His Name Was Chico
 by Coyote Duran (May 9, 2007) Doghouse Boxing (Photo © Tom Casino/SHOWTIME)
Coyote Duran: Hey Chico! How is everything? Can I call you Chico, Chico?
Diego Corrales: (Enthusiastically) Yeah! I'd prefer that!
-- My first Interview with Diego Corrales in April, 2005
I doubt this article that you’re reading right now is going to be any good or even come close to making sense at times. See, it’s been but a few hours since the boxing world learned about the death of Diego Corrales. I’m still
in shock.
I couldn’t believe the first thread I read in Doghouse Boxing’s message board. I can’t remember which one it was because they started coming up out of nowhere. We were frantically begging for links or something substantial news source that we could depend on for the truth. We were desperate. We were scared.
The news wires opened up like floodgates. It was true. It was all true.
Diego Corrales was really gone.
Our heads were spinning with grief.
What we knew up to that point was that the fighter simply known casually by all as ‘Chico’, who was only 29 years of age, was driving a virtually new sports bike at an excessive amount of speed and, as fast and as hard as he fought, left us just that quickly near the intersection of Fort Apache and Mesa Vista in southwest Las Vegas.
And like that, a young life was taken away from Our Sport just as quickly as he captured our hearts.
Diego Corrales had his problems. He had a rough life growing up but found his place in his world by become an amateur with a stellar record of 105-12. The gang-laden street life looked to be in his rear-view mirror once and for all.
From our second interview for Talking Boxing.com in July of 2005:
Coyote Duran: The tattoo on your stomach, "M.O.P.". What does that stand for?
Diego Corrales: (Pauses) "Made Out of Poverty."
Coyote Duran: Dude, that is heavy. Now look at you.
Diego Corrales: I made it out. (Laughs)
After picking up the pieces of his career, post-prison (for charges of domestic abuse by his first wife), Corrales wasn’t bitter. In fact, in an ironic twist, ‘Chico’ was more than humble and understanding when we first talked regarding the fighter who took advantage of his troubles to fuel the grudge their fateful meeting.
Talking Boxing.com, April, 2005:
Coyote Duran: Now I'm a huge believer in Karma and that what goes around comes around and to touch briefly on one of your past foes, Floyd Mayweather Jr., do you find it somewhat karmic that he’s going through the same legal issues that he talked trash to you about prior to your fight with him?
Diego Corrales: You know what? I do believe that too. I believe that it was just bad Karma coming back. (Laughs)
Coyote Duran: Amen! (Both laugh)
Diego Corrales: Yeah. You're right. But you know, I'm gonna tell you what, on the personal side of me, I wish nothing more than to see this guy get through that because being on that side and actually going through it and knowing what you feel and knowing what people can say and what people can say and do to you, no matter how much of a smile or what he's feeling or portraying for everyone to see, that's a hard thing to go through and it's a hard feeling......It's really hard to have to live that down and live through that. I wish nothing but the best for him. Hopefully, everything turns out the best for him in that situation.
The one-time street kid also found forgiveness.
And with that interview, little did I know that the fight that would change the boxing universe forever was looming around the corner. We knew there was the possibility of fireworks. We just didn’t realize how huge the display would be. I’ll never forget the night of May 7, 2005. The night Diego ‘Chico’ Corrales faced the Ring World Lightweight Champion Jose Luis Castillo for the first time.
My mother-in-law brought her new boyfriend, Duane, to meet us for the first time and I was hardly the accommodating host. I was locked on Showtime. Every round was breathtaking and at the conclusion of each one, I actually did feel like I had to catch mine. With each heat, I was on my feet, throwing punches into the air without realizing I was doing it. Cursing like man and screaming at the top of my lungs. I figured Duane thought I was some sort of lunatic.
Then the tenth round came. The round I swore Corrales would knock out Castillo in. Everything looked bleak after ‘Chico’ tasted the canvas twice and really had no inkling where he was.
Or did he?
Talking Boxing.com, July, 2005:
Coyote Duran: Now at the risk of sounding unprofessional, I take a huge amount of pride with predicting the exact outcome of that fight. I called that sucker because I remembered that out of 6 losses, 4 of them were by KO and 3 of those came in the 10th so I just went with it. But, man, was I scared! After the two knockdowns, I'm thinking, "Holy Shit! Did I predict this wrong??".......
Diego Corrales: (Laughs) And then I reversed it!
And then he reversed it. Finding power from who on Earth knows where, Diego Corrales would rise up and deliver the most frightful and desperate beatings to his Mexican foe, clobbering Jose Luis Castillo against the ropes until ‘El Temible’s’ head would snap back sickeningly right before referee Tony Weeks would mercifully call a halt to the bout. I was drunk with fight fanatic euphoria.
And history was made and the greatest fight I had ever seen in my life was burned into my memory for the remainder of my days.
The rest of Diego Corrales’ days were varied and never boring. Each rematch with Castillo, fulfilled and otherwise, was fraught with controversy. In losing to Castillo in the rematch, ‘Chico’ never wavered in his quest to face Castillo again. In the words of Val Kilmer’s character, Chris Knight, from the movie ‘Real Genius’, it was a moral imperative. That third match, due to Castillo coming in overweight once more, never came off.
From Talking Boxing.com, July, 2005:
Diego Corrales: It was a fun, fun thing that happened. It was nice. It may have hurt a little bit. It hurt! It was good to get in there and finally prove our places. And the funny thing is, forever mine and Castillo's names are gonna be tied together for what we have done. We're gonna go down in history together. It's like the funnest thing in the world! Dude, me and him are together forever.
