By Alejandro “A-TRAIN” Burgos
Speaking exclusively with Round By Round Boxing, veteran contender DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley (39-20-1, 23 KOs) gave us his thoughts about the recent cancellation of his bout with Frankie Gomez, his take on Lucas Matthysse versus Danny Garcia, and the top boxing prospects in the DMV.
Corley’s fight resume reads like a who’s who of the world’s top boxers. He’s mixed it up with the likes of Devon Alexander, Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather.
Not only has Corley fought incredible competition, but he’s also one of the most well-traveled boxer’s in the sport.
Corley has fought against Lucas Matthysse, Paul McCloskey and Marcos Maidana, all outside of the United States. While most fighters want to stay in their own backyard, Corley has no qualms about traveling to his opponents hometown.
Currently campaigning at 135 pounds, Corley spent the better part of 17 years fighting at 140 pounds. The D.C. native was set to face Golden Boy Promotions up-and-coming prospect, Frankie Gomez on July 20, but the fight was cancelled due to a knee injury suffered by Gomez.
Corley stated that training and preparation was going great and he was ready to go for the knockout against Gomez. Now, according to Chop Chop, a possible fight overseas could be in the works for the near future.
Even at 39 years of age, Corley has no plans of throwing in the towel anytime soon. He feels he is in great health and says his speed and stamina are still at a high enough level to compete for a world title.
When asked about which champion he had his sights set on, Corley called out Adrien Broner.
He’s [Broner] definitely not a Welterweight, you could see that against Paulie [Malignaggi]. And even if his body fills out, he’s too short for that weight. If he can make 135 we can fight at that weight, if not I can go up to 140. He said he is letting the fans pick his next opponent, I’d love to be in the sweepstakes.
If Corley can notch a victory or two against some notable names, a title shot may not be out of the question.
Two fighters that Corley is familiar with—Matthysse and Garcia—are reportedly set to battle on the undercard of the Mayweather versus Canelo Alvarez bout in September.
Corley fought Matthysse at the beginning of 2011 and helped Garcia train for his most recent bout against southpaw Zab Judah, whom Corley also fought.
When asked about his thoughts on this highly anticipated bout, Corley had this to say:
Someone is getting knocked out for sure. I would give the edge to Lucas because Danny needs to learn how to box. He needs to learn lateral movement. You can see it by watching his fights. I’d love to work with Danny again, but he needs to learn how to box.
Corley makes some valid points and given the fact that he is familiar with both men, one must take his opinion into consideration when breaking down the fight.
Corley hurts Mayweather
Corley also let us know how he expects the mega fight between Mayweather and Alvarez to play out, stating that it should be an easy fight for the pound-for-pound king.
First couple of rounds, Floyd will take his time and feel him out. After that, at about rounds five through nine, Floyd will start picking him apart. Then the last few rounds it’s going to be a shutout. It will be like a pitcher throwing a perfect game.
Many pundits have built Alvarez up into a superstar on paper, but in the ring he hasn’t proven all that much against viable competition. The one definite advantage he will have against Mayweather on fight night is weight. But is that enough to be competitive?
Corley does admit that Alvarez proved against Austin Trout that he does have legitimate punching power. Whether or not he’s able to effectively lay some of that power on Mayweather remains to be seen.
Lastly, Corley gave his opinion on who he sees as the top prospects in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area. Chop Chop feels that the future is bright for three young fighters in particular; Kevin Rivers, Mike Reed and Dusty-Hernandez Harrison.
Stay tuned to Round By Round Boxing for more information on Demarcus “Chop Chop” Corley’s next bout. Also, be on the lookout for Corley Sports boxing shoes.
All quotes obtained firsthand by Alejandro “A-TRAIN” Burgos for Round By Round Boxing.
Alejandro “A-TRAIN” Burgos is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and the founder of Round By Round Boxing. He can be reached at Alex@RoundByRoundBoxing.com.
All photos courtesy of Juan Marshall (ProAmFightTalk).
