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03/07/2008 Entry: "David Diaz Holds Open Workout at JABB in Preparation for Montano"
David Diaz Holds Open Workout at JABB in Preparation for Montano
Photos and Report By Juan C. Ayllon
News Editor & Staff Writer
David Diaz (left) works the punching mitts with Mike Garcia
CHICAGO, March 6, 2008—At 31 years of age, World Boxing Council Lightweight champion David Diaz isn’t getting any younger, but he just might be getting better. That's good, because he wants a shot at arguably the most exciting fighter in the sport.
And, if things go well on March 15th, he'll probably gets what he's wishing for.
Boxing since he was eight years old, Diaz has compiled a record of 33-1-1 and 17 knockouts. He's now in the twilight of his career and wants to end it with a bang: He wants to make a definitive statement before he passes on the torch.
Diaz throws the right jab as trainer Mike Garcia looks on
A member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic boxing team that ironically included current “Pound for Pound” claimant Floyd Mayweather—who defeated Oscar De La Hoya last May and is slated for a rematch in September—Diaz is gunning for a shot at Manny Pacquiao, a co-claimant to that mythical crown who's knocked out nearly three out of every four of his opponents.
Diaz hits the double-ended bag underneath a poster advertising Pacquiao-Marquez II
Standing in his way is a non-title bout versus one very cagey and busy fighter named Ramon Montano (15-4-2, 1 KO), whom he’ll face March 15th on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez rematch for the WBC Super Featherweight Title (Pacquiao-Marquez I ended in a draw). If Diaz wins, he gets to make the big bucks defending his title against Pacquiao (45-3-2, 34 KO’s), a three-time world champion looking to move up and add Diaz’s lightweight belt to his portfolio. And, if he falls short, he’ll not only miss out on a large payday, but also lower his market value in trying to unify the various boxing organizations’ versions of the lightweight title.
At right, Strickland and Garcia observe Diaz shadow boxing
With his trainer, Mike “Fly” Garcia and his manager, Jim Strickland looking on at JABB Boxing Gym in Chicago, David Diaz held an open workout and addressed questions by the media. And, afterwards, Strickland shared his candid observations with this writer.
Stretching outside the ring, Diaz looks on as heavyweight contender Mike Mollo shadow boxes above. Below, Diaz does some more stretching inside the ring as Mollo continues his drills
On how much longer he intends to box:
“I’ve probably got like about four years, three years left,” Diaz said. “God willing, if everything goes all right.” He laughs. “You guys gotta help me out—so if you guys see me mumbling and stumbling, you guys gotta let me know: ‘Hey Dave, time for you to go home, go to your wife and kids!’”
Diaz (left) addresses the media at ringside
On how many fights he expects to do:
Hopefully, I’ll do 20—no, I’m just kidding. I don’t know. Hopefully we’ll do like about two or three more—two more fights in the calendar year and see what comes after that. [Pacquiao aside,] my wish list is ‘undisputed’ [lightweight champion of the world]. I want all the belts. I don’t care if they’re insignificant or not; I want them all. I want anybody who’s got a belt. Anybody. It doesn’t matter who—I’m not a picky person. A lot of people can attest to that. I’ll fight whoever it is I have to fight to get the belts.
On whether or not—outside of boxing—he’s still going into real estate with his wife:
Not no more! The market’s pretty bad, so I’m hanging those up for a while. I’ve still got my license, but I’m just concentrating on the fight game right now.
Diaz's wife Tanya, at right, looks on as he hits the speed bag
On a purported try out with the Chicago Black Hawks hockey team:
They want me to do something with the Black Hawks and I’m all for it, just as long as they don’t want to scrap—they’ve got an advantage: That’s the ice—they’ve got skates. I don’t. And, I don’t know how to skate! I’ll fall. I’ll do my best and try to make Chicago proud.
His manager and acclaimed cutman, Jim Strickland, on Diaz’s being well-suited for the lightweight weight class:
He’s a high-intense trainer. He’s fighting at the perfect weight. If they debate whether or not a fighter loses too much weight—he doesn’t have to do that. If he did that, like some fighters do, he’d be a 130-pounder.
