 23, 1999, Corrales won the IBF super featherweight title by defeating the previously unbeaten Roberto Garcia via TKO in the seventh round. After defeating Angel Manfredy on September 2, 2000, Corrales' managers vacated his title. Corrales had a record of 33-0 at this point.
On January 20, 2001, Corrales challenged Floyd Mayweather Jr. for the WBC super featherweight title and recorded his first knockdown and first loss. In the bout, Mayweather knocked down Corrales five times (three times in the seventh round and twice in the tenth). After the fifth knockdown, Corrales' corner stopped the fight, despite Corrales' protests.
Shortly after the Mayweather fight, Corrales served 14 months in prison after opting for a plea bargain on charges he faced for abusing his pregnant wife, Maria.[6]
In 2003, Corrales returned to the ring. After easily winning four fights, Corrales fought against Joel Casamayor. After the sixth round, the fight was stopped because of a deep cut inside of Corrales' mouth. On March 6, 2004, there was a rematch for the vacant WBO super featherweight title. Corrales won by close split decision.
On August 7, 2004, Corrales won the WBO lightweight title from Acelino Freitas via TKO in the tenth round. Freitas won the early rounds, but by the later rounds he was visibly tired and began to be caught by Corrales. After rising from his third knockdown, Freitas walked away from the referee and quit.
Corrales vs. Castillo I, II, and III
On May 7, 2005, Corrales defeated José Luis Castillo for the WBC lightweight title via TKO in the tenth round. The fight is almost universally regarded as the best fight of 2005.[7][8][9] Both men stood in front of each other, battering each other with hard combinations and power punches throughout the entire fight. Finally, in the tenth round, Castillo knocked Corrales down. Seconds later, Castillo knocked Corrales down again. Once on the ground, Corrales managed to beat the count, and, after a point was taken away for excessive spitting out of the mouthpiece, Corrales connected with a punch that Castillo later called "a perfect right hand."[10] Corrales then trapped Castillo against the ropes and landed numerous punches, causing the referee, Tony Weeks, to stop the fight. After the fight Corrales stated that he dedicated the fight to a late friend killed just 3 months earlier in Iraq, United States Marine LCpl Richard Perez Jr. whom Corrales had done some radio with his father Rich Perez in Las Vegas at the time. Corrales said "There was no way I was going to lose this fight, they would have had to drag me out of this one." As Corrales looked at the elder Perez and said "That was for your boy."
A rematch between Corrales and Castillo occurred on October 8, 2005. On the day before the fight, Castillo weighed-in 3½ lb over the 135 lb (61 kg) lightweight limit. Since Castillo did not make the weight, the fight became a non-title bout. The two fighters continued with the same fighting style that they had used in the first fight, trading inside punches throughout the first three rounds. Early in the fourth round, Castillo knocked down Corrales with a left hook to his chin. Corrales wobbled to his feet at the referee's count of ten, causing the fight to end.
Corrales vs. Castillo III, dubbed "The War to Settle the Score," had been scheduled for February 4, 2006, but it was postponed because of a rib injury that Corrales suffered while training. The fight was rescheduled for June 3, 2006. At the weigh-in, however, Corrales weighed the 135 lb (61 kg) lightweight limit whereas Castillo weighed 139½ lb—causing the fight to be cancelled. Corrales later sued Castillo for punitive damages.
After Castillo
Corrales was scheduled to defend his lightweight title in a third bout against Joel Casamayor on October 7, 2006. However, Corrales weighed in 5 pounds over the limit. He was given two hours to shed five pounds, but came back at 139 pounds. Corrales would have been stripped of the title if he had won the bout, but Casamayor defeated him by split decision for the WBC and The Ring lightweight titles.
On April 7, 2007, fighting in the welterweight division, Corrales lost a unanimous decision to Joshua Clottey.[11] Corrales was dropped in rounds 9 and 10 and lost by the scores of 97-90, 98-89 and 100-87.
