A Tribute To Diego Chico Corrales
by Joseph Hammond

Back in 2001 when I was a young gym rat at the local
boxing gym in a straw poll.
On the eve of the Corrales-Mayweather clash there was
only one kid proud enough to pick Corrales to win the
fight. “I got to pick Corrales, he’s bigger “and when
Pressed my friend elicited another reason “Cause he’s
from Sacramento he makes us also proud”.
Sentimentally, I was also rooting for Corrales when he
fought Mayweather but as Oscar De La Hoya learned this
past Saturday, is just too fast.

The defeat was hard on the previously undefeated
Corrales but in 2004 he came roaring back into boxing
mainstreams with big wins over Acelino Freitas and
Joel Casamayor. The knockout of Freitas was perhaps
the biggest win of “Chico’s” career at the time
Acelino Freitas was a national hero in Brazil which
despite Latin roots is not known for producing top
level fighters.

Boxers are some the nicest athletes you meet usually
despite their media personalities
they prove open and easy to talk to still pound-for
pound Diego Corrales stood above the rest as an all
around nice guy.

In 2004 I got to interview Corrales when he received
his award as the “2004 Fighter of the Year” from the
boxing hall of fame. Diego Corrales was my first live
interview but his casualness made it an easy task.
There were many great fighters in attendance that
night including Gene Fullmer and I asked “Chico” if
one day he looked forward to coming back here for his
own hall of fame induction and even he will now never
attend.

In his first fight with rival Jose Luis Castillo he
got off the mat twice 10th round to rally and knockout
Jose Luis Castillo in the same round. In a rematch
Jose Luis Castillo weighed in three pounds over the
weight limit causing controversy and allowing him to
use his added size to out power Corrales and win the
fight via fourth round KO.

When a third figth with Jose Luis Castillo fell
through due again to Jose Luis Castillo’s weight again
being an issue. Corrales and the boxing world were
robbed of what would have been a great conclusion to
an amazing boxing trilogy. Corrales subsequently lost
a rematch with Casamayor and then moved to
welterweight loosing a fight with Joshua Clottey

Outside the ring, Corrales was also something of a
late blooming intellectual with an inquisitive mind
for everything from science to fashion once asking a
reporter “Is that Burberry tie?”

Inside the ropes Corrales was gifted with great
natural athletic ability and a 5’10 frame and in some
respects he reminded the casual of a 135 pound Thomas
Hearns. Indeed Corrales will best remembered for
giving us a “Hearns-Hagler” type of action in his
brawls with Jose Luis Castillo.

Though I may not be from Sacaramento, it’s boxers like
Diego Corrales that make us all proud to follow
boxing.

R.I.P. Diego "Chico" Corrales 1977-2007