Three suspects arrested in Corrie Sanders murder case

By Boxing News - 09/27/2012 - Comments

Image: Three suspects arrested in Corrie Sanders murder caseBy Allan Fox: Three suspects of Zimbabwean descent have reportedly been arrested for the murder of the 46-year-old former WBO heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders. According to to mpowerfm.co.za, the suspects were arrested in “Oukasie informal settlement near Brits”, in South Africa. On Monday, the three suspects will meet with the Brits Magistrate’s court. It’s unclear whats tips led to the three foreign nationals at this time. The age of the Zimbabwean suspects are 19, and two 20-year-olds. In other words, three young men.

When the suspects were arrested, they found the stolen cell phones, car key and handbag that were taken from individuals at the restaurant where Sanders was shot in the stomach and the hand during the armed robbery.

Sanders was killed last Saturday night while attending a party at the Thatch Haven Country Lodge in Brits after three suspects stormed the lodge and began firing after hearing a car alarm go off. Sanders was struck in the abdomen while laying down and reportedly shielding his daughter from the path of gun fire. Sanders later died early in the morning at the Kalafong hospital.

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Wladimir Klitschko, who was knocked out in the 2nd round by Corrie Sanders in 2003, credited Sanders with improving his game and changing him permanently for the better after the loss to him. Wladimir said to AP “It [the loss] made me tougher and it made me better. Without my experience with Corrie, I wouldn’t be the same way. Before and after the Corrie Sanders fight, nobody beat me the way he did.”

It’s true. The 6’4″ southpaw Sanders really dominated Wladmir in that fight, knocking him down three times before the fight was finally halted in the 2nd round. Wladimir wasn’t prepared for Sander’s quick hands and his ability to shift into punching distance from the outside in an instant. Wladimir seemed unprepared for Sanders got close to him and landed a huge left that sent Wladimir crashing to the canvas. After the first knockdown in the 1st round, Wladimir was too hurt to recover fully and was knocked down again in the round. In the next round, Sanders finished off a bleeding Wladimir early in the round.

Sander’s death was senseless, as he was merely celebrating his nephew’s 21st birthday party in the restaurant when the three gunman stormed in and ordered everyone to lay down on the floor. Sanders wasn’t giving any resistance and there was no point in the gunman shooting him in the stomach.

Sanders had the potential to become a big star had he fought in the United States and been a little more active. With his power and movie star looks, he could have made it big as one of the heavyweight belt holders even during the Klitschko reign. Sanders’ high point of his career was his win over Wladimir, but he didn’t stay at the top for long as he was beaten by Wladimir’s brother Vitali Klitschko in his very next fight. It would have been interesting to see how Sanders would have done had he faced Lamon Brewster at the time, who was one of the contenders for his WBO title.



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