He stood 5-11 but looked lankier than that as he made a name for himself in the super featherweight division. He
earned the IBF super featherweight crown, his first major title, with a TKO victory over Roberto Garcia on October
23, 1999.
Corrales last fought on April 7, losing a unanimous decision to Joshua Clottey in Springfield, Missouri.
The heavy hitter, who finishes with a career mark of 40-5 (33 KOs) will be forever recalled as a stout-hearted
warrior who dished out punishment fiercely. He, too, would sometimes take a wallop on the chin, and hit the canvas,
but Corrales showed a warrior's stubbornness in defeat.
In his May 7, 2005 battle with Jose Luis Castillo, Corrales was sent to the canvas twice via left hooks in the tenth
round. But he rose both times, and after the second knockdown, with his left eye swollen nearly shut, he returned
fire.
He dazed Castillo with a right, and followed up with a savage professionalism. Corrales pressed forward, pinning
Castillo on the ropes with a furious barrage, and the referee Tony Weeks stepped in and halted the bout. It was the
fight of the year in 2005, and will stand as one of the most improbable turnarounds in fortune for the ages.
Corrales lost a rematch with Castillo, five months later, in a scrap overshadowed by Castillo's weight woes.
A planned tiebreaker with Castillo fell out, as Castillo again couldn't make the lightweight limit. But Corrales fought
on. He dropped a decision to Joel Casamayor, his third match with the well-schooled Cuban, in his next
appearance, on October 7, 2006. He had his own difficulty with the scale for this bout, ironically, and chose to make
the leap to the welterweight class as a result. The bout with Clottey, in which he was knocked down in the ninth and
tenth rounds, had fans of the boxer calling for him to exit the game for good.
Corrales, a Hall of Fame cinch, had the opportunity to climb high on pound for pound lists when he accepted a
challenge to hand Floyd Mayweather Jr. his first loss, on January 20, 2000. But Corrales' head wasn't fully on the
task at hand, as he was facing jail time for assaulting his wife, Maria, who was pregnant at the time. He was
convicted, and sentenced to two years jail time. Mayweather knocked Corrales to the floor five times, and "Chico"
was stopped in the tenth round. Corrales then served 14 months in a state facility.
His career arc took a turn for the better after the incarceration. On October 4, 2003, bleeding profusely from the
mouth, he was stopped by Casamayor. But five months later, he edged out the Cuban, snagging a split decision
win.
Corrales followed that outing by handing Brazilian Acelino Freitas his first loss, on August 7, 2004.
Then came the classic with Castillo, which is certain to remain a YouTube staple for decades. Corrales' refusal to
stay down, his unwillingness to cave in to seemingly insurmountable odds, was on full display on this night, and will
serve as his epitaph in video for perpetuity.
RIP, Diego Corrales
By Michael Woods
Former world champion Diego "Chico" Corrales, who engaged in one of the most memorable come-from-behind wins
in boxing history, died in a motorcycle crash Monday night in Las Vegas. He was 29 years old.
"He crashed on a motorcycle," his manager, James Prince, told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. "It don't look like he made it
through this. He's dead."
Corrales was born August 25, 1977.
He grew up in Sacramento, California, and managed to refashion his life, away from a budding interest in juvenile
misbehavior, and debuted as a professional boxer in 1996.
By Michael Woods
Former world champion Diego "Chico" Corrales, who engaged in one of the most memorable come-from-behind wins
in boxing history, died in a motorcycle crash Monday night in Las Vegas. He was 29 years old.
"He crashed on a motorcycle," his manager, James Prince, told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. "It don't look like he made it
through this. He's dead."
Corrales was born August 25, 1977.
He grew up in Sacramento, California, and managed to refashion his life, away from a budding interest in juvenile
misbehavior, and debuted as a professional boxer in 1996.
| Diego Corrales 1977-2007 |
It was really weird hearing the news that Corrales was dead. I first met him in 1995 on a trip to Germany for the World
Amateur Boxing Championships and last spoke to him a few years ago. We had agreed to hang out next time I visited
Las Vegas. I guess our meeting will have to wait.
I'll best remember him for waking me up early in the morning to let me know Team USA had just got out of a meeting.
