Ex-boxer Poli Díaz stabbed in Madrid

The former boxer Policarpo Díaz Arévalo, "The Vallecas Stallion," was admitted to the Infanta Leonor hospital in Madrid on Tuesday with stab wounds to his chest and leg.

Police sources confirmed that Díaz had been taken to the hospital at around 8.30am but did not give out any information as to the cause of his injuries. Neither did the boxer say who had attacked him or why. His wife used Díaz's Facebook account to confirm the incident. "This morning Poli was stabbed. We are at the hospital. We will keep you informed."

The Infanta Leonor declined to make any comment. Newswire Europa Press later reported that Díaz's injuries were not thought to be serious and that he could be released sometime on Tuesday.

Díaz retired in 2001 after 47 professional bouts, in which he was victorious 44 times, including 28 by knockout. He fought Pernell Whitaker for the world lightweight championship title in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1991 but was defeated in a points decision.

In later life, Díaz returned to his spiritual home of Vallecas, a blue-collar suburb of Madrid, working variously as a gardener in Navacerrada, where he also taught local children boxing at the municipal leisure center, a gardener, a bricklayer and a porn actor. He had a small part playing himself in the hugely successful first installment of the Torrente film franchise. Despite earning millions of the old pesetas in prize money, Díaz told EL PAÍS in a 2011 interview that he often had trouble getting to the end of the month.