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09/07/2008 Archived Entry: "Juan Diaz and Rocky Juarez Win Houston Doubleheader"
Juan Diaz and Rocky Juarez Win Houston Doubleheader
By Karl Hegman at ringside
Photos by Kevin Keane
Katsidis (left) fires a left -- which is blocked -- at Diaz
Houston fighters Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz and Rocky Juarez prevailed in tough fights televised by HBO Saturday night at the Toyota Center in downtown Houston before 15,000 enthusiastic fight fans in a violent drenched atmosphere.
Former unified lightweight titlist Diaz (33-1, 17 KO's) won a split verdict over Australian Michael "The Great" Katsidis (23-2, 20 KO's) in a fight dominated inside the confines of the ring by "The Baby Bull", though not on some blind judges' scorcards. Diaz outpunched and outfought the game Aussie all the way in a good one that began with Katsidis moving forward and Diaz turning and steering Katsidis around and into his right hands and left hooks.
The pattern of the fight was established early by Diaz got as he got off first with his jabs and double jabs and kept the onrushing Katsidis off balance for a good portion of the time, and generally outhit his opponent in the rugged inside exchanges in the first half of the hard fought affair. There was no time for softies here, this was hardcore brutality at its best as the two would meet in ring center and bang away with Diaz landing the greater volume of shots with his faster hands to the body and head of the slow, yet powerful Katsidis.
Diaz (left) stalks Katsidis behind a high guard
The action was stopped several times due to the tape coming off of Katsidis' gloves, which proved all the more reason for the Texas commission to change to duct tape in the future.
Katsidis was cut over the right eye which also swelled and nearly closed, and then was cut over the left eye in the tenth as Diaz simply had too many weapons for the plodding fighter from "Down Under." Katsidis would lunge forward and Diaz would slip and duck inside, the pair would stand shoulder to shoulder and see who would be forced back and trade body and head shots down the stretch.
Katisidis went all out in the 12th and final round knowing he needed a knockout to win, but Diaz stayed right with him as the crowd went wild and the fight ended with Diaz slipping tot he floor during an exchange.
I gave Katsidis three rounds on my card, but the judges had different ideas. Michael Buffer stunned the crowd in attendance as he announced there was a split verdict. Glen Hamada scored a ridiculous 115-113 for Katsidis, giving Katsidis the last 5 rounds, Gale Van Hoy had a much more accurate card in 116-112 for Diaz, and Levi Martinez saved an embarrasment for boxing by scoring it 115-113 for Diaz.
Above, Diaz greets the crowd in the post fight press conference ande below, he laughs as Oscar De la Hoya (far left) looks on proudly
With the win, Diaz wants the winner of next Saturday's Joel Casamayor vs. Juan Manuel Marquez bout, and will most likely receive his wish as the three are all promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.
In the co featured bout, Rocky Juarez (28-4, 20 KO's) stopped the wild swinging Jorge Barrios (47-4-1, 34 KO's) in eleven rounds in a career best performance in front of his hometown fans. Juarez started off the bout jabbing and countering to the body with left hooks as the wide open import lunged forward, throwing haymakers from all directions. Barrios hit low continually, and finally had a point taken away in the third. The action was heavy and fought at a fierce pace as Juarez shored up his defense, picking off punches with his gloves and shooting in hurtful jabs and right hand and left hook counters.
The wild hooks that got through by Brrios swelled up Juarezs' right eye, but the game gladiator marched on and took the fight to his foe behind a rabid Houston crowd that was chanting his name "Rocky! Rocky!" and laid some heavy leather on Barrios, who by the last third of the fight was in heavy breathing. Barrios threw many more punches, but missed the majority and Juarez was making him pay for his wildness with punishing shots ovr and under, and Barrios lost another point with a low blow.
Barrios was cut and bleeding, beaten up and ready to go as Juarez looked to end matters as he came out for the eleventh, determined to close the show.
Juarez beat Barrios pillar to post, busting his mouth open and causing heavy bleeding. Barrios was hurt and helpless, off balance and open and Juarez set him up and took him out. Barrios was limp as a rag doll when a volley of hard lefts and rights sent him crashing to the canvas floor, hard, loud, and dramatic as the crowd erupted. He rose to his feet and took the eight count as the referee called the doctor in to take a look at him and told him to stop it as Barrios' lip was now ripped wide open, gushing a heavy flow of gore.
A bruised but happy Juarez addresses the crowd at the post-fight press conference
Promoter De la Hoya stated after the fight at the post fight press conference that WBA featherweight titlist Chris Johns' people were interested in matching Rocky up with their man providing he wins his next title defense.
It was a great night for boxing in the Bayou City by Golden Boy promotions, and according to promoter Oscar De la Hoya, they will be back in the future with another card here and will certainly be welcomed back with open arms by the sports fans here in Houston.
Well done!
Photographer Kevin Keane (left) with Oscar De la Hoya