Death
On May 7, 2007, exactly two years to the day after his first fight with Castillo, Corrales was killed in a three-vehicle accident near his Las Vegas home. Corrales was riding a 2007 Suzuki GSXR 1000 motorcycle, traveling northbound on Fort Apache Road in the southwest part of the Las Vegas Valley, Corrales attempted to pass another vehicle at high speed, but Corrales struck the back of the car and was immediately knocked off his bike and hit the ground. An ambulance was called by the witnesses at the scene, Corrales was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. Las Vegas police spokesman Sgt. Tracy McDonald said: "The accident occurred at approximately 7:30 p.m. PDT." McDonald said there was no outward evidence of drugs or alcohol involved. He could not say how fast the motorcycle was traveling. Corrales blood alcohol content was 0.25 at the time of the crash, approximately 3 times the legal limit for Nevada. The Funeral in Las Vegas was ushered by Referee Richard Steele with three main speakers, promoter Gary Shaw, Sportscaster Rich Perez and a representative from the Corrales family.[12]
Professional boxing record
40 Wins (33 knockouts, 7 decisions), 5 Losses (3 by knockout, 2 by decision), 0 Draws [13] Res. Opponent Type Rd Date Location Notes Loss Joshua Clottey
UD 10 2007-04-07 Shrine Mosque, Springfield, Missouri, United States
Loss Joel Casamayor
SD 10 2006-10-07 Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Lost The Ring and WBC Lightweight World Titles. Loss Jose Luis Castillo
KO 4 (12) 2005-10-08 Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win Jose Luis Castillo
TKO 10 (12) 2005-05-07 Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Retained WBO & won The Ring and WBC Lightweight World Titles. Win Acelino Freitas
TKO 10 (12) 2004-08-07 Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States
Won WBO Lightweight World Title. Win Joel Casamayor
SD 12 2004-03-06 Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States
Won vacant WBO Super Featherweight World Title. Loss Joel Casamayor
TKO 6 (12) 2003-10-04 Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win Damian Fuller
KO 3 (10) 2003-06-20 Home Depot Center, California, United States
Win Felix St Kitts
TKO 3 (10) 2003-04-24 Grand Casino, Gulfport, Mississippi, United States
Win Roque Cassiani
RTD 1 (10) 2003-02-22 The Pyramid, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Win Michael Davis
TKO 5 (8) 2003-01-25 Ballys Park Place Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United State
Loss Floyd Mayweather Jr.
TKO 10 (12) 2001-01-20 MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
For WBC Super Featherweight World Title. Win Angel Manfredy
TKO 3 (12) 2000-09-02 Don Haskins Convention Center, El Paso, Texas, United States
Retained IBF Super Featherweight World Title. Win Justin Juuko
KO 10 (12) 2000-06-17 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win Derrick Gainer
TKO 3 (12) 2000-03-18 MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Retained IBF Super Featherweight World Title. Win John Brown
UD 12 1999-12-04 Chinook Winds Casino, Lincoln City, Oregon, United States
Retained IBF Super Featherweight World Title. Win Roberto Garcia
TKO 7 (12) 1999-10-23 MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Won IBF Super Featherweight World Title. Win Angel Aldama
TKO 4 (12) 1999-06-12 Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California, United States
Win Claudio Victor Martinet
TKO 5 (10) 1999-04-02 Convention Center, Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
Win Gairy St. Clair
UD 12 1998-12-18 Yosemite Hall, Sacramento, California, United States
Win Hector Arroyo
TKO 5 (10) 1998-11-20 Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win Benito Rodriguez
KO 6 (?) 1998-09-12 Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California, United States
Win Rafael Morfin
TKO 2 (?) 1998-08-15 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win Benito Rodriguez
TD 7 (?) 1998-07-05 Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California, United States
Win Eduardo Contreras
TKO 2 (?) 1998-05-30 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win Juan Carlos Salazar
KO 1 (?) 1998-04-18 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win Angel Aldama
UD 10 1999-06-12 Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, United States
Win Juan Angel Macias
TKO 6 (12) 1997-10-18 Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win Juan Angel Macias
KO 8 (10) 1997-08-22 Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, United States
Win Manny Castillo
TKO 11 (12) 1997-07-11 Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, United States
