"SHOW ME THE MONEY"
MGM Grand, Las Vegas (INSIDE BOXING) Saturday night January 20, 2001 featured a super featherweight bout between two unbeaten champions who had everything to gain…and…everything to lose.
Diego Corrales, a champion who had forfeited his IBF version of the title because of problems making the 130 pound weight limit, was taking on WBC champ Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in an attempt to gain financial security.
The fight would be at the 130 pound weight limit with Corrales stating that this would be his last fight in the weight class while Mayweather boasts he is secure in his dominance as a super featherweight.
With HBO offering a $15 million dollar six-fight guaranty for the winner the match was set. With both fighters being promoted by Bob Arum there was no haggling over the distribution of funds. This was seemingly a win, win situation for all concerned parties.
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. needed a victory to support his claim as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. A loss would make him the hunter and not the hunted in the super featherweight division.
Allegations regarding the dismissal of Mayweather’s father as his trainer was causing severe PR problems for the young (23 years old) fighter. The elder Mayweather accused his son of focusing on being a "wannabe gangster" instead of his boxing career.
Diego Corrales needed a victory to leave the super featherweight division with no doubt as to whom was the best while serving notice to the lightweight and super lightweight division title-holders that he was coming. A loss would, although not completely, eliminate him from any immediate big money fights.
A pending domestic violence charge where Corrales allegedly hit his pregnant wife in the face presents him with his own PR problems. Corrales claims he will be exonerated of all charges when he has his day in court.
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. stopped Diego Corrales in the 10th round by TKO.
Corrales was knocked down 3 times in the 7th round, his first time tasting the canvas. Knocked down again in the 8th and 10th rounds, Corrales was a beaten fighter.
Not because, as some suggested, Mayweather was necessarily the best fighter but for the new problem symptomatic of professional boxing. RAPID WEIGHT LOSS. The fight itself was so one-sided that reporting a round by round description is unnecessary. What is worthy of discussion will follow.
At the Friday weigh-in both fighters met the required super featheweight limit of 130 pounds. Just before the fight Saturday night Mayweather weighed 132 pounds. Corrales weight was an astonishing 146 pounds!
INSIDE BOXING is committed to the sport of boxing. The safety and health of participants is our primary concern while maintaining the ability to endorse exciting and competitive matches without compromising our integrity is critical.
Matches such as the one Saturday night further promote our contention that either the ABC (Association of Boxing Commissions) or individual State Boxing Commissions must be held accountable for the health and safety of all fighters.
Professional fighters consider themselves warriors. They sometimes have to be saved from themselves. Boxing is indeed a war of attrition. There is no need for a warrior to prove his valor by risking even temporary much less permanent injury all for the sake of one big payday.
Diego Corrales admitted the super featherweight limit of 130 pounds was getting near impossible to make. He had already made clear his plans to advance to the lightweight (135 pounds) or maybe even the super lightweight (140 pounds) division.
But when HBO offered him the opportunity to attain financial security for his family…who could blame him? But more important who should have stopped him?
Without any intervention from the governing body (ABC) who alleges to be primarily concerned with health and safety issues the fight went on as scheduled. Even though an investigation into the Corrales condition should have at least been approached. Was anyone concerned?
Saturday night there was not even a hint of the Diego Corrales the boxing community knows. He fought until it was obvious to none other than his own father that he could take no more. Despite vigorous protest from young Corrales, his dad threw in the towel…stopping the fight. Even though the words didn’t come from his mouth Saturday night young Corrales will one day thank this man who loves him for his actions.
This 23 years old young man had subjected his body to the rigors of a strict training program that included consulting a nutritionist in the hopes of monitoring his attempt to fight at the 130 pound weight restriction.
The attempt obviously failed. Verification was Corrales’ Friday weigh-in weight of 130 pounds and his Saturday pre-fight weight of 146 pounds.
What nutritionist would okay anyone, much less an athlete that has his/her body subjected to as much punishment as a professional prize fighter, gaining that much weight in a 24 hour period?
The credentials of the alleged nutritionist must be questioned. The concern and involvement of the ABC must be questioned even further. Their duty is to ensure all fights are conducted in an environment that is safe and allows for a reasonable degree of health security.
Diego Corrales will hopefully continue his boxing career at a weight that is appropriate to his frame and age. Adjustments concerning body changes and age are an issue every young athlete faces. His time is now!
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is a champion at a weight that is currently appropriate to his frame and age. He also will someday have to deal with adjustments that body changes and age bring about.
The governing "powers that be" (ABC) must take the initiative in ensuring that, even at the cost of financial security, all fighters realize there is no price paid in the ring that can compensate for good health after their boxing career is over. It is their job and, supposedly, their reason for existence.
HBO doesn’t care about a fighters’ health after boxing. They should be but they aren't.
Most promoters aren’t concerned with the health of a fighter after he can no longer perform in the ring. They should be but they aren't.
Both are primarily concerned in televising what is considered to be the most attractive and entertaining matches available. They leave the rules and regulations regarding who is deemed mentally and physically prepared up to the "powers that be" (ABC).
Before a fighter puts himself in the position of making a decision that could jeopardize his/her health all in the sake of a nice payday, let the appropriate associations make clear what is acceptable and what is unacceptable in terms of significant weight loss or gain.
The British have considered random weigh-ins for fighters at all weight classes. A fighter 15 or more pounds over his selected divisions’ limit will be automatically moved up to the category in his appropriate weight class. Maybe not a solution that will be readily adopted by all but a concerned attempt to remedy the problem before it gets out of hand. They were forced to take action after a series of injuries had them being held liable.
"Show me the money" is a phrase that we all equate with "how much can I receive for what I do RIGHT NOW"! A philosophy that seemingly over rules the usual common sense one might have regarding long term safety and health.
INSIDE BOXING will continue its’ effort to make you aware of gross violations regarding the RAPID WEIGHT LOSS SYNDROME.
Before someone becomes seriously injured it is time to address this issue. It is becoming dangerously more and more prevalent. We cannot and should not wait until liability is determined by a court of law. We all know whom the responsibility lies with and they should not shun that responsibility.
Sometimes, just sometimes a warrior has to be saved from him/her self. They have been conditioned to never quit. But it is our responsibility to step in when, whether for our own entertainment or their perceived financial gain, they lose sight of the possible long-term ramifications.
Safety and health are obligations that can be easily fulfilled. Families will thank us down the road.
Boy Wonder
01/21/01