Hatton pays tribute to Corrales

By Martyn Herman

LONDON (Reuters) - World light-welterweight champion Ricky Hatton said he was 'shellshocked' after learning of the death of former WBC and WBO lightweight champion Diego Corrales who died in a motorcycle accident in Las Vegas late on Monday.

According to U.S. media reports, the 29-year-old Corrales, who also won a world title at super-featherweight, collided with a car at high speed 10 miles (16 km) west of Vegas.

Los Angeles-based Corrales was involved in one of the classic fights of modern times when he stopped Mexico's Jose Luis Castillo in 2005 after twice being knocked down.

Hatton defends his IBO belt against Castillo next month in Las Vegas and said the fight should be dedicated to Corrales, whom he called one of the "bravest fighters ever".

"The best we can do is put on a barnstorming display in his his memory," Hatton told reporters at a London news conference to promote his fight with Castillo.

"He used to bang his chest and look at the crowd and snarl, he was a fighter's fighter. He was strange for a tall fighter because he just used to steam forward.

"He was very passionate and I would love to have fought him, it would have been exceptional."

Corrales posted 40 victories in his career with just five losses. His last fight ended in defeat in April this year when he was beaten by Joshua Clottey after moving up to welterweight.

Corrales' promoter Gary Shaw said on his Web site: "He always cared about the fans and gave them their money's worth. He was a true warrior. He was what boxing stood for."