27 years ago today: Diego "Chico" Corrales, Jr. vs. Juan Ángel "Johnny" Macías

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IBA lightweight intercontinental title at stake, 1st defense of Corrales. The future Hall of Famer had previously worn the super featherweight version - his first professional title after going a superb 105-12 in the amateurs. He defended at each weight class just once before vacating. He briefly dropped to super feather again following this victory over Macías - then changed his mind, came up once more and defeated Ángel "Pony" Aldama in their rematch to reclaim the 135lb iteration before launching a third (and now serious) campaign at 130.

Johnny Macías wasn't expected to be more than a stay-busy affair - he was an up-jumped featherweight (at one time around turn-of-the-decade a promising young KO artist on the Mexican domestic scene - peaking at 18-0 with fourteen stoppages when he was upset by Elias Quiroz in '93) and coming off a TKO5 loss to Demetrio Ronulfo "Pembele" Ceballos of Panama. For the first three rounds and change he acquitted himself pretty well - second fiddle to be sure but not getting dominated, making Corrales think a bit. Then gradually the power of Chico - here on a ten KO streak - began telling. Macías rising from the first knockdown in the 4th and battling another two rounds is commendable. At twenty years old, in this weight range, Corrales hit like a steel pipe and was becoming a better and better puncher & finisher under Kenny Adams' guidance.

Over the next decade, until both life & declining career were cut short by a motorcycle accident operating while intoxicated, Corrales would rank among the biggest names in the sport - Ring magazine's #5 in the world pound for pound when he fought then-seventh Floyd Mayweather Jr. - and produce some legendary rivalries with the Casamayor trilogy, Castillo pair (meant to be a trilogy but was never to be), and Freitas (rematch discussed but also never came together). Macías would spend most of that period serving as cannon fodder to superior talents - including a number of Corrales rivals: Freitas, JLC, and Manfredy - before retiring in 2005.

All in all, this is a fun little time capsule showcase that simulcast on ESPN and Telemundo. Even if seeing Chico with the 'fro, mustache and sideburns is a bit jarring.