# Corrie Sanders

Cornelius Johannes Sanders (7 January 1966 – 23 September 2012) was a South African professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2008. He won the WBO heavyweight title in 2003 after knocking out Wladimir Klitschko in two rounds, which was considered one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history; The Ring magazine named it the Upset of the Year. In 2004, having vacated the WBO title, Sanders faced Wladimir's brother Vitali Klitschko in an unsuccessful challenge for the vacant WBC and Ring heavyweight titles. He also held the WBU heavyweight title from 1997 until 2000 and the South Africa national heavyweight title in 1991.
Nicknamed "The Sniper", Sanders was a southpaw with a long reach, and was known for carrying formidable knockout power in his straight left hand. He died in a hospital in the early hours of 23 September 2012 after being shot during an armed robbery. Sanders also held wins against former cruiserweight champions Johnny Nelson, Carlos de Leon, Bobby Czyz, and Al Cole.

## Early life and amateur career

Sanders grew up in Brits, South Africa. He had two siblings and was of Afrikaner descent. In his youth, he played rugby, cricket, and golf. Having been introduced to boxing by his uncle, Sanders finished his amateur career in the late 1980s with 180 wins and 11 losses. He won the amateur South African heavyweight title four times from 1985-1988.

## Professional career

Sanders made his professional debut in 1989 with a first-round knockout of King Kong Dyubele on 2 April 1989. He went on to win his next 22 bouts, 14 by knockout. Among the fighters he defeated during that streak were Steve Zouski, Art Card, future WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson, and future world title challenger Bert Cooper. In his 24th bout, on 21 May 1994, Sanders suffered his first defeat, to Nate Tubbs via a second-round knockout.
He fought 12 more times over the next five years, including a first-round knockout over former world cruiserweight champion Carlos De León and a second-round knockout over another former world champion, Bobby Czyz. He lost by seventh-round stoppage in a slugfest fight with future unified and two-time world heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman. Sanders and Rahman both knocked each other down during the bout, and Sanders was ahead on the judges' scorecards prior to the stoppage. Rahman said of Sanders following their match: "I've never been hit that hard in my life." Returning to the ring in 2001, he scored a quick win over Michael Sprott and then followed this up with a defeat of Otis Tisdale in 2002. Corrie Sanders' biggest weapons were his southpaw fast hands that he used to knock fighters out early.

### WBO heavyweight champion

Despite fighting three rounds in the last two years, the WBO sanctioned a challenge to their heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. Sanders had accepted the bout on short notice and was a 40-1 underdog. On 8 March 2003, Sanders provided a stunning upset in Hanover, Germany, by dropping Klitschko four times to win the WBO belt by a second-round knockout. The Ring magazine named it the Upset of the Year for 2003. Klitschko later called Sanders the hardest puncher he ever faced in a December 2014 interview with The Ring, saying: "I’ve been in boxing for 25 years and I never fought anybody in this game that punched like Corrie Sanders."

### WBC heavyweight title challenge

Sanders had initially sought a unification bout with WBA heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr., who had also won his title in March 2003, and then with heavyweight contender David Tua. When those negotiations fell through, he was scheduled to defend the WBO title against Lamon Brewster on 18 October 2003. However, due to a conflict between WBO and Sanders's promoter, the bout did not take place. Sanders then vacated the WBO title to sign a contract to fight for the vacant WBC belt. The fight took place on 24 April 2004, against Wladimir's older brother, Vitali. Sanders was stopped by Vitali in the eighth round of the fight in the Staples Center in Los Angeles. After Sanders death, Vitali went on to pay his respects to Sanders and called this the hardest fight of his career.
Eight months later, Sanders knocked out Alexei Varakin in the second round of a contest in Soelden, Austria in December 2004. He briefly retired after that bout.
Sanders returned to action after two years in November 2006 to score a second round stoppage win over the Australian heavyweight champion Colin Wilson at the Convention Centre in Mafikeng. He had signed with Golden Gloves Promotions, and won another bout in South Africa against Brazilian Daniel Bispo in May 2007. His last bout, of the South African heavyweight title, was a loss to Osborne Machimana, a bout he took despite Sanders being injured beforehand. Sanders' final record was 42 wins (31 by knockout) and 4 losses.

