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12/20/2004 Archived Entry: "David Diaz Shares Thoughts on Christmas Vacation, Preparations for February Fight with Kendall Holt!"
David Diaz Shares Thoughts on Christmas Vacation, Preparations for February Fight with Kendall Holt!
By Juan C. Ayllon
David and Tanya Diaz last summer at Cab's
(Chicago, IL): Rising junior welterweight contender, David Diaz (26-0-0, 14 KO’s) is leaving tomorrow with his lovely, pregnant wife, Tanya, on vacation to Mexico. They are a friendly and beautiful couple; he is compact, chiseled and possessing rugged, good looks, prompting the co-owner of Cabs Wine Bar Bistro to say, “You are so handsome for a fighter,” during a visit there last summer; she is voluptuous and a natural raven haired beauty, leading a boxing publicist to observe, “They are going to have beautiful children.” Indeed.
It might strike a dissonant chord in some, the apparent disharmony between this idyllic couple and the savage sport the husband participates in. However, for those familiar with the sport and its participants, it is not an odd mix at all. As astute students of the game like the Chicago Tribune’s Michael Hirsley have observed, boxers are often humble and good people. For every fighter who makes headlines for antisocial or criminal behavior, there are many, many others who are genuine, nice down to earth types. The nature of their craft with its inherent risks, the unpredictable nature of a sport that can turn ones fortunes into misfortunes in the blink of an eye, can have that effect.
David Diaz, while confident, is also humble. He does not rely on his gifts alone to get him over the top. Instead, he blends boxing smarts—an educated, ring savvy—along with conditioning, heart and a raw desire that burns white hot. He brings an intelligent and disciplined approach to the ring that marries ring science with measured and raw violence. The results are both enervating and beautiful, much like watching the cunning and powerful leopard stalk and ultimately take down larger prey in the wild, if you will.
A former 1996 Olympian, Diaz has meticulously honed his skills through the years. Following a two-year hiatus because his brother passed away and he “…needed some time away from boxing,” Diaz hooked up in 2001 with highly experienced cut man and fight game aficionado, Jim Strickland, whom he had met while in the amateurs. Suffering a momentary setback with a severe Achilles tendon tear, he began fighting again in September 2002.
With Strickland as his manager, Diaz has charted a steady course upwards, gaining invaluable experience and beating everyone put before him. This includes three notable wins this last year: The first a unanimous decision victory over ever-dangerous Emmanuel Augustus—a fight some said was an ill-advised risk for a non-televised bout; the second was a scintillating televised stoppage win over former world titlist, Ener Julio; and the third was perhaps the most thrilling, non-televised bout of the year against one very tough and dangerous Jaime Rangel, who shook Diaz in the first round and tested him throughout until finally succumbing in the ninth round.
After having five staples removed from his head, the results of a cut on the side of his head sustained in his bout against Rangel, David Diaz graciously granted an exclusive interview with the Cyber Boxing Zone.
On his wife’s pregnancy:
She’s due in April. I’m excited. Yeah definitely, boy or girl it doesn’t mater as long as it’s healthy!
On his vacation plans:
I’m going to spend Christmas with my parents ‘cause they’re down there. We’re going to try get everything we can: we’ll head down to Acapulco and go to my mom’s village that’s up in the mountains.
On training for his upcoming February bout versus Kendall Holt:
My timeline starts as soon as I get back from my vacation. I started the roadwork already. When I return form vacation I’ll start hitting the heavy bags and sparring. I’ll be back on the 30th of December. I’m going only a week and two days.
Right now, we’re definitely going to work with heavy guys because that’s his style. We’ll work with a 5’-4” guy who’s going to come at me straight, grab a couple tapes of him and go to work.
As soon as everything goes well with Kendall Holt and we get a victory, hopefully, we will go for a title shot or a more explosive bout HBO or Showtime. It doesn’t matter, just as long as people get to see me in action.
Regarding his preferred weight class, as his manager, Jim Strickland had previously suggested winning a title at lightweight, then moving back up to 140:
It doesn’t matter; I can get down to ’35. In my last fight, I got down to 136. If the opportunity comes to fight at 35 I’ll take it; if it comes at 140, I’ll take it.
Regarding training diet—which previously featured a lot of salads and chicken—and sleep:
It’s still the same thing; so far everything’s been working with me with the fish, the chicken and the meat, eliminate the carbs. It’ll be kind of hard in Mexico but we’ll see what happens!
[Editor’s note: Sports trainer and chiropractor, Dr. Stoxen, who has advised and worked with Diaz on matters of diet, exercise and training injuries, said that the typical Puerto Rican and Mexican diets are notorious for featuring rice, beans, corn tortillas and Coca-Cola, which are high glycemic index carbohydrates, and in turn increase insulin levels and decrease growth hormone, thus creating potential weight problems and weakening the body.]
I do cardio in the morning—maybe run or ride the bike—and do boxing in the afternoon. I work with weights every other day. I go to the gym around 7 PM…I do about ten reps, a little of everything. I don’t do that much weight, just a little to get some variety from boxing.
You’ve got to go to bed early; you need to rest and be ready to go to work the next day. I go to bed around 9 or 9:30 P.M.; I try to get up by 5:30 or 6 at the latest.
On a personal note to the fans:
I want to wish everybody a merry Christmas and happy New Year and I want to thank Cyber Boxing Zone and the fans for standing behind me. This next year, we’ll hopefully be giving Cyber Boxing more to write about and the fans more to cheer about!
Likewise, we wish David and Tanya Diaz—along with their unborn child—every blessing over Christmas and the holidays, preparations for the upcoming bout and a prosperous, happy and healthy New Year. Godspeed.
: Photo by Juan C. Ayllon
