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Diego "Chico" Corrales defends his IBF Jr Lightweight title against Angel Manfredy on HBO Boxing After Dark
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00:00Next on HBO, a Boxing After Dark doubleheader from El Paso features explosive action.
00:05130-pound champion Diego Corrales puts his title on the line against veteran Angel Manfredi.
00:10Eric Morales against hard-punching Kevin Kelly. Boxing After Dark is next.
00:17You watching HBO?
00:20Exhilarating. Hard-hitting. Unbeatable.
00:25HBO Sports.
00:30And now, the HBO Sports presentation, HBO Boxing After Dark.
00:52The following is a special presentation of HBO Sports, the network of champions.
01:00A
02:24And if you know your geography, you know that El Paso borders modern Mexico, so tonight's crowd will have a Hispanic flavor.
02:33Most of them here to see Eric Morales fighting for only the second time in the 126-pound weight class, second time since his classic matchup with Marco Antonio Barrera earlier this year.
02:43Others are here to see what's on Diego Corrales' mind, while others are here simply to see and to be seen on HBO's Boxing After Dark.
02:54And with a big smile, we welcome you to El Paso, Texas.
03:02And welcome you to this latest installment of Boxing After Dark, which tonight showcases two of the rising young superstars in the sport.
03:09But in the tradition of this series, these are fights in which both of the unbeaten superstars, Diego Corrales at 130 pounds, Eric Morales at 126 pounds, could walk away as the losers.
03:22Not least of all, because in the main event, Eric Morales, originally scheduled to fight fellow Mexican Guti Espadas, turns out in the last month after Espadas broke a collarbone to be fighting veteran Kevin Kelly, whom you may know well as the expert commentator of our KO Nation series.
03:39Kevin Kelly started the craze for watching fights in these weight classes.
03:43He's a big puncher, but he may have more than just the puncher's chance here.
03:47For more on that, let's turn to HBO Boxing After Dark commentator and legendary trainer and manager Emanuel Stewart.
03:53Emanuel, Kevin Kelly, not just your average last-minute throw-in opponent, what chance do you give him of upsetting Eric Morales' apple cart in the main event tonight?
04:03I give Kevin Kelly a good chance of putting up a good fight and possibly scoring an upset.
04:07It's going to be difficult going down the stretch because of the consistency of Morales.
04:11But Kevin Kelly comes in as a well-conditioned fighter for this fight, I believe.
04:15I think he has a good punch, his left-handed style of fighting, and his experience is going to present a problem to Eric Morales.
04:21All right, that's the subtext for the main event that we'll see later on tonight.
04:25Before we get to that, a fascinating fight involving a fighter with massive outside-the-ring problems.
04:31Diego Corrales has emerged as a rising star in the past year, taking a title at 130 pounds
04:35and becoming the foil to Floyd Mayweather Jr., the superstar of that division.
04:40But on July 23, six weeks ago, on a Sunday afternoon, Sacramento police were called to Corrales' apartment.
04:47He was charged that week with battering his three-month-pregnant 98-pound wife.
04:53According to media reports in Sacramento, she had a broken collarbone and three broken ribs,
05:01and her unborn child supposedly saw its life threatened for a period of time.
05:06In the wake of all that, Corrales went to Las Vegas to train for this fight.
05:10He claims that he has been media lynched and that, in fact, when information eventually comes out in court,
05:17we will discover that his wife was not nearly so badly injured as has been reported
05:21and that there's more to the story than we know, regardless of who's right.
05:25Certainly, Corrales enters the ring under massive pressure tonight
05:28as he gets ready to fight the veteran Angel Manfredi, HBO Boxing Analyst Larry Merchant.
05:33But all these things that Corrales now faces outside the ring worse in its way
05:39than the felony charge that Fernando Vargas, whom we saw last week, are facing.
05:43How do you expect all this to affect Corrales and his career?
05:47Jim, all we really know is that he has joined Vargas, Reed, Mayweather, Judah,
05:55as these youth may be wasted on young championship culture.
06:00However, long term, it all depends on what happens in court and how he deals with it.
06:07Short term, he appears to be the type of fighter who uses the ring and the gym
06:13as a refuge from the real world, that he can cope with it when it comes to fight time.
06:21But short term, he's got to deal with Angel Manfredi, who may be the best fighter he's ever faced.
06:28Indeed, Angel Manfredi with a colorful career over the last few years
06:32and has fought against some of the top fighters in the sport.
06:35We'll see what he can do tonight coming back to 130 pounds.
06:38Tale of the tape now for Diego Corrales against the veteran Angel Manfredi.
06:42And you can see that despite his colorful recent career, Manfredi is still only 25 years old.
06:48Corrales turned 23 about a week and a half ago.
06:52Corrales, the Tommy Hearns of the 130-pound division, six feet tall.
06:56He has a six-inch height advantage, a two-inch reach advantage.
06:59Weighed in a quarter of a pound under the limit tonight.
07:01Corrales weighs 140, Manfredi 135.
07:04That indicates they were both in excellent shape coming in.
07:08Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.
07:11The Diego Chico Corrales-Angel Manfredi fight is scheduled for 12 rounds
07:16using unified rules of the Association of Boxing Commissions.
