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07/11/2005 Archived Entry: "WBA Lightweight Champ Juan Diaz Names His Hit List!"
WBA Lightweight Champ Juan Diaz Names His Hit List!
by Karl Hegman
Photography by Jack Clayton
Karl Hegman (left) and W.B.A. Lightweight Champ, Juan Diaz discuss Diaz' plans
The July heat has it's relentless grip on the Bayou City here in the throes of a sweltering Summer. I decided to take Friday morning off from work and head to the Savannah Gym here in Houston to speak with the WBA Lightweight King on his future pugilistic plans and upcoming non-title fight on the 16th with Arthur Cruz at the Coushatta Casino and Resort in Louisiana.
Upon my arrival; Ronnie Shields-one of the top trainers in professional boxing today-was working the pads with a young female fighter in ring center. I was instantly taken in by her precision and power on the punching mitts. She slipped and countered Ronnie's leads; always finishing up and following through on balance and in her boxing stance. Shields would lead with his left and the fighter would duck and roll; ripping payback left hooks and right hands in return from 45 degree angles.
Latravia Pierce
Her name is Latravia Pierce and she is as beautiful as she is deadly accurate in the squared circle. Ronnie told me she is 2-0 as an amateur and has been training for a couple of years now; and that is has become increasingly difficult for her to obtain fights. At 141 pounds of solid fighting machine, I can see why no one wants to fight her after watching her work out. Latravia told me that she wants to compete in the 2008 Olympics and is currently a student at Houston Baptist University. Ronnie dosen't do her any favors; he works her out just as hard as he does the male fighters. Keep an eye out in the future for this young lady, fight fans.
I asked Ronnie what he has coming up. "I am working with Juan and Anne Wolfe and then with Evander in about three weeks as he has a fight in Italy." I told him I thought Laila Ali was afraid to fight Anne. "Laila is definitely ducking her, yes. Anne really wants that fight."
I renewed acquaintances with the gym's owner; the renowned Willie Savannah and assistant trainer Jay Johns and asked Jay what was going on with former WBO Super Flyweight Champion Ivan Hernandez. "It was killing him making 115, so we are moving him up a division. He is currently training in Mexico right now and will be back here at Savannah working with Ronnie Shields soon. He was so weakened by making the weight, those body shots from Montiel took the fight out of him. He'll be back, though. "
The WBA Lightweight Champion and his younger brother, Jose Diaz arrived shortly thereafter and we chatted a bit and renewed old memories.
Friday is a light day in the gym which means no sparring; just bag and pad work, shadowboxing, rope-skipping, and work outs on the weight and running machines. The Gym is a fine one as far as boxing gymnasiums go, and is a monument to the sacrifice and self-denial these athletes put into their profession. The Savannah Boxing Club and Youth Association is what prizefighting is all about. It is the lifeblood of the sport in the Greater Houston Area. The Best Fighters and World Champions from around the Globe train here year round, side by side with other professional and amateur fighters. There are no attitudes allowed here, no disprespectful smacktalk, and no one is better than anyone else. There is only sweat, pain, and suffering in this purgatory in Southwest Houston that breeds both amateur and professional World Boxing Champions alike.
Diaz (left) shaddowboxes
Diaz shadowboxed a couple of rounds, and then worked the weight machines before getting in the ring with Shields for some shadowing and mitt work.
Juan is solid and lean, and looks to be about 5 or 6 pounds above his fighting weight right now. His movements and actions in the ring were deliberate and hurtful and carried out with assassin like accuracy. The Champion is always on balance, tucked in tight with elbows in and chin down. He works off of angles and is always in postion to rip home short, jolting hooks to the body and head. He is in constant movement and his upper body bends from side to side much like a pendulum that swings back and forth to sink his shots deep into his intended target. He finished six rounds without any signs of labored breathing and then headed over to the treadmill to put in a few hard miles of running.
The Champion's cousin, 17 year old Genaro Alarcon took the ring next with Shields and impressed me with his poise and power for being such a young age. Alarcon fights much in the same manner as the Champion-though not as refined or polished which is to be expected. Genaro had a lot of snap on the end of that jab and put his shots together quite well. Alarcon makes his professional debut on the undercard of Juan's next fight, which is a non-title go vs former victim Arthur Cruz on July 16th at Coushatta Casino in Kinder, Louisiana.
The Champion's younger brother, Jose Diaz, whose professional ledger is a perfect 6-0 will be fighting on the same card as well.
The following is a transcript of my chat with the WBA Champion, Juan Diaz:
KARL HEGMAN: "Champ, you look in great shape. What's your weight now?"
