Cornelius "Corrie" Johannes Sanders (born on 7 January 1965 in Pretoria, South Africa) is a South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n former professional boxer

Professional Boxing

Professional boxing, or prizefighting, emerged in the early twentieth century as boxing gradually attained legitimacy and became a regulated, sanctioned sport. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse which is divided among the fighters and promoters as determined by contract...

. In 2003 he became the WBO

World Boxing Organization

The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...

 heavyweight champion by defeating Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian heavyweight boxer. Klitschko is the WBA , IBF, WBO Super, IBO & Ring Magazine Champion. His older brother Vitali Klitschko is the current WBC champion...

 via a second-round knock out that is considered one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history and won Ring Magazine upset of the year 2003.

Professional career

Sanders began his boxing

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

 career with a first round knockout of King Kong Dyubele on 2 April 1989.

He won his first 23 bouts, 15 by knockout

Knockout

A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...

. Among the fighters he defeated during that streak were Steve Zouski, Art Card, future WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson

Johnny Nelson

Ivanson Ranny "Johnny" Nelson is a former professional boxer from Sheffield, England. He was the WBO cruiserweight champion for over six years, having successfully defended the title 13 times. Nelson also held the European and British cruiserweight titles...

 and future world title challenger Bert Cooper

Bert Cooper

Bertram Cooper , also known as Smokin' Bert Cooper is a heavyweight boxer, most famous for his devastating punching power and several wild brawls in the 1990s.-Pro career:...

.

In his 24th bout, on 21 May 1994, he suffered his first defeat, at the hands of 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

Carlos De Leon

Carlos De León, also known as "Sugar" De Leon, is a Puerto Rican former boxer who made history by becoming the first Cruiserweight to win the world title twice.  Subsequently, he kept breaking his own record for the most times as Cruiserweight champion by regaining it twice more.- Career :De León,...

 and a second round knockout over another former world champion, Bobby Czyz

Bobby Czyz

Robert Edward "Bobby" Czyz is a retired American boxer. A New Jersey native of mostly Polish and Italian descent, he is both a former world light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion.Czyz was born in Orange, New Jersey...

. A stoppage loss to future heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman

Hasim Rahman

Hasim Sharif Rahman is an American professional boxer. Rahman is the former Lineal, WBC, IBO, & IBF heavyweight champion...

 in a bout Sanders was winning confirmed his ability and also his vulnerability. Returning to the ring in 2001 he scored a quick win over Michael Sprott

Michael Sprott

Michael Sprott is a professional heavyweight boxer from Reading, Berkshire, England. Sprott briefly held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles, and was a European heavyweight title contender...

 and then followed this up with a defeat of Otis Tisdale in 2002. Corrie Sanders' biggest weapons are his southpaw fast hands which he uses to knock fighters out early.

Winning the WBO heavyweight title

Despite the fact that he had fought only three rounds in the last two years, the World Boxing Organization

World Boxing Organization

The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...

 sanctioned a challenge to their heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian heavyweight boxer. Klitschko is the WBA , IBF, WBO Super, IBO & Ring Magazine Champion. His older brother Vitali Klitschko is the current WBC champion...

. On 8 March 2003, Sanders provided a stunning upset in Hanover

Hanover

Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...

, Germany by dropping Klitschko four times to snatch the Ukrainian's belt by a second-round knockout.

Losing a title shot against Vitali Klitschko

Sanders vacated the WBO title in December 2003 so that he could concentrate on a challenge for the vacant WBC belt. The fight took place on 24 April 2004, against Wladimir's older brother, Vitali

Vitali Klitschko

Vitaliy Volodymyrovych Klychko is a Ukrainian professional heavyweight boxer and the current WBC heavyweight champion. He is a leader of the political party Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform and a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the Congress of the Council of Europe. He previously...