07:20There is no standing eight count, no three-knockdown rule.
07:23Only the referee can stop the fight, and you cannot be saved by the bell in any round,
07:28including the 12th and final round.
07:31Jim.
07:32All right, Harold.
07:34You may remember when first we introduced Manfredi coming out of Gary, Indiana,
07:38the town that long ago produced Tony Zale.
07:40He's had a variety of incarnations in his public figure life,
07:44and the newest one, Larry, is yet another departure from the past.
07:47Yeah, well, pre-Prince, he came to us as El Diablo, the devil,
07:53and made a splash with this colorful entrance.
07:58But he now says he's a new creature with new features.
08:03After turning himself into some Las Vegas glitz,
08:07he has stripped himself down bare,
08:09claims he is a born-again Christian,
08:12and, in fact, talk so much about his faith, as you see here,
08:18that you would almost think he is running for political office.
08:24His biggest win was at 130 pounds
08:27when he defeated Arturo Gotti a few years back
08:30and derailed the freight train that had made Gotti
08:33one of the biggest attractions in the sport at that time.
08:36His biggest loss was a shocking two-round stoppage
08:39against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Miami
08:41when Mayweather Jr. simply caught him
08:44with his blinding speed
08:46and disoriented Manfredi with a couple of hard shots
08:48at the beginning of the second round.
08:51He has not fought in this weight class of 130
08:54for a couple of years now,
08:55so there's a question of how strong he can be
08:58against the ultra-strong Corrales.
09:01And there you see him once again trying to become a real angel.
09:05I give all the glory unto your name
09:09It says don't pass judgment,
09:20but he has said that if Corrales did what he did,
09:25it's immoral.
09:27We shouldn't judge Corrales in the court of public opinion.
09:31One great thing about Manfredi, Larry,
09:33after his big losses to Mayweather Jr.
09:37and then later to Stevie Johnston,
09:39he didn't stay out of the ring and mope.
09:41He went back into the ring and fought
09:43regardless of the size of the paycheck,
09:46and that's a mark of his professionalism as a fighter.
09:49Exactly.
09:49Too many fighters or champions or near champions
09:53when they lose, they refuse to face reality,
09:59won't take smaller purses to get back into the picture.
10:05Manfredi is a professional prize fighter.
10:08Let's take a closer look at Angel Manfredi.
10:12Those two losses in title fights
10:15as a junior lightweight to Mayweather,
10:18as a full lightweight to Stevie Johnson.
10:20This year, after losing to Johnson,
10:24he is 5-0, preparing for this shot.
10:28In one of those fights, he got a $40,000 purse,
10:32donated $5,000 of it to Wilfredo Benitez,
10:36the troubled former champion.
10:39A responsibility he felt was his
10:41because his ethnic heritage and background
10:44goes to Puerto Rico.
10:46Angel Manfredi from outside Chicago, Illinois,
10:49gets ready to fight Diego Corrales
10:52of Sacramento, California.
10:54And here comes Chico.
10:59Unexpectedly won a 130-pound title last year
11:02in October when he beat Robert Garcia
11:05in a fight in which Garcia had been leading
11:07in the early rounds.
11:09Came back less than five weeks later
11:11to beat John Brown on Boxing at the Dark.
11:13Although he is mild-mannered,
11:16well-spoken, bright,
11:20one insight into him
11:23was provided in a story
11:25about his last fight with Justin Jucco.
11:28He claims that Jucco taunted his wife
11:31about the fight before the fight.
11:33He went in there with the idea
11:35of punishing him,
11:36extending the fight,
11:37round-up breaking ribs,
11:40and Jucco's jaw.
11:44Corrales' family members
11:47involved in his camp
11:48sticking close to him
11:50and supporting him
11:51in the wake of the very serious charges
11:54filed against him
11:55on July 23.
11:56Meanwhile, women's groups
11:58in Sacramento and elsewhere
12:00say they want to see Corrales
12:02made an example
12:03of the problems
12:05that athletes have faced
12:06in controlling their violence
12:08in the home.
12:11And a closer look
12:12at Diego Corrales.
12:15Question of whether
12:17his showdown at 130 pounds
12:19with Mayweather
12:21will happen
12:22because both of them
12:23have had problems
12:24outside of the ring.
12:26If it doesn't happen
12:28early next year,
12:30Corrales,
12:30as tall as he is,
12:32expects to move up
12:34to 135 pounds,
12:36the lightweight limit shortly,
12:38and his nutritionist
12:40and trainer
12:41say that eventually
12:42he will be
12:43a full-blown welterweight.
12:47Big question.
12:49Will he bring his focus
12:51and concentration tonight
12:52while facing massive problems
12:55outside the ring?
12:56And while you're watching
12:56the fight tonight,
12:57log on to HBO.com
12:58slash boxing
12:59where you'll be able
13:00to judge the fights,
13:01answer the question,
13:01who's the best
13:02126-pound fighter?
13:04We're offering you
13:05as our candidates,
13:06Marco Antonio Barrera
13:07and Eric Morales,
13:08both recently arrived
13:09in the division,
13:10and the established
13:11featherweight champ
13:12of the world,
13:13Prince Nassim Hamed.
