CALIFORNIA — In a typical cockfight, two well-conditioned cocks have razor-sharp blades strapped to their feet, and then they fight until one or both of them are dead. Cock handlers have to be extra careful when touching their cocks because one wrong stroke can be fatal, as in the case of Jose Luis Ochoa.

An autopsy revealed that Ochoa was killed by his cock after it slashed his leg open during a cockfight. Police had responded to a call about a cockfight in progress and found Ochoa bleeding badly from a severed artery in his leg. He was taken to the hospital, but died from the loss of blood.

The New York Post reported that Ochoa paid $370 in fines in 2010 for owning or training an animal for fighting. That amount could have easily been won back by his cock in a single fight.

Believe it or not, underground cockfighting has a strong following in California. It may have something to do with the large amount of Mexican immigrants living there, but I can’t be positive about that because cockfighting is also popular in Asia, where it is partially blamed for spreading the bird flu.

Most of the civilized world considers cockfighting a sick blood sport. I did some research on Wikipedia and found out that people actually treat their cocks really well: “Cocks are given the best of care until near the age of two years old.” When read out of context, that sentence would creep most people out.

It’s surprising that cock-related deaths aren’t more common considering how dangerous the blades strapped to their feet are. Plus, it’s not easy to get a firm grip on a strong full-grown cock. It’s even harder if you’re trying to hold a stranger’s cock that you aren’t familiar with. That’s when the real danger starts.

Tongue-twister fact: Caretakers commonly condition their cocks for cruel contests in California.

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