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Dublin: 11 °C Saturday 18 May, 2013

Former heavyweight champion Sanders killed

South-African reportedly shot in a restaurant near Pretoria.

Corrie Sanders (left) in action against Vitali Klitschko in 2004.
Corrie Sanders (left) in action against Vitali Klitschko in 2004.
Image: JOE CAVARETTA/AP/Press Association Images

THE FORMER WBO boxing champion Corrie Sanders has been killed in his native South Africa after being shot in an apparent robbery.

The 46-year-old, who stunned the boxing world in March 2003 with a second-round TKO of Ukrainian star Wladimir Klitschko, was reported to have been shot in the stomach in a restaurant in Brits, near Pretoria, and died in hospital.

A southpaw with deceptively quick hands, Sanders’ reign as champion was brief, with Wladimir’s older brother Vitali stopping him in the eighth round in Los Angeles in April 2004.

He fought another four times after that loss, but retired in 2008 after a first-round KO defeat at the hands of Osborne Machimana.

His overall ring record was 42 wins and four defeats from his 46 fights, and he also fought former world champions Hasim Rahman, Bobby Czyz and Johnny Nelson.

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