April 15, 2005

It has been a few months since Corrie Sanders announced that he was retiring. Since then I've been hoping to read that he decided to fight perhaps one or two more times, but it doesn't look as though that's going to happen.

It looks like Sanders has indeed retired from boxing. I want to thank Sanders for the many exciting fights he gave us over the years and wish him all the best for the future.

Superboixng.co.za

Corrie concedes it's over

By Michael Green

Former heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders is back from Germany, injured and ready to concede that his boxing career is over.

"This is not how I wanted to end my boxing career, but maybe my back injury is a sign that I must stop," he said on Wednesday.

The big South African was due to fight Lance Whitaker of the US on March 19. The winner would probably have fought Vitali Klitschko for the WBC title.

"It is possible that I did not warm up properly before I went for a jog, and it was icy cold," Sanders explained his injury. "Actually, I have been battling with this back injury for a while. It is very uncomfortable."

Sanders acknowledged that he did not feel like boxing any more, saying the injury was the last straw.

The 39-year-old Sanders won 40 of his 43 fightsby knockouts. He was beaten only by Vitali Klitschko, Hasim Rahman and Nate Tubbs.

"I can look back on a career with quite a number of highlights," he said after his return. He won the World Boxing Union's title in 1997 by beating the tough Ross Puritty on points. He defended this title three times before losing to Rahman in 2000.

Then he caused a sensation in March 2003 when he knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in the second round to win the World Boxing Organisation's title.

"The fight against Wladimir was definitely a highlight," he says, not forgetting the match in 1991 when he knocked Johnny du Plooy out in the first round to become SA champion.

"I want to give more attention to my game farm near Thabazimbi and maybe start playing golf seriously," Sanders said on Wednesday.

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Superboxing.co.za

Corrie reconsiders retirement by Ron Jackson

Corrie Sanders is reconsidering his decision to retire from boxing at the age of 39. He may have one more fight, he said on Thursday. The former WBU and WBO heavyweight champion revealed on Wednesday that he had decided to hang up his gloves. He said he would not fight in March, as his German promoters, Universum, had planned.

However, on Thursday he had other thoughts. He said he may still fight American Ray Austin in Germany in March.

Sanders, who celebrated his 39th birthday on January 6, won the World Boxing Union belt in November 1997 with a points win over Ross Purrity. He defended the belt three times before losing it to Hasim Rachman when he was stopped in seven.

In one of the biggest upsets in recent heavyweight history the South African knocked out giant Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko inside two rounds to win the World Boxing Organisation belt in March 2003.

He later relinquished the belt to challenge Vitali Klitschko for the WBC heavyweight belt. Despite a brave effort, he was outclassed and stopped in the eighth round.

Sanders made his professional debut in April 1989 after winning four SA amateur titles. He won the SA professional heavyweight title in July 1991.

Despite the possibility of lucrative purses he said on Wednesday he felt the time had come to call it quits. He did not want to become a punch bag for up-and-coming heavyweights, he added.

The former champion has a game farm in the North West Province and does not have to risk his health in the boxing ring.

The southpaw has a career record of 40-3 (30) and must rank with Gerrie Coetzee as one of the best heavyweights in the history of SA boxing.

From Superboxing.co.za

Quick comeback win for Corrie

Corrie Sanders, hitting the comeback trail, stopped Alexei Varakin in the second round of their bout in S�lden, Austria, on Tuesday night. The big South African, a former WBO heavyweight champion, played yo-yo with the Russian, who was down four times before the referee stopped the bout at 1:59 of the second round.

Fighting for the first time for Universum Promotions, Sanders looked much sharper than in his loss to Vitali Klitschko earlier this year. His opponent, whose record now stands at 21-13-2 (12 stoppages) hardly provided a decent test, but was no novice either.

Sanders has expressed his interest in a rematch with either Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko. In front of a crowd of about 1 000 spectators and with the fight being televised, he made some new admirers by proving he had lost none of his southpaw punching power.

Boasting a record of 40-3 (30 stoppages), the 38-year-old Sanders may well be offered a big fight early in the new year.