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10/14/2007 Archived Entry: "Juan Diaz Makes Julio Diaz Quit in Nine!"
Juan Diaz Makes Julio Diaz Quit in Nine!
By Juan C. Ayllon at ringside
Juan Diaz (left) slugs away at Julio Diaz as referee Genaro Rodriguez looks on (Edward Zajac photo)
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.—This was what boxing is all about. Wearing their Mexican pride on their sleeves, they fought with a fury typifying the legendary Barrera-Morales trifecta. And then, inexplicably, someone pulled the plug on the show.
The stage was set. Three-quarters of the marbles of what has become known as the “Diaz Division” were at stake: Juan Diaz’s World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organization belts and Julio Diaz’s International Boxing Federation Lightweight title.
Fighting in World Boxing Council Lightweight champion David Diaz’s back yard, Juan “The Baby Bull” Diaz (135 lbs., 32-0, 16 knockouts) imposed his will early and often, battering Julio “The Kid” Diaz (135 lbs., 34-3, 25 knockouts) as both threw punches in bunches to the delight of a raucous crowd at the Sears Centre.
Julio Diaz (left) and Juan Diaz trade in the trenches (Edward Zajac photo)
Gloves flew bell to bell. One round blurred into another. Fighting at a dizzying pace that would wilt most mortals, Julio Diaz had just completed his most competitive round in the eighth, imposing a new wrinkle of his own to their war.
Then, to the shock of all, Julio Diaz quit in between rounds! Boos thundered down on the boxing ring. This wasn’t how a battle between two Mexican warriors was supposed to end! A fight broke out high in the rafters. It was as if, in the throes of passion between two lovers, one suddenly says, “I’m done,” gets up and leaves the room. Indeed, the fans felt both jilted and screwed. Everywhere, people were asking, “What the hell just happened?”
Well, Juan Diaz happened. As promoter Don King said afterwards, he has a habit of wearing people down with his non-stop aggression.
Juan Diaz imposed his will on Julio Diaz in the first. Early on, a right hook by Juan landed to the head and a left to the jaw drew a huge roar from the crowd. Julio jabbed and retreated. An overhand right by Juan, and, then, another turned Julio’s head violently. Another big right and left bounced off Julio’s head. They traded blows in close. Juan bounced a jarring right uppercut off Julio’s jaw in close. Closing out the round, Julio speared his antagonist with right jabs and straight lefts.
Retreating in the second, Julio jabbed and landed a crisp straight left to the head. Stepping in, Juan bobbled Julio’s head with a fusillade of lefts and rights. The crowd roared. A right uppercut snapped Julio’s head back. A left tore into Julio’s ribcage. Julio stormed back furiously with lefts and rights of his own. However, a right and left to the head stopped him in his tracks. Trading in close, Juan Diaz simply was getting the better of him, repeatedly battering Julio’s head.
In the third, the taller and rangier Julio Diaz gained valuable distance and landed more with his right jab and left cross. Those extra inches of real estate were what he needed. Granted, he was jarred by a right to the head and, yes, a subsequent trio of lefts, followed by three-punch volley to head by Juan Diaz drew hearty approval from the crowd. But it appeared that Julio might have something here. Julio dug a heavy uppercut to the beltline of Juan. Juan battered his head in three-punch salvos, but Diaz slugged back with increasing effectiveness in spots. Accentuating his rancor, Julio finished the round with a three-punch volley to Juan’s head.
Edward Zajac photo
Invigorated, Julio snapped Juan’s head back with a stiff jab and circled at the beginning of the fourth. Juan pursued. Julio bounced a whistling straight left off Juan’s head. Continuing to pursue, Juan landed a thumping right left-right combination to the head. A flurry of blows rained back. Jabbing more effectively, Julio was dictating the tempo and distance better. Yet, Juan was still the more imposing of the two, landing potent three and four punch flurries in spots.
The fifth began with torrid body punching. Juan ripped lefts and rights to the midsection, and Julio returned the same. After even trading, Juan backed Julio off with a five-punch volley that roused the crowd. Julio dug a vicious right to the body and a left to Juan’s head. Trading at close quarters, Julio bounced a series of chopping right to the head. However, a searing right snapped his head back and yet another sent spray flying from his head. With punches flying everywhere, Juan appeared to stun Julio with another blistering volley at rounds end.
The war raged on. In the seventh, Julio snapped Juan’s head back with a crackling left-right combination. Just as it appears that Julio was taking over, Juan stormed back, repeatedly snapping Julio’s head back with lefts and rights at rounds end.
The eighth began with Julio sporting a noticeable purple mouse under his left eye. As the two traded, he was warned for using his head in close by referee Genaro Rodriguez. Juan Diaz was relentless and Julio’s discipline and resolve was breaking down. Still, Julio jabbed, circled, and mixed his punches well. He appeared to be reasserting himself.
And then, to the utter disbelief of the crowd, before the ninth began, referee Genaro Rodriguez waved off the bout. Julio’s corner advised the ref that Julio would no longer continue. The official time of the stoppage was one second into the ninth round.
Afterwards at the post-fight press conference, Juan Diaz said, “I want to thank God for this victory…and all the Houston fans that traveled out to see me.” In Spanish, he also suggested that Julio’s usage of the head and occasional low blows signaled that Julio was looking for a way out and, hence, he wasn’t surprised that Julio Diaz quit.
Julio Diaz said, “I did everything opposite of what I trained for. I was looking for one punch and forgot about winning rounds.”
That’s fine, Julio: Strategy routinely goes out the window in the heat of battle. It’s a fight, for goodness sakes! Go ahead and forget about winning rounds. In fact, fight however you want in that ring. Just don’t up and quit on us again. It’s not fair to us, or the sport of boxing, for that matter.
* * *
Seen at ringside
Female boxers Kristen Gearhart (left) and Rita Figueroa take in the action from the bleachers (Juan C. Ayllon photo)
Former WBC Lightr Heayweight title holder Montel Griffin (left) and heavyweight contender Fres Oquendo pose for the camera (Juan C. Ayllon photo)
Former Ultimate Fighting Championships heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski (left) and William Hernandez (Juan C. Ayllon photo)
Rising undefeated middleweight contender Michael 'The Midnight Stalker' Walker and a friend visit at ringside (Juan C. Ayllon photo)
Don King's son, Karl, poses near the locker rooms with ladies who wanted to be ringcard girls, but were turned away. He said, "Who was in charge of hiring the ringcard girls? They're fired!" (Juan C. Ayllon photo)
MORE PHOTOS TO FOLLOW...
