Joel Diaz, Jr stays ready

No question Diaz is an action fighter. Anyone who saw his last fight can attest to that. But at 7-0, they can’t all be like that. Not if he wants a long career. He has flaws and he readily admits them and more than that, is working on changing them. For one, he has a tendency to square up rather than attack out of a sideways, almost fencing position that makes for a smaller target.

“That is exactly what Abel Sanchez told me,” said Diaz. “You’re squaring up too much. I am tall for my weight class so I want to get my weight advantage. Here it is. I can use my weight advantage at the same time I can work on my defense.”

Diaz explained that his new digs, which is high up in the mountains is a new experience but one he welcomes with open arms.

“The running is great. The altitude is really high. But I didn’t really feel it in my training,” said Diaz. “I felt it the first day I sparred with Mikey Garcia. That’s when I started feeling it, you know? Abel he was like ‘Now you feel it, right?’ I was like ‘Yeah, man.’ It took me awhile to get used to it but I am now. I am feeling really good, man.”

At 19, Diaz has not seen much of the world. He has just tasted what fame feels like after his win and doing the radio show and interview rounds. But now it is back to business. And right now, his business is learning how to be a better fighter.

“I like to try new things and travel. I’m going to do whatever it takes to be successful in my career,” said Diaz. “They are teaching me new things. We are adding to what I have and taking away things I shouldn’t be doing. That’s what we are working on. Sparring with Mikey Garcia, he is teaching me a lot. My angles are starting to come back and I am starting to not be so squared up anymore. That second round knockout won’t happen again, you know?”

At the time we spoke, Mikey Garcia was training with Diaz but all manner of fighters from Gennady Golovkin to Canelo Alvarez train at the facility from time to time. Diaz looks forward to training with them all and picking their brains on the fight sciences.

“Wherever they send me I am going. If it makes my career successful then I am all ears. Whatever is best for me that’s what I am going to do. That is it,” he said. “This is a new training camp for me. Whoever’s stuff I can pick up, I am going to pick it up. I like taking tips from a lot of fighters. I don’t like to have just one thing. I am going to try and put it in with my style, you know?”

Now it should be said that Diaz’ promoter is Boxing 360. For this bout, at the time we interviewed, Diaz was fighting a To-Be-Determined fight which likely would end up an easy stay busy opponent. At 7-0, there will few more of these. It’s part of the process. As it turns out, the fighter he will be facing is Ryan Pederson, 2-8 with 2 KOs. He is one a four fight losing streak and is fighting for the first time in 2012. However, before someone gets all crazy and says ‘Wait a minute. Wasn’t Boxing 360 complaining about fighter safety last week’ remember that this is smaller local card, off TV, featuring a 7-0 fighter coming off a tough win where he was knocked down. It is not for a belt, not a main event on TV and not featuring a closer to 20-0 fighter against a close to forty year old journeyman. Is it ideal? No. Is it part of how young fighters get made, yes it is.

For Diaz, who he fights never matters. I get the sense he’d fight a top champion tomorrow if they called him. At the time we talked, he had an opponent but he didn’t remember who it was.

“They told me but I forgot,” laughed Diaz. “They are training me for whatever comes my way. It doesn’t really matter. Like the last fight, it was short notice. I was already training for a fight. I am training every day. I am motivated. I am on my grind. So whoever comes my way they better be prepared because I am going to fight, you know?”

Some might wonder why he had such a fast turnaround but before the Guy Robb fight was made, Diaz was already slated to fight February 17. So for him, this is all just business as usual. The key right now is just to stay ready, keep learning and when the call comes, be able to answer it with a “yes.”

“I didn’t come out with injuries,” said Diaz of the Robb fight. “My hands weren’t hurt. I was still up for it. My manager asked and I wanted to go. They gave me a date already and so I started training again. And here I am. Waiting for Feb 17.”

“360 Notes”

As a follow up to the story on the Hernandez vs. Andrade fight, litigation is somewhat under way. Regardless of Angel Hernandez being deemed medically fit to fight, there is the matter of Star Boxing and Banner Boxing using a fighter under contract to Boxing 360 without their permission. Understand, Boxing 360 is not seeking money from that fight. They are entitled to 20% yet Dr. Mario Yagobi, owner of Boxing 360, does not want it. What he wants is justice. As he explained to me this week, this is about not allowing a small promoter such as himself to be bullied by more established promoters.

More on this as it unfolds.

The fights this weekend, from the Cicero Stadium in Chicago, Illinois will be streamed live on the Boxing360.com website. The card starts at 8PM CST time and features IBF super featherweight champ Amanda Serrano, and heavyweight Joey Dawejko from their stable.