13:14Choose one of those three
13:15or write in somebody else.
13:17We'll give you the results
13:18at the end of the evening.
13:19Now let's go up
13:20to ring announcer Michael Buffer
13:21for the official introductions.
13:23Ladies and gentlemen
13:24from El Paso, Texas.
13:27Welcome to Boxing After Dark
13:30on HBO.
13:31Brought to you by
13:32Top Rank Incorporated
13:33along with
13:34La Cerveza Mas Fina,
13:36Corona Extra,
13:38and the Speaking Rock Casino
13:39of El Paso.
13:40The first bout
13:40brought to you
13:41in association
13:41with Cedric Kushner Promotions.
13:44Tonight's fights
13:44are sanctioned
13:45by the Texas Department
13:47of Licensing and Regulation.
13:49The scoring
13:50for this first bout
13:51will be done
13:52by three judges
13:52assigned at ringside
13:54scoring on the
13:5510-point must system,
13:56and they are
13:57David McCullough,
13:59Ronnie Ralston,
14:01and Gail Van Oy,
14:02and when the bell rings,
14:04your referee in charge
14:05of the action,
14:06Jerry McKenzie.
14:08And now,
14:08ladies and gentlemen,
14:0912 rounds of boxing
14:10for the IBA
14:12and IBF
14:13Junior Lightweight
14:15Championship
14:16of the World.
14:22Introducing first,
14:24fighting out
14:24of the blue corner,
14:26wearing black
14:27trimmed with silver
14:27and wearing in
14:28at 130 pounds.
14:30His professional record,
14:31an excellent one.
14:3333 victories,
14:34including 26 knockouts
14:36with four losses
14:38and a draw.
14:39From Hobart,
14:40Indiana,
14:41ladies and gentlemen,
14:43here is the challenger,
14:44the former junior
14:46lightweight champion
14:47of the world,
14:49Angel Manfredi.
14:58And his opponent
14:59across the ring,
15:00fighting out of
15:01the red corner,
15:02wearing blue camouflage
15:03and weighing in
15:05at 129 and three-quarter pounds.
15:08He brings a perfect
15:09professional record
15:10to the ring.
15:1132 bouts,
15:1232 victories,
15:14including 26 knockouts.
15:16He dedicates the night's bout
15:17to the memory
15:18of his good friend,
15:19Harvey.
15:20From Sacramento,
15:21California,
15:22ladies and gentlemen,
15:23presenting the reigning
15:24and defending,
15:26undefeated,
15:26IBA,
15:28IBF,
15:29junior lightweight
15:30champion of the world,
15:33Diego Chico Corrales.
15:38Let's go.
15:41Let's go.
15:44Let's go.
15:46All right, gentlemen,
15:47we've already been
15:48with instructions
15:48in the dressing room.
15:49Number one,
15:50protect yourself
15:51at all times.
15:52Touch them up
15:52and let's do it.
15:53All right.
15:55Jim Corrales
15:56was hit with a lot
15:56of clean, hard shots
15:58by Justin Chico.
16:00If he hasn't
16:01tightened up
16:01his defense,
16:03Manfredi could take him
16:04to school
16:05if not court.
16:09Of course,
16:10you could argue
16:10as Chico does
16:12that Chico
16:14wasn't powerful
16:15enough to hurt him,
16:16although, in fact,
16:17he was rocked
16:17a couple times
16:18in that fight,
16:19particularly in the
16:20seventh round,
16:20but eventually produced
16:21a TKO
16:22because Emmanuel Stewart
16:24Corrales has an
16:25unusual style
16:26and generates
16:27unusual power
16:28for this weight class.
16:29Well, what makes
16:30him so special
16:30for a tall guy,
16:31he stalks most guys.
16:33He blocks punches
16:34with very little effort
16:35with his gloves
16:36and elbows,
16:37and usually is in
16:37a position
16:38to effectively
16:39punch back.
16:40A lot of guys
16:41avoid punches,
16:41but they get out
16:42of position also
16:43at the same time.
16:44And he's very dangerous
16:45at all times
16:46because he has
16:46unbelievable eye-focus
16:48and concentration.
16:50And Freddie,
16:51pretty conventional
16:52in style,
16:53a boxer-puncher
16:54who sets up
16:56in a conventional
16:56stance,
16:57works behind the jab
16:58as you see.
16:59Probably his best punch
17:00is his left hook.
17:01And despite what you see
17:02as you look
17:03at Angel Manfredi,
17:04he said to us yesterday
17:05as part of his new
17:06spiritually cleansed
17:07persona,
17:08my tattoos are gone.
17:09I don't have them anymore.
17:11You mean he doesn't
17:11tattoo opponents anymore?
17:13Well, he declared
17:14that he said
17:15that his tattoos
17:16are there physically,
17:17but spiritually
17:17they have been removed.
17:18He says,
17:19I don't see them.
17:24Corrales said
17:25that he would
17:25use the first round
17:27as a feeling-out process
17:28and attempt to determine
17:29which style he should
17:30fight against Manfredi.