At 140 pounds, I thought it was clear that he wasn’t basically a 140-pounder. He would weigh 140 lbs. 10 days before a fight with a normal workout, without any sweats!
On how far Diaz ran in training:
Usually no more than five miles maximum, and he’d usually run 30, 40 minutes. We had a little problem getting training here—he’s so comfortable wanting to be home. The downside of it was that it was winter. When he said that two or three months ago that he’d rather stay home, I just thought I hope we don’t have one of those once-every-five-year winters. Which we did—snow on the ground from the beginning of the winter till the end! So, he had to do a lot of running on the inside. I got him jumping rope extra, too.
If there’s any weakness in his training at all, it’s from the failure to be able to get outdoors to run, which I feel is better.
Strickland gives Diaz a drink of water in between rounds of mitt work
Strickland on sparring partners for this bout:
We had a pretty good collection of sparring partners here. We had a couple amateurs that were really good because this kid he’s fighting is like a hundred punches a round fighter. He’s busy, so he punches like amateurs do—I don’t mean style, but the volume.
One kid, Ed Brown, a 16-year-old kid, who used to be [my wife's student]—my wife teaches a school four or five blocks from Garfield Park—he was in her class. And at 10, 11, 12 years old, she was telling me he was a nice kid; I ought to try to work with him. But he goes to Garfield Park, and it’s not my nature under any reasons to take on someone else’s fighter—Jorge Hernandez, he was training with him; he grew up around him. So, he was excellent work at 16 years of age.
Mike Garcia (left) and David Diaz (center) talk with prospect Ivan Popoca
And then we had a couple other amateurs: A guy named Lebron—he is going in the Golden Gloves this last year; he’s been in the Golden Gloves for three years; and, another kid from all the way in Aurora named Will.
And we had right here a close friend of David’s—they were in the gym as amateurs together—Ivan. He’s had four pro fights. [He’s] good, tough—I call him a prospect.
And, then of course, we had a veteran: Germaine Sanders. So, they gave us enough of a look to cover a pretty broad spectrum.
On Strickland's prediction for David’s fight vs. Montana:
Well, I think this fight’s going to be an exciting fight because for the first time, David’s going to be fighting a fellow that he might not possibly be able to out-punch—I mean volume of punches. This guy throws as many as him, so that makes this fight difficult that way.
David mainly just out-works most other fighters. But David just has an intensity and mainly a determination—he’s had four or five fights when it got to the later rounds, his sheer determination and his (inaudible) that I’m not going to let this fight slip away. We’ve won fights in the last few rounds that way.
Like the [Erik] Morales fight: The Morales fight was no more than something similar to half a dozen fights he’d had before.
There’s one fighter he fought, he’s a veteran, Emanuel Augustus. I looked at the tapes of him and I said, ‘God, I don’t know what I could say that will give us an advantage. At what level is David superior?' I just didn’t find one. In terms of speed, in terms of punching power, but I said, ‘Somehow, I know he can beat this guy!’
And when I made the match, Kevin Cunningham [a noted trainer from St. Louis, MO], who’s one of my closest friends…said, ‘Boy, you’re brave to take on that kid. I don’t know if I’d do that.’ But, [David] won in one of his best-looking fights.
So, it’s just sort of overwhelming.
Emmanuel August, you know he fought probably the fight of the year against Mickey Ward. And he had good speed, coordination, a decent punch. At every level, it was hard to find where we had one advantage.
But, I know the only advantage wouldn’t be in the ring; it would be in David’s heart, in his desire. And that’s what happened.
And, I think we’re looking at this fight being that way because this kid has good technique, he has a lot of punches and his punches are thrown correctly.
I think David has the advantage of being the slightly harder hitter. But it’s just the sheer determination and the will to win [that] will be the difference.
* * *
Dominic Pesoli (left), promoter of 8 Count Productions and co-owner of JABB Boxing Gym with Mike Garcia, poses with David Diaz