## Personal life

Corrie Sanders and his wife Suzette had a son and a daughter.

## Death

On 22 September 2012, Sanders was fatally shot in an armed robbery at a restaurant called Thatch Haven in Brits, South Africa, where a function was being held for his nephew's 21st birthday. He had been near the entrance of the restaurant talking to his 15-year-old daughter Marinique and a cousin when three robbers entered firing their guns. Sanders had used his body to shield his daughter from oncoming bullets and then, while bleeding from bullet wounds in his right arm and stomach, pulled her to the ground and whispered for her to pretend to be dead. Sanders was taken to a hospital in Pretoria, where he died in the early hours of 23 September 2012 of his wounds.
On 27 September 2012, following a tip-off, North West police arrested three men in Oukasie near Brits, charging them with the murder of Sanders. All three were citizens of Zimbabwe. At one address, two suspects were apprehended and police recovered a cellular phone, a vehicle key, a purse and cash stolen during the robbery. Police then went to a second address, arrested a third suspect, and recovered a handbag also stolen in the robbery. The trial was postponed until August 2013 as investigators attempted to use a fourth suspect, now serving a 30-year sentence in Zimbabwe for killing a police officer, to locate the gun used in the crime.
On 11 February 2015 at a High Court in Pretoria, Judge Ferdi Preller sentenced Paida Fish, Chris Moyo and Samuel Mabena each to 43 years' imprisonment, of which they have to serve 30, on charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