17:31One of the great
17:32advantages Corrales has
17:34is he's pretty
17:35equally effective
17:36going forward
17:37or going backward.
17:39He punches very good,
17:40because he doesn't
17:40utilize his height
17:41as much as most
17:42tall fighters,
17:43but is unusually comfortable
17:44fighting in, Coach,
17:45and particularly short
17:46punches such as that.
17:47Tight little right-left
17:49combination by
17:50Corrales inside.
17:52So far,
17:53it's been mostly
17:53a jabbing contest.
17:56The greater length
17:57of Corrales' blows
17:58evident to you
17:59on the screen.
18:01It's been a very
18:01intelligent fight
18:02at this point of time,
18:03but you can see
18:04that it's going to speed up
18:05as the fight progresses
18:06on.
18:07Unbelievable.
18:07Two left hooks
18:09to the body
18:09by Manfredi,
18:10and the answering
18:11left hook
18:12put Angel on his butt.
18:14That's what I was
18:14thinking about
18:15when I said
18:15he can block punches
18:16and still be in a position
18:17to hurt you so effectively,
18:19and that was a perfect
18:20example.
18:20He was blocking punches
18:21and still landed a punch
18:22all while he was blocking.
18:28But Manfredi did come to fight,
18:30and he's determined to fight,
18:31but I don't know
18:31if he's going to be able
18:32to hold on.
18:32Well, you just wonder
18:33if Manfredi coming down
18:35to 130 after two years
18:36away from this weight class
18:38has the strength
18:38to deal with a Corrales.
18:40And Corrales has evidently
18:41been a big man,
18:42and the short left hook
18:43is continually landing.
18:44Every time that Manfredi
18:46starts to throw a punch,
18:48he pulls his head up
18:48just enough.
18:49He doesn't drop his right hand,
18:51but it's just enough
18:52of a gap for Corrales
18:53to land that short left hook
18:54of his.
18:55And Angel much more tentative
18:56now after having tasted
18:58the explosive power of Corrales
19:01on that left hook.
19:03Left-right combination,
19:05Angel wobbled again.
19:09Manfredi should hold on,
19:10but I don't think
19:11that he has the strength
19:12to hold on with.
19:12Corrales is physically
19:13just too much for him,
19:14I think, tonight.
19:16Corrales looking very focused
19:18in round one.
19:20That was not a distracted round
19:22for the champion.
19:23And you know what's interesting,
19:25Manfredi really didn't make
19:26it a mistake when he got hit
19:27with the left hook.
19:28You've got to stay low with him.
19:28He didn't even drop his hands.
19:30It's just that Corrales...
19:31You've got to come out
19:32after you let go of your hands.
19:33It's so active.
19:34After you let go of them hands,
19:37Vaseline,
19:38after you let go of them hands,
19:39you've got to come out low.
19:40Step to the side.
19:41Don't come out in a minute.
19:43When you jab,
19:43you've got to take that jab
19:45and take that right hand away.
19:47You've got to double up
19:47on that jab.
19:48There ain't nothing but a humbug.
19:49You hear me?
19:51Let's show you what a man
19:53who was talking about.
19:54See where his punches,
19:55where his gloves are in tight
19:57and still in punching position.
20:00Unlike so many fighters
20:01who, when they avoid punches,
20:04are not prepared to punch right back.
20:06Watch, right hand.
20:08Watch how close his punches are,
20:09how short that punch was.
20:12And Manfredi didn't even make a mistake.
20:15He actually had his right hand up,
20:17but it was that little guy.
20:18Part of the reason he went down
20:19was that he was squared up to him
20:22at that point.
20:22He was a little bit off balance, Manfredi,
20:25but it was a shocking shot
20:27right on the jaw.
20:29And a 10-8 round
20:29on the Letterman card
20:30right off the bat
20:31for the champion.
20:32Punches in round one,
20:33according to CompuBox.
20:34Corrales, 24 of 56, 43%.
20:37If he's going to be that accurate,
20:38he's going to win.
20:39Manfredi, 8 out of 66 for 12%.
20:42Couldn't get close enough
20:43to Corrales to do damage
20:44on his own punches.
20:56In order to fight a fight
20:59as tall as Corrales is,
21:01you have to be busier
21:02than there's any is.
21:03But the problem is,
21:04every time that he punches
21:05and makes an aggressive attack,
21:07he actually is leaving himself open.
21:09because of the short accuracy
21:10of the punches of Corrales.
21:12So he's in a real frustrating situation.
21:17And Freddy, at his best,
21:19has been a very effective body puncher.
21:22He whacked Ivan Robinson to the body.
21:24He matched Arturo Gatti
21:26left hook to the body
21:27for left hook to the body
21:28and ultimately wore him down
21:29and won the fight.
21:30But here, the artillery
21:31is just too big on the other side.
21:34Definitely too big.
21:34And the punch that seemingly
21:37Corrales is most vulnerable
21:38to, believe it or not,
21:39is a jab.
21:40Particularly if you jab,
21:41that had been get him
21:42to reach it and parry in your jab
21:44and you trick him
21:45and then jab halfway and stop
21:46and jab all the way through,
21:48you'll hit him.