Win Javier Pichardo
KO 2 (12) 1997-05-09 Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win Steve Quinonez
TKO 4 (?) 1997-04-04 Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win Idelfonso Bernal
TKO 2 (6) 1997-03-14 Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Win Salvador Montes
KO 1 (6) 1997-01-13 Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Win Julian Vasquez
KO 1 (?) 1996-12-16 Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win Mario Gonzalez
KO 1 (?) 1996-12-13 Tecate, Baja California, Mexico
Win Juan Santos
TKO 1 (?) 1996-11-29 Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win Sergio Macias
TKO 4 (4) 1996-10-11 Texas Station Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win Murphy Hughes
KO 1 (4) 1996-09-13 Knapp Center, Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Win Cesar Morales
TKO 2 (4) 1996-08-17 Sports Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Win Lorenzo Raul Chaires
KO 1 (4) 1996-06-27 Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Win Ciro Canales
UD 4 1996-06-07 Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win Victor Manuel Mendoza
TKO 3 (4) 1996-05-30 Celebrity Theater, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Win Enrique Beltran
UD 4 1996-03-28 Celebrity Theater, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Win Everett Berry
TKO 3 (4) 1996-03-19 Club Rio, Tempe, Arizona, United States
Diego's professional debut. References
- ^ http://www.garyshawproductions.com/Fighters/Corrales/Corrales-Bio.shtml
- ^ John Rawling (2007-05-10). "Diego Corrales | Boxing | guardian.co.uk Sport". London: The Guardian. http://sport.guardian.co.uk/boxing/comment/0,,2076183,00.html. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
- ^ John Rawling (2007-05-10). "Diego Corrales | Boxing | guardian.co.uk Sport". London: The Guardian. http://sport.guardian.co.uk/boxing/comment/0,,2076183,00.html. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
- ^ Press release. "Showtime Championship Boxing to feature WBO lightweight championship." 2 June 2004. Showtime. Retrieved 28 August 2006.
- ^ Boxing-Records editors. Boxing-Records: Diego Corrales 1 March 2006. GFAX. Retrieved 28 August 2006.
- ^ "Diego Corrales Looks Ahead". Maxboxing.com. 2003-06-18. http://www.maxboxing.com/Stowell/stowell061803.asp. Retrieved 2009-06-06.[dead link]
- ^ Eisele, Andrew. "Ring Magazine Fight of the Year." About.com. Retrieved 23 July 2006.
- ^ Gregg, John. HIS main goal was to beat castillo."2005 Boxing Year in Review." 3 January 2006. The Boxing Times.'.' Retrieved 23 July 2006.
- ^ "Corrales vs. Castillo I- Fight of the Year 2005." 5 January 2006. TigerBoxing.com.'.' Retrieved 23 July 2006.
- ^ Castillo, José Luis. "Showtime Conference Call Quotes: Corrales, Castillo & Their Teams." 5 December 2005. East Side Boxing. His main goal was to beat Castillo. Retrieved 23 July 2006.
- ^ "ESPN - Fight lasts 10 rounds, but Clottey dominates throughout - Boxing". Associated Press. Sports.espn.go.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2829747. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
- ^ "Corrales blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit". Associated Press. Sports.espn.go.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2902353.
- ^ Diego Corrales's Professional Boxing Record – BoxRec.com
External links
- Professional boxing record for Diego Corrales from BoxRec
- The rises and falls of Diego Corrales by Jason Probst, 17 April 2003, Sacramento News & Review.
- Diego Corrales's FindAGrave Site
- Diego Corrales Fight-by-Fight Career Record
- FightFan.com: Exclusive AUDIO Interview with 'Chico' by Ace Freeman, Mar 2007
Preceded by
Roberto GarciaIBF Super Featherweight Champion
October 23, 1999 – September 2, 2000
VacatedVacant Title next held bySteve ForbesVacant Title last held byAcelino FreitasWBO Super Featherweight Champion
March 6, 2004Vacant Title next held byMike AnchondoPreceded by
Acelino FreitasWBO Lightweight Champion
August 7, 2004 -2006
StrippedVacant Title next held byAcelino FreitasPreceded by
José Luis CastilloWBC Lightweight Champion
Ring Magazine Lightweight Champion
May 7, 2005 –October 8, 2006Succeeded by
Joel CasamayorCategories:- 1977 births
- 2007 deaths
- American boxers of Mexican descent
- Boxers at the 1995 Pan American Games
- Boxers from California
- Lightweight boxers
- Super-featherweight boxers
- World Boxing Council Champions
- International Boxing Federation Champions
- World Boxing Organization Champions
- Motorcycle accident victims
- Road accident deaths in Nevada
- People from Sacramento, California
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