. He was stopped by Vitali in the eighth round of a fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

After that bout he 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

Colin Wilson

Colin Henry Wilson is a prolific English writer who first came to prominence as a philosopher and novelist. Wilson has since written widely on true crime, mysticism and other topics. He prefers calling his philosophy new existentialism or phenomenological existentialism.- Early biography:Born and...

 at the Convention Centre in Mmbatho. He had recently signed with Golden Gloves Promotions, and won a bout in South Africa against Brazilian Daniel Bispo on the 12 May 2007. His last bout was a first round knock out loss to Osborne Machimana. It was a 12 round bout for the South African Heavyweight title. The official time was 2:41 of round one. It took place in the Emperor's Palace, Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa. His record now stands at 42-4-31 KO.

Professional boxing record

|-
|align="center" colspan=8|42 Wins (31 knockouts, 11 decisions), 4 Losses (4 knockouts, 0 decisions), 0 Draws http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=001728&cat=boxer
|-
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Result
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Record
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Opponent
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Type
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Rounds
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location
| align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes
|-align=center
|Loss
|42–4
|align=left|  Osborne Machimana
|KO
|1
|2 February 2008
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|42–3
|align=left|  Daniel Bispo

Daniel Bispo

Daniel Bispo dos Santos is a boxer from Brazil. He represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.-Pro:He made his professional debut in 1997...

|UD
|10
|12 May 2007
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|41–3
|align=left|  Colin Wilson
|TKO
|2
|24 November 2006
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|40–3
|align=left|  Alexey Varakin
|KO
|2
|14 December 2004
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Loss
|39–3
|align=left|  Vitali Klitschko

Vitali Klitschko

Vitaliy Volodymyrovych Klychko is a Ukrainian professional heavyweight boxer and the current WBC heavyweight champion. He is a leader of the political party Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform and a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the Congress of the Council of Europe. He previously...

|TKO
|8
|24 April 2004
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|39–2
|align=left|  Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian heavyweight boxer. Klitschko is the WBA , IBF, WBO Super, IBO & Ring Magazine Champion. His older brother Vitali Klitschko is the current WBC champion...

|TKO
|2
|8 March 2003
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|38–2
|align=left|  Otis Tisdale
|TKO
|2
|9 November 2002
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|37–2
|align=left|  Michael Sprott

Michael Sprott

Michael Sprott is a professional heavyweight boxer from Reading, Berkshire, England. Sprott briefly held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles, and was a European heavyweight title contender...

|TKO
|1
|3 November 2001
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Loss
|36–2
|align=left|  Hasim Rahman

Hasim Rahman

Hasim Sharif Rahman is an American professional boxer. Rahman is the former Lineal, WBC, IBO, & IBF heavyweight champion...

|TKO
|7
|20 May 2000
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|36–1
|align=left|  Alfred Cole

Al Cole

Alfred "Ice" Cole is a heavyweight boxer.Cole was a champion and a major force in the cruiserweight division prior to moving up to the heavyweight division, where he had less success....

|TKO
|1
|19 February 2000
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|35–1
|align=left|  Jorge Valdes
|TKO
|1
|2 July 1999
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|34–1
|align=left|  Bobby Czyz

Bobby Czyz

Robert Edward "Bobby" Czyz is a retired American boxer. A New Jersey native of mostly Polish and Italian descent, he is both a former world light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion.Czyz was born in Orange, New Jersey...

|TKO
|2
|12 June 1998
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|33–1
|align=left|  Ross Puritty

Ross Puritty

Ross Puritty is a retired heavyweight professional boxer. A high-level journeyman and occasional heavyweight contender, Puritty is best remembered for his shocking upset of Wladimir Klitschko in 1998 that won him the WBC international Heavyweight title.- Professional Boxing career :Purrity made...

|UD
|12
|15 November 1997
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|32–1
|align=left|  Arthur Weathers
|TKO
|1
|7 February 1997
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|31–1
|align=left|  Olian Alexander
|TKO
|2
|12 September 1996
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|30–1
|align=left|  Sean Hart
|TKO
|2
|20 August 1996
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|29–1
|align=left|  Curtis Shepard
|KO
|1
|20 July 1996
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|28–1
|align=left|  Keith Fletcher
|KO
|4
|26 January 1996
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|27–1
|align=left|  James Pritchard