21:48But look at Morales,
21:49block the jab there
21:50with his right glove.
21:51Oh, yes, in good position.
21:52But you have to half jab first
21:54and then jab.
21:55And that's where Justin Juco
21:58was hitting him effectively with.
21:59Now Corrales steps forward
22:01and attacks Manfredi
22:02with the left hook.
22:05Angel with a chance
22:06to counter for the moment.
22:09Goes back to working his jab.
22:11Left hook, left uppercut
22:12combination for Manfredi.
22:14Left uppercut.
22:14You get a sense
22:28of the determination
22:29of Angel Manfredi
22:31down once in round one.
22:34Considering everything,
22:35Manfredi is fighting
22:35a very good fight.
22:40And considering everything,
22:42Corrales' attention
22:46and focus is right
22:47on his opponent.
22:48Absolutely.
22:49Unbelievable.
22:50I can focus.
22:55He is so calm
22:57is one of the things
22:58that is impressive
22:59to me, Emmanuel.
23:01It's almost like
23:01a violent Zen master.
23:05Very relaxed.
23:06Very relaxed.
23:08And always in good
23:08physical position
23:09from his balanced viewpoint
23:11to execute punches
23:12at all times.
23:14And even though
23:14there are other rising stars
23:16in the 130-pound weight class
23:17like Asilino Freitas
23:18and Joel Casamayor,
23:20every Corrales fight
23:21against a named opponent
23:22is a yardstick
23:23for his ultimate chances
23:25against Floyd Mayweather.
23:26Let's listen here.
23:27And let him grow up
23:28a little bit.
23:29Don't do that again, okay?
23:30Let's go to work.
23:32Let's go to work.
23:33Let's go to work, baby.
23:36Let's go to work every round.
23:38Don't allow him
23:39to get brave, okay?
23:39Let's go to work
23:43every round, okay?
23:46Let's get that job.
23:47Keep that job.
23:48Keep that job.
23:48Job is the main.
23:49Then come back
23:50with the right hand
23:51to the body.
23:51Let's hook on right hand.
23:52The body?
23:53Come on, son.
23:54This is your fight.
23:55Right here, baby.
23:56You have to fight
23:57instead of boxing.
23:58So you're staying outside
23:59trying to box.
24:00Take a deep one for me.
24:01You're fighting.
24:02Take one more for me.
24:04Now you take these rounds
24:05and you take it
24:06from beginning to end.
24:07You keep that momentum.
24:08You're in great shape.
24:08Angel Manfredi
24:13showed his quality
24:14as a fighter
24:15when he came back
24:17in that last round
24:18and probably won it.
24:23Well, I heard his corner
24:24asking him to stop boxing
24:26and go in and fight.
24:28What do you think
24:28of that, Emmanuel?
24:29I think that's the only way
24:30that he can win this fight.
24:31I think it was good
24:31for the structure.
24:32He's going to take a risk
24:33of getting hit,
24:34but he's going to get hit
24:34anyway.
24:35So the best thing
24:36he can do is to pick up
24:37the tempo and hopefully
24:39get Corrales to fight
24:40at a faster pace
24:42than he's used to fighting
24:43at.
24:43And you can see Manfredi's
24:44a good listener.
24:45He went in and busted
24:46Corrales with two hard right hands.
24:48Corrales comes back
24:49with a right hand
24:50and the left of his arm.
24:52That's the left hook
24:52once again that he didn't see.
24:54It isn't necessarily
24:55a hard punch,
24:56but it's a punch
24:57that he didn't see.
24:58Because it's so quick
25:00and short,
25:01he delivers the left hook
25:02with very low distance.
25:04Angels wobbled again.
25:05Got big trouble facing it.
25:07Two minutes left
25:08in the round.
25:09Manfredi having trouble
25:10once again,
25:11taking Corrales' big step.
25:14The left hook again.
25:16One, two, three, four.
25:19That punch didn't travel
25:20more than eight inches.
25:20No, very short accurate puncher,
25:22especially for a short,
25:23tall guy usually has
25:24a lot of rage to punch.
25:26He's probably the most
25:28effective short puncher
25:30of all of the fighters
25:31in the featherweight
25:32and the lightweight division
25:33and the tallest one.
25:35Corrales is gunning
25:36for a third round KO.
25:37Corrales doesn't think
25:39Manfredi can make it
25:40out of this round.
25:42Attacking full floor now
25:43and Angel unable
25:45to defend himself
25:46much of the time.
25:48Manfredi's fighting
25:49a very determined fight.
25:50Any less a fighter
25:51would probably have
25:51given up at this stage.
25:58Third time down
26:00for a quality fighter.
26:03Angel Manfredi
26:05is unlikely to survive
26:07in this round.
26:08He's very shaky.
26:09One more time, that's it.
26:11He's been down twice.
26:12There is no pre-knockdown rule
26:13in effect.
26:14And it's early in the round,
26:15which is a big factor to us.
26:16Yeah, he's got a minute left.
26:18Corrales with a minute left
26:19to finish in this situation.
26:20Awfully hard to bet against him.
26:22Such a good power puncher.
26:24getting hurt by every punch now,
26:38Manfredi.