Ironically, the same weight issues that came to plague Castillo after their first battle haunted Corrales as well. In not making weight to face twice-prior challenger Joel Casamayor, ‘Chico’ would forfeit his World Lightweight Championship and would lose to the Cuban once again by a split decision. But what was done was done. The Lightweight Championship was Corrales’ to lose. And although he had the genuine World title, in my eyes, Corrales’ aspirations were bigger after beating Jose Luis Castillo the first time.
From Talking Boxing.com, July, 2005:
Coyote Duran: Look, you don't have to tell me, man. You are THE World Lightweight Champion. If there ever was a giant The Ring Magazine ass-kisser, it's me. I admit it. To me, you are the man because of that. Are you saying that you want to unify the alphabet belts? Do you want to go after all these titleholders?
Diego Corrales: I do believe that there are some people here that I need to handle. If they own a "piece" of my crown, no matter what it is, I need to own it! I feel like it's mine. I wanna take control. At this point in time, I'm very being very selfish! I want everything! I want it all!
‘Chico’ never did get that chance and his 5’, 10 ½” frame would not allow any more defenses, no matter how selfish he wanted so badly to be.
For ‘Chico’s’ sweet victories and sobering losses, there was the one person who lifted him when times were darkest: His beautiful spouse, Michelle.
From Talking Boxing.com, July, 2005:
Coyote Duran: Speaking of your family, how do they feel about "Diego Corrales: Gigantic Star of Boxing"? How has it affected them?
Diego Corrales: You know what's funny is, there isn't a "Diego Corrales: Giant Star" in my family. I am Diego Corrales: A husband. A father. And Diego Corrales: The brother, the brother-in-law, the son-in-law, the son. That's who I am. My life is completely separated from my career and I keep them separate, you know?
Michelle was always there. In the ring after each fight, win or lose. Smiling in adoration at the lanky Love Of Her Life. But she knew he lived on the edge and supported his wild, daring streak, albeit reluctantly. I guess somewhere in her mind, she knew that ‘Chico’ could handle himself and then some in the ring. It was just the fear of the unknown that gripped her when her happy-go-lucky husband walked on the edge outside of the squared circle.
Talking Boxing.com, April, 2005:
Coyote Duran: Speaking of support in your corner, I have never seen a man happier than you when the fight is all over and your wife comes into the ring, all smiles.
Diego Corrales: Yeah!
Coyote Duran: Does it help you to have Michelle in attendance and does she have any input on your internal and spiritual preparation for a fight?
Diego Corrales: Yeah, I mean, of course. She's a big part of that and she helps me keep things together and move smoothly. I like that relationship that we have.
Women have always been gifted with what’s regarded as an intuitive ability which is always unequaled by any male bulls__t detector. Michelle’s intuition probably went off but with all the love, respect and unabashed awe she had…correction…still has for her husband, Diego, she let him do what made him, well, him. ‘Chico’ had such a fiery zest for life and a curiosity that made him the perfect type of adventurer who was more apt to power slide under the bed and surprise the monster that was waiting to eat him when he was seven years old. And that carried on into his adult life in spades.
From Talking Boxing.com, July, 2005:
Coyote Duran: That sounds like a challenge to me! I mean, here we are, we've got the World Lightweight Champion chasing everybody else. Most of the time, you hear about titleholders, guys who have a fraction of a world title,.......but here you are, guy at the top, wanting to chase everybody down. Don't you think that's kinda intimidating to the rest of the division?
Diego Corrales: (Laughs) I hope not! I hope they're like me and they go for the challenge. Y' know what? I'm unique. I believe that we are fighters. We are true gladiators. And being a gladiators,....they'd maybe enter a cage and they fought a lion, they fought a tiger, they fought a bear. They fought whatever you put in front of them. I feel that's what I am. I'm a gladiator and I'm ready to match mine against anybody at anytime and hopefully, they're not afraid of my challenge but if they are, hey, they're showing their weaknesses right there. I need to go chase them down and completely eliminate them.
The chase was never the impetus of who Diego ‘Chico’ Corrales really was. There were so many more dimensions to the man. He truly was the husband, the father, the brother, the brother-in-law, the son-in-law, the son. He just happened to be the fighter who made it out of poverty and literally and figuratively fought his way out of the crime-ridden youth. And it wasn’t the fame, the riches, the name in lights that drove Diego Corrales to greatness in the squared circle. It was so much simpler and at the same time, it was far greater than anything any one human can define but can always understand in the dead of night. In slumber.
Talking Boxing.com, April, 2005:
Coyote Duran: If you could describe your career and the tremendous success you’ve enjoyed in one word, what word would that be?
Diego Corrales: Dream.
Coyote Duran: Dream?
Diego Corrales: The dream. Y' know, I'm just living the dream.
As I reflect on the past 24 hours without Diego Corrales on this Earth, I shudder with fear. I feel myself become enveloped in hopelessness. I find less of a reason to smile. This world, This Sport, have both become darker in the shadow of ‘Chico’s’ departure. And we’re the ones who will have to adjust.
Diego Corrales wasn’t just some pug. He lit up a room with his smile. He always knew a good dirty joke and loved a nice libation every once in a while. He always had time to talk to fans and pose for pictures.
Diego Corrales was the living embodiment of love. And he was my friend.
Rest in peace, ‘Chico.’ I love you, man.
From Talking Boxing.com, July, 2005:
Diego Corrales: It's been fun. It's really been a lot of fun. It's been tiring. Very, very tiring and very, very busy but all in all, I still kept my household in order and as long as it (success and demands) doesn't interfere with my household, I guess I can accept everything else.
Coyote Duran: Thank you very much, Chico, for everything. Let's talk again before the fight!
Diego Corrales: You've got my number. Don't lose it! (Laughs).
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