James Pritchard (boxer)

James Pritchard, , was a heavyweight professional boxer who won the USBA heavyweight title and challenged for the IBF world title.-Amateur:...

|TKO
|4
|5 August 1995
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|26–1
|align=left|  Nikolay Kulpin
|UD
|10
|1 April 1995
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|25–1
|align=left|  Garing Lane
|PTS
|8
|24 September 1994
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|24–1
|align=left|  Carlos De Leon

Carlos De Leon

Carlos De León, also known as "Sugar" De Leon, is a Puerto Rican former boxer who made history by becoming the first Cruiserweight to win the world title twice.  Subsequently, he kept breaking his own record for the most times as Cruiserweight champion by regaining it twice more.- Career :De León,...

|TKO
|1
|13 August 1994
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Loss
|23–1
|align=left|  Nate Tubbs
|KO
|2
|21 May 1994
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|23–0
|align=left|  Mike Williams

Michael Williams (boxer)

Michael Williams is a former heavyweight boxer.-Boxing career:Known as "Mercury," Williams turned pro in 1984 and was considered a rising prospect after winning his first 13 fights, including a win over James Tillis. In 1987 he stepped up and lost a split decision to former champion Tim Witherspoon...

|KO
|1
|19 March 1994
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|22–0
|align=left|  Marshall Tillman
|TKO
|6
|5 February 1994
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|21–0
|align=left|  Levi Billups
|KO
|1
|6 November 1993
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|20–0
|align=left|  George Stephens
|TKO
|1
|4 September 1993
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|19–0
|align=left|  Bert Cooper

Bert Cooper

Bertram Cooper , also known as Smokin' Bert Cooper is a heavyweight boxer, most famous for his devastating punching power and several wild brawls in the 1990s.-Pro career:...

|TKO
|3
|6 June 1993
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|18–0
|align=left|  Matthew Brooks
|TKO
|1
|17 April 1993
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|17–0
|align=left|  Johnny Nelson

Johnny Nelson

Ivanson Ranny "Johnny" Nelson is a former professional boxer from Sheffield, England. He was the WBO cruiserweight champion for over six years, having successfully defended the title 13 times. Nelson also held the European and British cruiserweight titles...

|UD
|10
|24 October 1992
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|16–0
|align=left|  Mike Evans
|UD
|10
|22 August 1992
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|15–0
|align=left|  Mike Dixon
|PTS
|8
|9 May 1992
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|14–0
|align=left|  Anthony Wade
|UD
|10
|22 February 1992
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|13–0
|align=left|  Art Card
|TKO
|1
|23 November 1991
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|12–0
|align=left|  Mike Rouse
|UD
|10
|28 September 1991
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|11–0
|align=left|  Johnny DuPlooy

Johnny DuPlooy

- Boxing career :The tall 6`3 South African boxer started his career in 1985 and beat 17 opponents. He then was stopped cold after losing to ex-champ Mike Weaver by 7th round KO...

|KO
|1
|27 July 1991
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|10–0
|align=left|  Steve Gee
|TKO
|4
|6 April 1991
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|9–0
|align=left|  Steve Zouski
|UD
|8
|8 November 1990
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|8–0
|align=left|  Moses Mthama
|TKO
|1
|4 August 1990
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|7–0
|align=left|  Jorge Vilchis
|KO
|1
|23 May 1990
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|6–0
|align=left|  Weaver Qwabe
|TKO
|1
|29 March 1990
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|5–0
|align=left|  Samson Mahlangu
|TKO
|3
|9 September 1989
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|4–0
|align=left|  Gideon Hlongwa
|TKO
|3
|5 August 1989
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|3–0
|align=left|  David Malatsi
|TKO
|1
|27 May 1989
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|2–0
|align=left|  Prince Tukane
|PTS
|4
|24 April 1989
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|1–0
|align=left|  King Kong Dyubele
|TKO
|1
|2 April 1989
|align=left| 
|align=left|
|-align=center

External links