By Chris Robinson
This weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, undefeated welterweight prospect Troy ‘Chase’ Corbin will return to the ring after an eight month layoff that saw him sidelined because of some legal and personal issues. I have gotten to know Corbin fairly well during his time in Las Vegas these past eighteen or so months and he’s an interesting character to say the least.
Originally from Philadelphia, Corbin paid a visit to Arizona about three years ago and while reconnecting with friends he would happen to check out the fight scene in the Southwest. Upon entering some select gyms he quickly discovered that the temperament of fighters on the West Coast was different than what he was accustomed to.
“I was like ‘Damn, these guys fight a lot different than we fight in Philly’,” Corbin stated. “In Philly we are pretty much boxer-punchers but what I noticed about Mexicans was that they were straight bangers. So I came out there and got my ass handed to me because I wasn’t used to banging. But I loved it ever since.”
Corbin bided his time in Arizona, eventually turning pro on August 28th, 2009 with a 3rd round TKO over Michael Gallegos, but seemed to sense that a change was in order if he was to bolster his career. He was tipped off that trainer Jeff Mayweather in nearby Las Vegas would be a good fit for him and they ended up linking up.
“It’s funny because I just took a chance on this guy,” Mayweather told me of his connection with Corbin. “He contacted me on Facebook and I told him that I would be willing to train him but that he would have to come out here. He took that chance and he went ahead and came out here. And I told him that I couldn’t guarantee him nothing, but I could make him better and that if a champion was inside of him I was going to pull it out of him. When he came we got along real well.”
At the time Mayweather was spending most of his time working with former super bantamweight champion Celestino Caballero, budding amateur Kevin Newman, and undefeated lightweight contender Mickey Bey. All three are talented in their own right but in Corbin he had himself a man who was quick with his tongue and loved to stir things up a bit.
“Chase, out of all the guys I work with, he likes to talk a lot of trash. I mean, he does it in a playful way and he’s kind of like class clown of the team, of all the people that I train. But he works hard and he’s getting better,” Mayweather said of his pupil, who presently holds a 5-0 record with 4 knockouts.
And for Corbin, coming to Las Vegas presented him with a whole new platform in which to display his verbal expertise while testing his skills as a pugilist.
“What I like about Vegas is that I can go to any gym and I can talk the s*** that I want to talk,” said Corbin. “I can really say exactly what I want to say whenever I want to say it. And all I have to do is put on some gloves and my headgear and it can be resolved that way. Everybody in Vegas knows that I never turn down sparring, whenever people call me I always show up. And I love that I can always get good sparring.”
True enough, Corbin loves to talk smack but has several redeeming qualities about himself. In coming across Mayweather, a former IBO junior lightweight champion during his peaks years a as professional, Corbin realized he had found someone who was more than just a coach.
“I always say this, but Jeff isn’t just a trainer, he is a good friend and more like an advisor or role model,” said Corbin. “Just a real good all-around person. We talk about everything on a personal level as well as everything on a business level and then even on a boxing level. So he’s been real influential in my life.”
Uncle Jeff may not make headlines the way his outspoken brothers and fellow trainers Roger and Floyd Sr. do but rest assured, his modest demeanor comes in hand the ability to bring out something genuine in his fighters and with Corbin he sees a bright future.
“I think at this point he doesn’t even know his real potential,” Mayweather said of Corbin. “He’s very tall for a welterweight and he’s about 6”1. He has very good power, fairly fast hands, but his asset it best his jab. He has a very good jab and a nice right hand.”
Corbin last fought on November 6th of last year, scoring a four-round decision over Brent Rodriguez in Tucson, Arizona. He had hoped to get back in the ring soon thereafter but saw himself sidelined because of a court case from 2004. Thanks to his lawyers Don Rafferty and Jim Holliday, Corbin was able to get the issue resolved but when looking back at the situation he feels appreciative of the time it gave him back home.
“I was able to spend time with my kids, my family, because I hadn’t been back to Philly for about three years," said Corbin, who has been spending recent months in Philadelphia. "But I just loved spending time with family and I went to the gym every day, back in my old neighborhood gym. It means a lot to be back. To see how I feel and see if I am still comfortable in the ring. I feel good though.”
Mayweather and Corbin weren’t together for this particular camp but Corbin admits he is eager to spend his future camps back in Las Vegas. Jeff flew into Atlanta on Thursday but he will have little time to again bond with Corbin as another test in the squared circle lies ahead.
But that’s what both Mayweather and Corbin were bred for and their union moves forward on Saturday night.