Diego "Chico" Corrales was a "life in the fast lane" kind of guy... but the only time I met him, he was patient and friendly with a novice reporter, who had no clue what he was doing.
I was 24 years old, had just begun writing for the internet boxing site: 'Boxing Wise', and had gotten to the Staples Center late, for my first ever press conference. I had no program, no schedule, and had missed half of what was going on. By the time it ended, I was thoroughly confused. Genaro Hernandez had helped me out a little, but I had spent more time interviewing him about his career than finding out what was happening.
All I knew was that De la Hoya and Mosley were not there (it was their first fight), so i was going to approach the biggest name fighter there... Diego Corrales. To my surprise he was standing alone, swinging his arms back and forth nervously, at the end of the press conference. I approached him, and asked one stupid question after another. I admitted I had gotten there late, knew nothing, and he smiled and repeated everything for me... the date he would be fighting (I was that clueless), opponent, and then humbly only predicted a "great fight" if he got Mayweather in the ring (he did 7 months later). I will always remember that friendly, sheepish smile, and the attitude as if my ignorance was not bothering him at all. And being a tall fighter from California (me too) always cheered for him to win.
Last month, I recommended he retire. He had done all he needed to do in the ring. Sadly, although fight fans got his all, his children will not be so lucky. They will barely know their father. One of them (due in two months) will not know him at all. For all he gave to us in that ring, he deserved the easy life in retirement. But his kind so rarely gets it. Financial hardships and early death were his reward for entertaining slugfests, while fighters like Floyd Mayweather and Roy Jones Jr. have enjoyed riches for boring us to tears time after time. Corrales' death is a big loss for the boxing world, and hits me especially hard... but it's his children who I hope can reap the benefits of their father's boxing legacy.
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