JUAN DIAZ: "About 140, as I walk around about 145. I'm taking this fight with Arthur Cruz as seriously as I would a title defense. I've been doing all my gym work, with lots of weightlifting, swimming, and running thrown in."
KH: "Juan; Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo are basically two middleweights that dehydrate to 135 lbs 48-36 hours before a fight. Once they are in the ring they are close to being middleweights again. Yourself being a true lightweight, would you still like to fight these guys?"
JD: "Definitely. I think Castillo will win the rematch as well."
KH: "Diego Corrales was talking smack about you on ESPN when he was the in studio guest host the night you stopped Billy Irwin. He even went to a teleprompter to illustrate what he thinks are mistakes that you make inside the ring. Well; Diego makes a lot of mistakes himself. First of all; when he finishes punching-he stands right in front of the guy waiting for the receipt rather than sliding off to either side. That is the reason he gets hit so much. Secondly; he brings his left hand back to his hip and Castillo and Mayweather were able to nail him with right hands over that low left and follow up hooks to the body and head. He is a tough guy but dosen't have the greatest set of whiskers out there as he has been on the deck multiple times as well. Diego also fails to utilize his height and reach advantage over most of his adversaries-and actually ducks in to their punching zone making him susceptible to uppercuts and left hooks. What are your thoughts on fighting this very flawed, yet very exciting Champion?"
JD: "I'd love to fight that guy as well. I'm ready right now. I think Castillo will beat him in a return and I'd love to fight Castillo after he beats Corrales."
KH: "What about Acelino Freitas? He has an open date now that he has accepted the step aside money for Castillo to face Corrales in a return match. I think you would fare quite well against him as he loops and telegraphs his punches, and basically looks to get a guy out of there with right hands thrown from the outfield which you could see coming easy."
JD: I'd love that fight! Mr. Savannah wants that fight as well. I'd use my jab a lot and get inside those wild swings of his and work his body."
KH: "Julio Diaz has called you out twice now, Juan. What are your thoughts on this lightweight warrior who perhaps has seen his better days?"
JD: "Julio was faxed two contracts in January, and he never replied to either one of them. He's just talking as he has nothing now after being knocked out by Castillo. Julio dosen't have anything I need or want, he is not a marquee name. I am not interested in fighting Julio, as his best days are past."
KH: "OK Juan; you are fighting Arthur Cruz-a guy you already stopped earlier in your career on the 16th at Coushatta. Why this guy again? Is it a tune up just to keep you busy?"
JD: "Well, no fight is really a tune up. You know that being a former fighter yourself. A fight is a fight, and I have been really training hard for Arthur and look to put on a good show for the fight fans in Louisiana. Main Events didn't make this fight, Mr. Savannah did."
KH: "Champ; is everything OK between Team Diaz and the folks at Main Events?"
JD: "Not really, no. Main Events hasn't done anything for me since I got cut and had to postpone my Las Vegas title defense vs. Ebo Elder. They even cancelled my brother Jose's fight on the same card after I got cut and couldn't fight. I have a mandatory coming up in the fall with the winner of the Ebo Elder-Prawet Singwancha and they will have to deal with me then. Maybe after Fernando Vargas and Rocky Juarez get through with their respective fights in the near future we can move forward with Main Events at that time."
KH: "How about Ricky Hatton? What do you think of him?"
JD: "Ricky is a real good action fighter, I'd love to fight him! I'd move up to 140 to fight him. Now that would be a good fight for me there."
KH: "What are your thoughts on the upcoming Elder-Singwancha fight?
JD: "Well; I know Ebo is a good fighter, but I haven't seen Singwancha as of yet. I'll beat whoever wins that fight, there is no doubt in my mind."
KH: 'How about Erik Morales?"
JD: "That would be a great fight for me! I hear he is moving up to lightweight but is looking at Levander Johnson; I want the winner of that one!"
KH: "Juan, are you still having to beat the girls off with a stick?"
JD: (Laughs) "Yeah, sometimes. You know I abstain six weeks before a fight. I am not gonna do anything to jeopardize my career at this point. I take one, two weeks max off from the gym after a fight and I am right back to work. I'm off from the University of Houston for the summer, but will hit it again in the fall. I have two more years of college and then I plan on entering law school."
KH: "Juan; Ron Lipton was once quoted as saying that boxing is a young man's sport; a VERY young man's sport. What are your thoughts on that?"
JD: "Ron is absolutley right. I have to do it now while I'm still young and I am at my physical peak. I do a lot of swimming, weightlifting, and running year round. I want to be an attorney after my career is over, and I want to thank the folks here in Houston and everywhere else for supporting me. I will promise I'll give a hundred and ten percent every time out."
Karl Hegman (left) and Juan Diaz
Juan Diaz: WBA Lightweight Boxing Champion of the World
