Corrie Sanders, who knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in 2003 to capture the WBO heavyweight belt, died after being shot by robbers at a restaurant during a family celebration in his native South Africa. Sanders, 46, was shot in the hand and stomach and died hours later in a Pretoria hospital. No one else was injured and no arrests have been made.
Sanders fought professionally from 1989 to 2008 and retired with a record of 42-4 with 31 KOs. In addition to his shocking upset of Klitschko, Sanders also defeated Bert Cooper, Bobby Czyz and Alfred Cole, while losing to Hasim Rahman and Vitali Klitschko.
Comments
This is a sad story. Corrie Sanders was a very good Heavyweight with an absolutely tremendous Left Hook. To be murdered by thugs at a family celebration is a particulary tragic and savage way to die. Sanders was a good man & a naturally elite athlete. I’ve heard he was a top notch Golfer & could have possibly been a professional in that sport. Is the murder of Corrie Sanders a sign posy for the lawlessness that exists in South Africa today? Are white people being targeted now in South Africa as they are in Zaire (formerly Rhodesia) where the leader of that country sanctioned violent take over of properties owned by white families which caused a mass exodus of the white population when they realized that there was no justice in that country when their proprty & even their lives could be taken with impunity by the murderous thieves commiting these violent crimes?
Zaire is what used to be Congo! – but he was a very good fighter – saw him beat Klitscko
The death of Sanders is at once sad and so pointless. The randomness of violence in so much of Africa is also a sad lesson in the inability of governments without a tradition of the force of law to function. The irony is of course that South Africa is the most developed of the nations of sub-Saharan Africa and struggles with violence. Sanders deserved a long life, and one wonders whether his killers will ever face trial and punishment.