Former heavyweight champ Sanders shot dead

Corrie Sanders (left) AFP FILE PHOTO

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Former WBO heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders has died in hospital after being shot in an armed robbery in his native South Africa.

Initial reports say Sanders, who shocked Wladimir Klitschko to claim the WBO belt in 2003, was shot in the stomach at a restaurant in Brits, near the capital Pretoria, on Saturday. He died in the early hours of Sunday.

The 46-year-old Sanders was reportedly attending a family celebration when armed men entered the restaurant in the country’s North West province.

Sanders’ second-round knockout of Klitschko in Germany was considered one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing. He lost to Wladimir’s older brother Vitali for the vacant WBC title the following year.

A southpaw renowned for his hand speed, Sanders retired in 2008 with a 42-4 record.