## Professional boxing record

| 46 fights | 42 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 31 | 4 |
| By decision | 11 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 46 | Loss | 42–4 | Osborne Machimana | TKO | 1 (12), 2:41 | 2 Feb 2008 | Emperor's Palace, Kempton Park, South Africa | For South African heavyweight title |
| 45 | Win | 42–3 | Daniel Bispo | UD | 10 | 12 May 2007 | Emperor's Palace, Kempton Park, South Africa | |
| 44 | Win | 41–3 | Colin Wilson | TKO | 2 (10) | 24 Nov 2006 | Convention Centre, Mafikeng, South Africa | |
| 43 | Win | 40–3 | Alexey Varakin | KO | 2 (8), 1:59 | 14 Dec 2004 | Schwarzl Freizeit Zentrum, Sölden, Austria | |
| 42 | Loss | 39–3 | Vitali Klitschko | TKO | 8 (12), 2:46 | 24 Apr 2004 | Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, US | For vacant WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles |
| 41 | Win | 39–2 | Wladimir Klitschko | TKO | 2 (12), 0:27 | 8 Mar 2003 | Preussag Arena, Hanover, Germany | Won WBO heavyweight title |
| 40 | Win | 38–2 | Otis Tisdale | TKO | 2 (10), 1:40 | 9 Nov 2002 | Coca-Cola Bricktown Events Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, US | |
| 39 | Win | 37–2 | Michael Sprott | TKO | 1 (8), 1:25 | 3 Nov 2001 | Carnival City, Brakpan, South Africa | |
| 38 | Loss | 36–2 | Hasim Rahman | TKO | 7 (12), 1:50 | 20 May 2000 | Bally's Park Place, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US | Lost WBU heavyweight title |
| 37 | Win | 36–1 | Al Cole | TKO | 1 (12), 1:13 | 19 Feb 2000 | Carnival City, Brakpan, South Africa | Retained WBU heavyweight title |
| 36 | Win | 35–1 | Jorge Valdes | TKO | 1 (12), 0:30 | 2 Jul 1999 | Whitchurch Leisure Centre, Bristol, England | Retained WBU heavyweight title |
| 35 | Win | 34–1 | Bobby Czyz | TKO | 2 (12), 1:43 | 12 Jun 1998 | Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, US | Retained WBU heavyweight title |
| 34 | Win | 33–1 | Ross Puritty | UD | 12 | 15 Nov 1997 | Carousel Casino, Hammanskraal, South Africa | Won vacant WBU heavyweight title |
| 33 | Win | 32–1 | Arthur Weathers | TKO | 1 (10), 1:37 | 7 Feb 1997 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, US | |
| 32 | Win | 31–1 | Olian Alexander | TKO | 2 (10) | 12 Sep 1996 | Hilton, Huntington, New York, US | |
| 31 | Win | 30–1 | Sean Hart | TKO | 2 (10), 1:18 | 20 Aug 1996 | The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US | |
| 30 | Win | 29–1 | Curtis Shepard | KO | 1 (10), 1:12 | 20 Jul 1996 | Morula Sun, Mabopane, South Africa | |
| 29 | Win | 28–1 | Keith Fletcher | KO | 4 (10), 1:16 | 26 Jan 1996 | Hilton Metropole Hotel, Brighton, England | |
| 28 | Win | 27–1 | James Pritchard | TKO | 1 (10) 2:00 | 5 Aug 1995 | Manuel Lujan Building, Albuquerque, New Mexico, US | |
| 27 | Win | 26–1 | Nikolay Kulpin | UD | 10 | 1 Apr 1995 | Superbowl, Sun City, South Africa | |
| 26 | Win | 25–1 | Garing Lane | PTS | 8 | 24 Sep 1994 | Wembley Arena, London, England | |
| 25 | Win | 24–1 | Carlos de León | TKO | 1 (10), 0:49 | 13 Aug 1994 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US | |
| 24 | Loss | 23–1 | Nate Tubbs | KO | 2 (10), 1:26 | 21 May 1994 | Carousel Casino, Hammanskraal, South Africa | |
| 23 | Win | 23–0 | Mike Williams | KO | 1 (10), 2:58 | 19 Mar 1994 | Carousel Casino, Hammanskraal, South Africa | |
| 22 | Win | 22–0 | Marshall Tillman | TKO | 6 (10) | 5 Feb 1994 | The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, US | |
| 21 | Win | 21–0 | Levi Billups | KO | 1 (10) | 6 Nov 1993 | Superbowl, Sun City, South Africa | |
| 20 | Win | 20–0 | George Stephens | TKO | 1 (10) | 4 Sep 1993 | The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, US | |
| 19 | Win | 19–0 | Bert Cooper | TKO | 3 (10), 1:26 | 6 Jun 1993 | Resorts Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US | |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Matthew Brooks | TKO | 1 (10), 2:00 | 17 Apr 1993 | ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California, US | |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Johnny Nelson | UD | 10 | 24 Oct 1992 | Morula Sun, Mabopane, South Africa | |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Mike Evans | UD | 10 | 22 Aug 1992 | Superbowl, Sun City, South Africa | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Mike Dixon | PTS | 8 | 9 May 1992 | The Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, US | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Anthony Wade | UD | 10 | 22 Feb 1992 | Superbowl, Sun City, South Africa | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Art Card | TKO | 1 (10) | 23 Nov 1991 | Superbowl, Sun City, South Africa | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Mike Rouse | UD | 10 | 28 Sep 1991 | Superbowl, Sun City, South Africa | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Johnny DuPlooy | KO | 1 (12) | 27 Jul 1991 | Superbowl, Sun City, South Africa | Won vacant South African heavyweight title |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Steve Gee | TKO | 4 (8), 1:05 | 6 Apr 1991 | Dolphin Centre, Darlington, England | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Steve Zouski | UD | 8 | 8 Nov 1990 | Biloxi, Mississippi, US | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Moses Mthama | TKO | 1 (6) | 4 Aug 1990 | Superbowl, Sun City, South Africa | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Jorge Vilchis | KO | 1 (8) | 23 May 1990 | First National Bank Arena, Durban, South Africa | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Weaver Qwabe | TKO | 1 (8) | 29 Mar 1990 | Portuguese Hall, Johannesburg, South Africa | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Samson Mahlangu | TKO | 3 (6), 2:20 | 9 Sept 1989 | Morula Sun, Mabopane, South Africa | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Gideon Hlongwa | TKO | 3 (6), 2:15 | 5 Aug 1989 | Superbowl, Sun City, South Africa | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | David Malatsi | TKO | 1 (4) | 27 May 1989 | Superbowl, Sun City, South Africa | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Prince Tukane | PTS | 4 | 24 Apr 1989 | Goodwood Showgrounds, Cape Town, South Africa | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | King Kong Dyubele | TKO | 1 (4) | 2 Apr 1989 | Good Hope Centre, Cape Town, South Africa | |