26:39But he will punch back,
26:40and that's why the referee
26:41cannot stop the fight.
26:42Hanging in game league.
26:44What a tough guy, Angel.
26:45The referee's on the verge
26:46of stopping the fight.
26:46Well, which wouldn't be
26:49a bad stoppage.
26:50No, it would be justifiable,
26:52but the fact that Manfredi
26:53in any opportunity
26:55will punch back.
26:57That's it.
26:58The bravery of Angel Manfredi,
27:00the brilliance
27:01of Diego Chico Corrales.
27:03Very impressive performance.
27:06Very professional.
27:08Wow.
27:09Wow is right.
27:10Are you watching Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
27:13That was some show.
27:21Heart of the crowd
27:22canting Chico, Chico, Chico.
27:25And much of the rest of the crowd
27:26begins to move.
27:31He must have been traded
27:32a lot of good.
27:32He fought a very determined fight,
27:34but just outgrown in every area.
27:38Well, I think Angel's
27:39going to go have to
27:40have to go back
27:41to 135 pounds.
27:42Yeah, I think he'd be
27:43more comfortable.
27:44The weight loss
27:44may have affected,
27:45but I think
27:45it was more just Corrales.
27:48He just get back
27:48to the lightweight
27:49where they won't have
27:50those dangerous fighters
27:51that they have
27:51in 130 pounds
27:52and 136 pounds.
27:53Yeah, but the problem
27:54the trouble with that is
27:56is that Corrales
27:57will soon be
27:58right up there with him.
28:00Yes, he could easily
28:00grow into 139 pounds
28:02in the next two years.
28:07Ever go see me fall?
28:09Never going to watch me fall.
28:10I will never let you see that.
28:13Me and my son,
28:14we're going to be here forever.
28:15I ain't never letting you
28:16watch me fall.
28:17Never.
28:19Baby Joe, see that man right there?
28:21That's what holds me up, baby.
28:24A lot of emotion
28:25for Diego Chico Corrales.
28:28The reference there
28:28to his four-year-old son
28:30whose mother is not the woman
28:32involved in the incident
28:34in Sacramento
28:35but rather another woman,
28:37previous relationship
28:37in Las Vegas
28:39and because he left Sacramento
28:40and trained in Las Vegas,
28:42Diego was able to spend
28:43a lot of time
28:43with the four-year-old son
28:45in the month or so
28:46leading up to this bout.
28:48He says that has been
28:49his solace
28:50as he awaits a trial,
28:52a criminal trial
28:53in Sacramento
28:54for the charges
28:56facing him there.
29:01Replays from the third round, Larry.
29:03Well, Larry's gone back
29:04into the ring.
29:05All right, Emmanuel,
29:06let's take another look
29:07at the first knockdown
29:08in the third round
29:09and that was the left hook again.
29:11It was a duplication
29:12of the first knockdown
29:13in the first round.
29:14Once again,
29:14a left hook high on the temple
29:15even though he had his gloves up.
29:18It was just enough room
29:19for him to land that left hook
29:20and the most effective thing
29:22about Corrales' punches
29:23is you don't see the punches
29:25that land
29:26and that's what hurts the most.
29:27Here comes the right cross.
29:29Knocked down two
29:29with just a straight right hand
29:31and lead very similar
29:31to what he knocked out
29:32Robert Garcia with.
29:35And one more look
29:36at the right cross
29:37that flattened Manfredi
29:39third time in the fight.
29:41At this stage,
29:41it was just academic.
29:42Absolutely.
29:43It was target practice
29:44from that point forward.
29:45Corrales throwing all power punches,
29:47landed 39 of 86 blows
29:49in the round,
29:5045% more than enough
29:52to finish Manfredi off.
29:54And the referee,
29:55Jerry McKenzie,
29:56stepping in with a good stoppage
29:57because Angel's heart
29:59is such that he could have
30:00gotten himself badly.
30:01He could have seriously hurt
30:02in that fight
30:03because he was not going to give up.
30:06Nope.
30:06No possible way.
30:07Not that guy.
30:11So after a month of tension
30:13and fear,
30:15Diego Corrales is able to smile
30:19as he holds his four-month-old son
30:21in his hands.
30:23And let's go to Michael Buffer
30:25for the official particulars
30:26on this one.
30:27Ladies and gentlemen,
30:29referee Jerry McKenzie
30:30steps in
30:31and calls a halt to the bout
30:32at two minutes
30:34and 38 seconds
30:35of round number three.
30:37The winner by knockout victory,
30:3833 bouts,
30:4033 victories.
30:42He's still the undefeated
30:44IBA, IBF,
30:46junior lightweight champion
30:48of the world,
30:50Diego Chico Corrales.
30:54Final CompuBox numbers.
31:10And these numbers
31:11are going to be
31:11a little bit unfair
31:12to Angel Manfredi
31:14because they'll reflect
31:16the technical difference
31:17between the two fighters
31:19and how easy it was
31:20for Corrales
31:21to hit Manfredi,
31:22how difficult it was
31:23for Angel
31:23to find offensive opportunities.