The meeting was about me. They had asked everyone not speak to me cause I had publicly expressed my opinion
about the officials and coaches in charge of USA Boxing. Diego's response to me was, "fuck them, we'll sneak out
tonight and get drunk".
I had said publicly that USA Boxing President Jerry Dusenberry along with the coaches were a bunch of crooks.
Everyone thought I was crazy. A few years after I said this, this story was published. Jerry Dusenberry accused of
fraud.
1995 World Championship Team
106 Arnulfo Bravo, 112 Eric Morel, 119 Carlos Navarro, 125 Floyd Mayweather, 132 Diego Corrales, 139 Arturo
Ramos, 147 Bobby Lewis, 156 Jeffery Clark, 165 Eric Wright, 178 Antonio Tarver, 201 Davaryl Williamson, 201+
Lawrence Clay-Bey
Amateur Boxing Championships and last spoke to him a few years ago. We had agreed to hang out next time I visited
Las Vegas. I guess our meeting will have to wait.
I'll best remember him for waking me up early in the morning to let me know Team USA had just got out of a meeting.
The meeting was about me. They had asked everyone not speak to me cause I had publicly expressed my opinion
about the officials and coaches in charge of USA Boxing. Diego's response to me was, "fuck them, we'll sneak out
tonight and get drunk".
I had said publicly that USA Boxing President Jerry Dusenberry along with the coaches were a bunch of crooks.
Everyone thought I was crazy. A few years after I said this, this story was published. Jerry Dusenberry accused of
fraud.
1995 World Championship Team
106 Arnulfo Bravo, 112 Eric Morel, 119 Carlos Navarro, 125 Floyd Mayweather, 132 Diego Corrales, 139 Arturo
Ramos, 147 Bobby Lewis, 156 Jeffery Clark, 165 Eric Wright, 178 Antonio Tarver, 201 Davaryl Williamson, 201+
Lawrence Clay-Bey
Corrales service postponed
The memorial service for Diego "Chico" Corrales, 29,
originally scheduled for Thursday, May 10, at 11 A.M. PT,
at the Palm Green Valley Mortuary (7600 South Eastern
Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89123), has been postponed.
Details on the service will be forthcoming from the
Corrales family. A two-division world champion, Corrales
(40-5, 33 KOs), was killed in a motorcycle crash Monday
evening in Las Vegas. It was the second anniversary of
his epic lightweight title unification victory over Jose Luis
Castillo. In lieu of flowers, the Corrales family has
requested that donations be made in Chico's memory to
your favorite charity.
The memorial service for Diego "Chico" Corrales, 29,
originally scheduled for Thursday, May 10, at 11 A.M. PT,
at the Palm Green Valley Mortuary (7600 South Eastern
Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89123), has been postponed.
Details on the service will be forthcoming from the
Corrales family. A two-division world champion, Corrales
(40-5, 33 KOs), was killed in a motorcycle crash Monday
evening in Las Vegas. It was the second anniversary of
his epic lightweight title unification victory over Jose Luis
Castillo. In lieu of flowers, the Corrales family has
requested that donations be made in Chico's memory to
your favorite charity.
Corrales service on Thursday
The memorial service for Diego "Chico" Corrales, 29, is scheduled for Thursday, May 10, at 11 A.M. PT, at the
Palm Green Valley Mortuary (7600 South Eastern Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89123) A two-division world champion,
Corrales (40-5, 33 KOs), was killed in a motorcycle crash Monday evening in Las Vegas. It was the second
anniversary of his epic lightweight title unification victory over Jose Luis Castillo. In lieu of flowers, the Corrales
family has requested that donations be made in Chico's memory to your favorite charity.
Tuesday, May 8 2007
The memorial service for Diego "Chico" Corrales, 29, is scheduled for Thursday, May 10, at 11 A.M. PT, at the
Palm Green Valley Mortuary (7600 South Eastern Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89123) A two-division world champion,
Corrales (40-5, 33 KOs), was killed in a motorcycle crash Monday evening in Las Vegas. It was the second
anniversary of his epic lightweight title unification victory over Jose Luis Castillo. In lieu of flowers, the Corrales
family has requested that donations be made in Chico's memory to your favorite charity.
Tuesday, May 8 2007