 Peace at Last for ‘Chico’
 By Thomas Gerbasi (May 8. 2007) Photo © Chris Farina/TOP RANK
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Numb may be the best way to put it, the feeling you get when a 29-year old husband and father gets taken from this Earth way too soon. That numbness is even more pronounced when the person taken is Diego Corrales, a prizefighter who never left you with that feeling, one who always had you on the edge of your seat, either punching the person next to you or screaming at the television set as you waited to see his next feat of brilliance or bravery.
It was this bravery, more than the occasional flashes of brilliance, for which Corrales will always be remembered. It was why we all called him ‘Chico’, as if he were one of the family, the guy down the block who you could barbecue with on the weekend but who would also have your back if things ever got heated.
And you knew he would fight to the end; it was just his nature. It’s why his 40-5 record with 33 knockouts really doesn’t matter, or why the title belts in two weight classes are meaningless. Corrales was a fighter who gave us great fights, and that was the only important thing.
It’s why we were able to overlook his faults and past transgressions outside the ring, as harsh as they may have been at times. That ability to overlook this sporting hero’s humanity harkened back to a day when an athlete’s private life was just that, private.
Corrales made it easy to do that with his affable personality and easy laugh. I’ll never forget my first conversation with him before his 2001 fight with Floyd Mayweather, when he was quoting a classic line from Woody Allen’s Annie Hall. Yes, the toughest man in boxing quoted Annie Hall. Like I said, he was everyman, a Clark Kent in every way until he laced on a pair of gloves and became Superman.
But even Superman has his Kryptonite, and as the years and the wars piled up, Corrales’ armor showed cracks. A month to the day before his tragic death Monday night, Corrales lost his third fight in a row, to Joshua Clottey. As had become his habit, he soaked up an enormous amount of punishment en route to a ten round decision defeat, and it was the type of loss that led many to call for his retirement.
There would be no retirement though, not for Diego Corrales. Fighting is what he knew how to do and all he wanted to do. He was smart enough to take another route in his life, to move into commentating or to work in some other aspect of the fight game, but there was only one place he belonged - in the ring.
We knew this, we accepted it, and we prayed for the best, knowing that most endings in this game aren’t happy ones. Yet if something tragic happened in the ring for Corrales, in the back of our minds we would have known that if he had a choice, this would have been the only way for him to go, to leave the ring on his shield.
That would have never happened though and we knew it, despite our calls for him to walk away and enjoy his family. He was too tough for that, too unwilling to yield. As he once told me about his refusal to give in, “I think it’s just my nature. I’ve always been very stubborn and resilient. As I got older it got even stronger and went further in that direction.”
Unfortunately, given his life before and during boxing, there were always hints that Corrales’ life would end before its time. It was just a feeling that a cloud was always in his rear view mirror waiting for its chance to pounce. As the years went by though, some of us started to believe that after so many superhuman feats, maybe he could emerge unscathed from anything.
But on Monday night, high speed, steel, and a car converged and took down one of boxing’s truest soldiers, ending a life that won’t be forgotten by those who knew him and those who had the pleasure of watching him. It brings back his first words after winning one of the greatest fights of all-time against Jose Luis Castillo. When asked about participating in the fight, which he won in the tenth round, he called it “an honor”.
No Chico, it was an honor watching you.
Rest in peace.
Over the seven years that I covered the career of Diego Corrales, I had the opportunity to speak to him on a number of occasions. Here are some of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite people in this game.
On his life after prison…
“It’s a rough game, but I’m an even tougher fighter and person. I think I’ve showed that a million times before and that’s what helps me get over the top and get to where I need to be. The fact that I am so tough and mentally strong enables me to go in there. Even where talent may fail, mental toughness is what does prevail for me and that’s what gives me the ability to go as far as I go. It gives me the confidence to surpass what I’ve done before.”
On his fight night transformation…
“Normally my wife walks me down to the dressing room – she gives me a hug and a kiss – and then she goes out to the arena. That’s where everything starts. The moment I’m in the dressing room I know that this is my chance - this is my time to keep my family proud and to keep my family happy, and to prove that there is no stopping me, no matter what comes my way. That’s when it happens. It comes on then, it goes off as soon as the fight is over. I’ve done my job, I’ve proved my point, and it’s over.”
On his ability to inspire those who are going through similar situations in their lives as he had…
“I think I can be an inspiration. For a lot of people who are going through that or have been through that, it’s like that light in the tunnel. I showed that you can make it through and come out on top and make things great.”
On his refusal to quit in the ring…
“That’s my dad’s doing. My dad believed that you push hard, and when you’re done pushing harder, keep trying to push. So that’s where it comes from. No matter what you do, it’s just an extraordinary drive. It’s my dad. I can never give up. I can’t do that. That’s something I was taught never to do. No matter what you do, you put everything in it; you leave it all on the table. And if you have anything left, then I didn’t do that.”
On his classic bout with Jose Luis Castillo and its effect on fight fans…
“It took a little while to really sink in. Once you started hearing how everybody spoke about it, and how in awe the world was of that fight – non-boxing fans watched that fight – it was just incredible to me. I could never fathom anything happening like that. Just how it captured so many people, it was just unbelievable. I knew it was something real special, but it’s hard to put into words.”
On fighting…
“I love what I’m doing, plain and simple. I enjoy proving to the world that I actually belong here. I enjoy it because I know what I have, and I’m able to do exactly what I love. Very few people can say that they actually have the job of their dreams, and I’m one of the people who can say that.”
On talking to Marvin Hagler after the Castillo fight…
“It’s a funny thing coming from him, probably one of the baddest asses that ever laced a pair of gloves. I’m in shock talking to Marvin Hagler, a person I grew up watching. And he’s telling me that I’m a tough guy. That’s awesome to hear that.”
On his mindset during one of his typical wars…
“My mindset is always the same – push very, very hard, work hard and try to keep everything together.”
On how he wants to be remembered by his children…
“When all is said and done, I’ll let my kids form their own opinion about their father, but hopefully they’ll say that I was someone very, very special, and that I showed them how to be strong. And that’s the only thing you can really hope for your kids is that they grow up to be strong – strong character, strong morals – and I hope that I’ve given my kids that.”.
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E-Mail Thomas Gerbasi at tgerbasi@mindspring.com or visit www.myspace.com/gerbasi |