31:26But this doesn't tell you
31:27about Manfredi's heart,
31:28his effort,
31:29his commitment,
31:30his will to stay in the fight
31:31despite being totally outgunned
31:33from the beginning
31:33by Diego Corrales.
31:35And now standing by
31:36with the winner,
31:37here's Larry Merchant.
31:39All right.
31:39Thank you, Jim.
31:40Congratulations, Diego.
31:44After you hit him
31:45with that shot
31:46in the first round,
31:47did you feel
31:48it was all over?
31:49You know what?
31:50I just wanted to keep
31:50the pressure on
31:51because I knew
31:51if I could hurt him
31:52that early,
31:52it's, you know,
31:53power to just keep
31:54wearing on him
31:54to keep the pressure on
31:55and not get,
31:56and not get all,
31:58you know,
31:58over-anxious.
32:00Were you surprised
32:02the way he came back
32:03in the second round?
32:05No, I just,
32:05I mean,
32:06I just wanted to keep,
32:06I didn't get the feeling
32:07about the first round at all.
32:09So I did the second round
32:09to go ahead
32:10and get the feeling out.
32:10I didn't really get to find out
32:12what he was
32:12and what he would do,
32:13so I did the second round
32:14just to figure it all out.
32:15when you hurt him
32:19in the third round,
32:21did you feel
32:22the fight should have
32:22been stopped
32:23a little sooner
32:24because you were really
32:25putting it on him?
32:26It was really hurting.
32:27I know out of the corner
32:27of my eye,
32:28I saw his wife
32:28waving, you know,
32:30waving it off
32:30and walking back
32:31to the corner,
32:32and I felt really bad,
32:33I mean,
32:33but it's up to the discretion
32:35of the ref in charge.
32:37I mean,
32:37I'm just there to do
32:38what I do,
32:39but I think,
32:39yeah,
32:40he should have stopped
32:40a little earlier.
32:41Did your focus
32:45and performance tonight
32:46have anything to do
32:48with trying to overcome
32:52all of the distractions
32:53you've had
32:54outside of the ring?
32:55Yeah,
32:56the focus I've had
32:56and the dedication
32:57has had a lot
32:59to do with it,
32:59yeah,
32:59because it turned
33:00my look onto
33:02what exactly I am,
33:03and that's an athlete,
33:04and it took a lot of time
33:06just to get my head
33:07back into it,
33:08but I got my head together,
33:09I worked through it
33:10and here we are.
33:11So,
33:12in a sense,
33:13as I suggested earlier,
33:15that this is a refuge
33:17for you.
33:18It is,
33:18yes,
33:19absolutely.
33:20It's my safe haven,
33:21my peace time
33:23that I get away
33:24and I'm here in the ring
33:25and I'm not doing my job,
33:26it's my peace time,
33:27no one can bother me in there
33:29and that's where
33:29I'm happy at.
33:32Do you want to say
33:32anything to the public
33:33about the troubles
33:35that have been
33:36so widely broadcast?
33:38Yeah,
33:39you know,
33:39I'm stuck with a gag
33:40order,
33:40but I can say
33:40all in due time
33:42all the truths
33:43will come out
33:43and I think
33:45a lot of you guys
33:45are going to second guess
33:46how quick you jumped
33:47on me.
33:49Congratulations again.
33:50One last question.
33:53Suppose a showdown
33:54with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
33:57Do you think
33:58it should happen quickly?
34:00Do you want to wait
34:01until you move up
34:01to 135 pounds?
34:03What is your take on that?
34:04You know what,
34:05anytime I'm ready
34:06and willing,
34:07junior lightweight,
34:08lightweight,
34:08I don't care.
34:09All right.
34:10Thank you very much again
34:11and congratulations.
34:13Jim,
34:13we'll be right back
34:14with Angel Manfredi.
34:16All right.
34:16Thank you very much,
34:17Larry.
34:17And Emmanuel,
34:18I mentioned during the fight
34:19that all of Diego's fights
34:20against name opponents
34:21are referendums
34:22on his chances
34:23against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
34:25so regardless of when
34:26it's going to take place
34:27and at what weight level,
34:29off of this,
34:30give us the latest
34:31handicapping information
34:32on Corrales versus Mayweather.
34:34Well, I think it's going
34:34to be a great fight.
34:35First of all,
34:36Corrales has never fought
34:37anyone with the speed
34:38that Mayweather has
34:39and Mayweather has
34:40a solid amateur background
34:41also similar to Corrales.
34:42It's going to be
34:43a very interesting fight.
34:44Corrales definitely
34:45is about a puncher
34:46between the two,
34:47but Mayweather has
34:47a lot of experience
34:48and that blinding speed
34:49of his can neutralize
34:50a lot of things
34:51that Corrales
34:52was effective to do tonight.
34:53And unlike Angel Manfredi
34:55who walked to Corrales
34:57in the early part
34:57of the bout,
34:58Floyd Mayweather
34:59isn't going to do that.
35:00He's going to go out
35:00and be an elusive target.
35:02Mayweather's definitely
35:02going to do a lot
35:03of different things.
35:03He's not going to be
35:04as steady and predictable
35:06as the fighter was tonight
35:08because it's the experience
35:09that he's had.
