R.I.P. Diego "Chico" Corrales

[Trickeration Station]

R.I.P. Diego "Chico" Corrales


ssociated Press
Boxer Diego Corrales Dies in Vegas Crash
Associated Press 05.08.07, 2:37 AM ET


Diego "Chico" Corrales, who won titles in two weight classes and was involved in one of the most memorable fights in recent times, died Monday in a motorcycle accident, his promoter said. He was 29.

Gary Shaw said Corrales was driving his motorcycle at a high rate of speed when he ran into the back of a car about 10 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip on Monday night.

"He's laying there as we speak with a helmet on his head under a sheet," Shaw said. "It appears he was thrown a great distance."

Shaw said Corrales, whose career had faltered in recent fights, had recently bought a racing motorcycle, which he was apparently riding at the time he was killed.

"He fought recklessly and he lived recklessly," Shaw said. "That was his style."

Las Vegas police spokesman Jose Montoya said the victim in the accident was wearing a helmet, and it was not known if drugs or alcohol was involved.

"No tests have been done. We're still investigating," Montoya said.

The lanky Corrales, who stood 5-10 1/2 but fought most of his career at 130 pounds, was a big puncher best known for getting up after two 10th-round knockdowns to stop Jose Luis Castillo in one of the most thrilling fights ever.

The fight took place May 7, 2005, exactly two years from the night he died. It was named by the Boxing Writers Association of America and numerous boxing publications as the fight of the year.

Corrales, though, was knocked out by Castillo in the rematch and lost a big payday when he failed to make weight for his next fight. He lost his last three fights, including his last fight on April 7 against Joshua Clottey in Springfield, Mo. He had moved up two weight divisions to welterweight for that fight, but dropped a decision.

Corrales, who was born in Sacramento, Ca., but lived in Las Vegas in recent years, was a big puncher who won his first 33 fights and held a piece of the 130-pound title before he was stopped by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a unification fight in January 2001.

Corrales was sent to jail on a domestic abuse charge after that fight, and didn't fight again for two years. He came back to fight a trilogy against Joel Casamayor, losing two of the three fights, and split a pair of fights with Castillo.

After failing to make weight and then losing in the ring to Casamayor in a lightweight fight last October, Corrales made the unusual step of moving up two weight classes to fight Clottey. He was knocked down in the ninth and tenth rounds and lost a unanimous decision.

"He always cared about the fans and gave them their money's worth," Shaw said. "He was a true warrior. He was what boxing stood for, and what boxing is all about."

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/05/ ... 95640.html

[oso1]

I read about this on the internet, very sad that Corrales passed. I remember when he fought Castillo both times, very exciting and dramatic fights, those fights will go down in history, a true warrior, he showed a lot of HEART.


R.I.P. CORRALES.

[StillNoScript]

He's from Sacramento, was always in the shadow of Tony Lopez as far as local pro fighters go. His arrests had a lot to do with it. Anyhow, dude lived a rough life. RIP.

[Trickeration Station]

He's from Sacramento, was always in the shadow of Tony Lopez as far as local pro fighters go. His arrests had a lot to do with it. Anyhow, dude lived a rough life. RIP.

WAS HE FROM THE OAK PARK AREA OF SACRAMENTO? YEAH, HE WAS CURRENTLY LIVING IN LAS VEGAS.

[Y.G.]

MAN I JUST SEEN THIS ON T.V.! HE WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOXERS. R.I.P. DIEGO CORRALES.

[oso1]

Im not sure but i think he had M O P tatted across his stomach, does anyone know that stands for ?

[oso1]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=imZaiGJgbsw& ... ed&search=

[StillNoScript]

He's from Sacramento, was always in the shadow of Tony Lopez as far as local pro fighters go. His arrests had a lot to do with it. Anyhow, dude lived a rough life. RIP.

WAS HE FROM THE OAK PARK AREA OF SACRAMENTO? YEAH, HE WAS CURRENTLY LIVING IN LAS VEGAS.

He's from Oak Park. I found out from doing a google. Here's an article about his comeback from '05, from a small Sacramento alternative paper.

http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/Content?oid=44117

I never knew where he was from. I knew about him more from his troubles than his success, unfortunately. In the '80s, when I was growing up, it was all about Tony Lopez, being from Sacramento. Then in the '90s, it was Willie Jorrin. Corrales was always in the background, unfortunately, and it was hard for him to break from his past. Anyhow, may he rest in peace.

[alexalonso]

i remember he was in EA sports Boxing video game, Knock Out. He was a good boxer.

[BuCCyBlue]

man i was just using cuhz to beat on my lil' cousins in fight night but may god rest his soul in that peaceful place

[BlueCadillaC167]

RIP

[ManifestTruth]

Im not sure but i think he had M O P tatted across his stomach, does anyone know that stands for ?

M.O.P. stood for Made Out Of Poverty. Very good boxer, fierce warrior, what many would call a throwback fighter. Saw
him fight the Brazilian, Acelino Freitas back in '04. Chico was getting outboxed but you could feel him closing in on Freitas.
Made Freitas quit in the 10th round. Diego Corrales v Jose Luis Castillo in '05, best fight I've ever seen. Chico looked DEAD
in the 10th round, how he came back and stopped the iron chinned Castillo is still beyond me. True warrior this kid.
PEACE BE UPON HIS SOUL.