35:10All right, let's go back
35:11into the ring
35:11and see what Angel Manfredi
35:12has to say after this loss.
35:15Angel, you're in
35:17with a real tough customer
35:19and an outstanding fighter
35:20tonight.
35:22When you were knocked down
35:23in the first round,
35:24it appeared that that was
35:26a punch you never saw.
35:28I guess first I'd like
35:29to thank my father,
35:30God, my Savior,
35:32Jesus Christ,
35:33for everything.
35:34You know what I mean?
35:34The main thing,
35:35you know,
35:36I got off the streets
35:38and that's the main thing.
35:38I'm happy.
35:39You know what I'm saying?
35:40As far as Diego,
35:41I take nothing away from him.
35:42He's a beautiful fighter.
35:44The first knockdown,
35:45I guess,
35:45was a surprise.
35:46You know,
35:46I felt kind of weird
35:47when I got into the ring,
35:49but no excuses.
35:50You know what I'm saying?
35:51I'm not a champion
35:51that gives excuses,
35:52so no excuses.
35:54And I give it up to him.
35:55You know,
35:55God bless him.
35:56What do you mean
35:56you felt weird?
35:58I felt kind of spacey-like.
35:59You know,
36:00I just didn't feel right.
36:01You know,
36:01I just didn't feel right
36:03for some reason,
36:03you know.
36:04Yet you came back
36:05in the second round
36:06and had a very effective round
36:08after that devastating knockdown.
36:10True, true.
36:11I had to adapt.
36:12You know,
36:12I had to adapt
36:12even though I didn't feel right.
36:14I still had to adapt to it.
36:16And I came back
36:16in the second round,
36:17but I just didn't feel right,
36:19Larry.
36:19How big a puncher is he?
36:22He's a good puncher,
36:23but I've been hit harder.
36:24You know what I mean?
36:24But I take away
36:25nothing from Diego.
36:26He's a good fighter,
36:27good combinations.
36:29But God bless.
36:30You know,
36:30God bless HBO.
36:31Thank you for having me.
36:33What do you think
36:34of him versus Mayweather
36:35having experienced
36:36both of their lightnings?
36:39Uh,
36:40I mean,
36:40I can't really say.
36:41You know what I mean?
36:42You know,
36:43may the best man win.
36:44God bless them both.
36:44You know what I mean?
36:45But right now,
36:46Mayweather,
36:47you know,
36:48he's just saying right mentally.
36:50So,
36:50and Diego,
36:51I mean,
36:52you know,
36:53it'd be a good fight.
36:53I'd like to see it,
36:54you know,
36:54on HBO.
36:55God bless.
36:56Thank you very much,
36:57Angel.
36:57Jim?
36:57God bless.
36:58Good sport,
36:59Angel Manfredi.
37:01And as we mentioned,
37:02a real professional fighter.
37:03May not be the last time
37:05we see him here on HBO.
37:06There'll be some other
37:07showcases down there.
37:08where Angel Manfredi
37:10can be meaningful.
37:11Particularly,
37:12I think,
37:12if he goes back
37:12to 135 pounds.
37:14Event coming up
37:15very shortly
37:16between Eric
37:17El Terrible Morales,
37:19unbeaten,
37:20as was Diego Corrales,
37:21and Kevin Kelly
37:23taking the fight
37:24on less than a month's notice,
37:25but perhaps posing
37:26a real competitive challenge
37:28for Morales.
37:29We'll see in a minute.
37:30Now let's look ahead
37:31to some upcoming programs
37:32here on HBO.
37:35Mark your calendars
37:36for these upcoming shows.
37:38September 9,
37:39it's a unique night
37:39of boxing on HBO.
37:41KO Nation returns
37:42with Clifford Etienne
37:43fighting Clifford Couser
37:44and Bronco McCart
37:45in a rematch
37:46against Winky Wright.
37:47Later that same night
37:48on TV KO pay-per-view,
37:49undisputed light heavyweight champion
37:51Roy Jones
37:51comes to New Orleans
37:52to take on Eric Harding.
37:54Also,
37:54Marco Antonio Barrera
37:56returns to the ring
37:56against Jose Luis Valbuena.
37:59Each Thursday,
38:00tune in to
38:00Inside the NFL.
38:01Future Hall of Famer
38:02Dan Marino
38:03has joined the cast,
38:04which as always
38:05includes Len Dawson,
38:06Chris Collinsworth,
38:07Nick Bonicotti,
38:08and Jerry Glanville.
38:09Tune in Tuesday,
38:10September 12
38:11for the next edition
38:12of Real Sports
38:12with Bryant Gumbel.
38:14Among the stories,
38:15an investigation
38:15into celebrity
38:16charitable foundations
38:17such as Sammy Sosa's.
38:19Are they being run properly?
38:20Where is the money going?
38:22Also,
38:22we'll tell you why
38:23the best high jumper
38:24in the world
38:24is allowed to compete
38:26in the Olympics
38:26after testing positive
38:28for cocaine.
38:29Real Sports,
38:30where nothing is out of bounds.
38:31And we bring you back
38:36to the Don Haskins.
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