[JelisLust]

Its sad that he went out while his career was going down the drain. It seemed that the media didn't even really care when he died.

RIP Chico.

[alexalonso]

Is this one of the most exciting rounds you have seen in a long time? I think he used the "spit the mouth piece" strategy to perfection to buy him afew more seconds to get right. I really like the way Corrales uses as much of the 10 seconds before he gets up from both knock downs, Zab Judah, are you listening.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imZaiGJgbsw[/youtube]

[Y.G.]

Is this one of the most exciting rounds you have seen in a long time? I think he used the "spit the mouth piece" strategy to perfection to buy him afew more seconds to get right. I really like the way Corrales uses as much of the 10 seconds before he gets up from both knock downs, Zab Judah, are you listening.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPyMipg0iS4[/youtube]

I SEEN THIS FIGHT AND HONESTLY IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST FIGHTS I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE.

[ManifestTruth]

I really like the way Corrales uses as much of the 10 seconds before he gets up from both knock downs, Zab Judah, are you listening.

HAHAHA, good one!! Yeah mayne, cause that chicken dance he did when Kostya Tsyzu put him on queer street was funny as hell.

[alexalonso]

I really like the way Corrales uses as much of the 10 seconds before he gets up from both knock downs, Zab Judah, are you listening.

HAHAHA, good one!! Yeah mayne, cause that chicken dance he did when Kostya Tsyzu put him on queer street was funny as hell.

exactly, Zab Judah's pride told him to get right back up as quick as possible to tell Kosta that he wasnt hurt, but if he would have stayed down for about 8 seconds or 9, then get up like Diego did both times he was down, Zab maybe would have had a better chance in that fight, and he wouldn't have taken his frustration out on Nady (the ref).


I sure would like to see the post fight interviews, has anyone seen them?

[Old Shatterhand]

Agreed. That was tough. Nice finish.

Is this one of the most exciting rounds you have seen in a long time? I think he used the "spit the mouth piece" strategy to perfection to buy him afew more seconds to get right. I really like the way Corrales uses as much of the 10 seconds before he gets up from both knock downs, Zab Judah, are you listening.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPyMipg0iS4[/youtube]

[JelisLust]

Is this one of the most exciting rounds you have seen in a long time? I think he used the "spit the mouth piece" strategy to perfection to buy him afew more seconds to get right. I really like the way Corrales uses as much of the 10 seconds before he gets up from both knock downs, Zab Judah, are you listening.

Seemed like a pretty good fight. Its not often where you see fights like that in boxing anymore. I still don't like how it ended so quickly though. If they let Diego get up twice, then Castillo should of been able to take more hits at least, to see if he was going to do something.

[ManifestTruth]

Is this one of the most exciting rounds you have seen in a long time? I think he used the "spit the mouth piece" strategy to perfection to buy him afew more seconds to get right. I really like the way Corrales uses as much of the 10 seconds before he gets up from both knock downs, Zab Judah, are you listening.

Seemed like a pretty good fight. Its not often where you see fights like that in boxing anymore. I still don't like how it ended so quickly though. If they let Diego get up twice, then Castillo should of been able to take more hits at least, to see if he was going to do something.

More like an awesome fight! Think of Hagler-Hearns for ten rounds(wouldnt put Castillo/Corrales on par with them in terms of skills and greatness though). They didnt
let Corrales get up twice, he got up twice and slightly bent the rules(great fighters do
what they have to do to win). Reason it was stopped was because Castillo was out on
his feet and not defending himself. Hats off to both of them.

ps- hope Zab is somewhere reading/listening..

[Trickeration Station]

Seemed like a pretty good fight. Its not often where you see fights like that in boxing anymore. I still don't like how it ended so quickly though. If they let Diego get up twice, then Castillo should of been able to take more hits at least, to see if he was going to do something.

THEY STOPPED THE FIGHT BECAUSE WHEN A FIGHTERS HEAD IS SNAPPED BACK LIKE A RAG DOLL THE MAJORITY OF THE REFS WILL NOT LET THE FIGHT GO.

[Redrag52]

RIP diego

[alexalonso]

if Diego didnt win that round/fight, would that have been scored a 10-6 round? because he was knocked down twice and he was deducted a point for spitting out his mouth piece.

[Trickeration Station]

if Diego didnt win that round/fight, would that have been scored a 10-6 round? because he was knocked down twice and he was deducted a point for spitting out his mouth piece.

YEAH THAT ROUND WOULD HAVE BEEN SCORED A 10-6 ROUND.

[~J~]

HAHAHA, good one!! Yeah mayne, cause that chicken dance he did when Kostya Tsyzu put him on queer street was funny as hell.

[NICKELS]

YEAH THAT WAS A GOOD ONE .......BROOKLYN COULDNT STAND UP THAT DAY........LOL

[~J~]

YEAH THAT WAS A GOOD ONE .......BROOKLYN COULDNT STAND UP THAT DAY........LOL

Ah man... that was too funny, I've never seen something so gay in boxing before. maybe he should wear a paper bag over him head in Brooklyn? jokes aside, he does for some good boxing skills and held him own against Mayweather.