Munguia stopped by Los Angeles to meet with the media last week and spoke about Bennett and his upcoming first world title defense. INDIO - When Joel Diaz Jr., returns to the ring for the first time in seven years, he said he hopes to have his world-class trainer and father in his corner at the Desert Showdown, which. "It's just a nick.". Joel Diaz Jr. is the son of top trainer Joel Diaz Sr. and although his father doesn't work his corner he still carries the family name when he enters the ring. "What's going on?" where the gym will be located. The sudden result stunned the audience. Monroe St Indio CA 92201. Diaz shouts between sneaking looks at two clocks. To make the hurt worse, he was one round short of qualifying for California's boxer pension. He shouts some instructions in Spanish to the youthful father of an infant just recently born who is being held by the mother. "One minute!" To be fair, Bennett has seen many fighters in the past with undefeated records who were not up to challenges, especially against the likes of Golovkin. It reminded me of George Foremans obliteration of Joe Frazier back in the 1970s. Freitas looked out of shape coming in to the Diaz fight and that proved to be the case as he was so gassed at the end of the eighth round that he quit on his stool. The first step toward history begins on Saturday when he faces former world champion Smith who was dethroned by another Mexican named Canelo. The Diaz brothers are currently training Avni Yildirim for his Feb. 27 bout versus middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, and Bektemir Melikuziev for his fight later this month in Russia against former world champion Sergey Kovalev. he screams inside the 6,995-square-foot gym. The building, which boasts 10-foot ceilings, is around three timesthe space the Diaz brothers had at the Boys & Girls Club. This was a roughhousing 39-1-1 Argentinian fighting an equally tough 33-0 Brazilian. Even the transients who I asked to leave, when they see me, they ask, Hey Coach, hows the gym coming along?. Golden Boy chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya announced the fight, saying: "It has been Golden Boy's home in the Coachella Valley, and we are excited to bring a DAZN fight night that they will enjoy for the first . Bethany Mollenkof for ESPN. Antonio Diaz plans to continue working with kids and says one day he may bring professionals back tothe club, even after his brother moves to the new facility. It's a welcomed distraction from the importance of this fight. "It's a different place, and a different world, within the same community." A lot of the boxers are just like me.". Every second is used by the prizefighters. Powered by IBofP 2021 234: Once-in-a-Generation Mega Fight: Tank Davis vs King Ry Garcia, Cordina-Rakhimov Might Steal the Show this Saturday, Avila Perspective, Chap. "Work! Joel trains WBO champion Timothy Bradley and Timothy Bradley Sr. also helps train the amateur kids at their Indio gym. Diaz believes his training camp will be as well. "Ponle una putiza!" But that would just a short-term solution and Diaz had until July 1 to move into a new facility. Joe Joyce vs Zhilei Zhang Full Fight Replay April 15, 2023 ; Explore . Waiting for his time just like a scorpion in the desert heat. And because there was nothing left to do, they all exit the ring and return behind the thick black curtain. Directions Advertisement. "It's fine," he says. Then came the coronavirus, forcing one of boxing's most respected trainers to put a plan into action. Needing a space to traintheir boxers, including professionals and young amateurs, Joel and Antonio moved their operation to KBX Fitness, the North Indio gym of UFC featherweight Cub Swanson and his brother, Steve, also a mixed martial artist. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com. To sacrifice, doing backbreaking work, while being apart from the ones they loved. Last year, the event drew 750,000 attendees. "A lot of the people are just like me. DAZN will show Joel Diaz Jr. vs Mercito Gesta tonight exclusively around the world.. Hes so happy.. I would sit at that table and eat, drink, write and sleep, Diaz said. Stars like Argentinas Lucas Matthysse to UFCs Cub Swanson have walked through the doors of the gym that is run like the United States Marine Corps recruiting depot. Over the past few years the benefits of desert training are evident in the overwhelming success of those sweating and grinding in the sweltering desert gym in Indio. Because of the two dozen elite fighters working in the Indio gym, it always seems to be prepping for an upcoming fight card. "Honestly, it makes me happy because at one point, you know, life is short. 2,187 likes. By law in Texas (and in most other states), a boxing promoter must purchase insurance to cover medical costs in the event that one or more of the fighters on his show is seriously injured. Just about everything planted here came to life: watermelon, grapefruits, dates, squash, radish and cabbage, to name a few. He asks if he must go. People like 2020 Olympic gold medal winner Bakhodir Jalolov and former welterweight champion (and soon to be Hall of Famer) Timothy Bradley Jr., to name a few. Boxing trainer Joel Daz bought and transformed the space during the COVID-19 pandemic. He doesn't go. His opponent hung on for dear life. Get a head start on the mornings top stories. Coles performance, said Matt McGrain, was astonishingly bad, an opinion echoed by many other boxing writers. INDIO, Calif.-Deep in the Coachella desert tiny scorpions come out at night so its best not to walk in sandals. JoJo Diaz, an Olympian from the Los Angeles suburb of South El Monte, beat Tevin Farmer last February to secure the International Boxing Federation's super featherweight title in Miami. Riverside Tamale Fest to Feature Food Competition, Music, Dancing, Felon Convicted of Killing Girlfriend, Fleeing to Vegas with Young Son, Blaze Damages Abandoned Restaurant near Jurupa Valley Animal Shelter, Man Caught with Cache of Super Toxic Illegal Drugs Sentenced, Blaze in Santa Ana River Bottom Quickly Stopped, Felon Suspected in Altercation Outside Motel in Rancho Mirage to Stand Trial, Two Injured When Car Crashes into MoVal Residence, UPDATED: Charges Filed Against Man Suspected in Sexually Motivated Messages with Teen. Inside the Special Events Center's dressing room, in the Fantasy Springs Casino Resort, a boxer is bleeding. Too knew about the problem because he'd been Joel's sparring partner and saw how his brother couldn't see the left hook. "Joel, do you have adrenaline?" You are overpowered. What changed? While hes had some help, Diaz has done the majority of the work himself. That his young boxer was able to have the kind of homecoming fight that he. There were so many fighters, in 1996, the city built Espinoza a 9,000 square foot gym and named it after him. Arely is Acosta's wife. Share. Whenever there was a big fight in the Lone Star State, his son was the favorite to draw the coveted refereeing assignment. Only a few of those kids will ever be good enough to box in amateur tournaments, but coming from here, all of them will have to fight. . He admitted to being in the middle of a whirlwind that is spinning beyond his expectations. The day after Diaz is gone, Mucio and Acosta will leave too. They all stand behind the heavy black curtain separating the dressing rooms from the ring. He returns to the dressing room that not even an hour before had been so full of excitement. Coles agency is purportedly in the top two nationally in writing these policies. The super lightweight fight will take place at the Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California. Luckily, a new smaller promotion company had just started in the Inland Empire called Thompson Boxing Promotions. As the water supply diminishes, some of those golf courses consume up to a million gallons a day. It became a case of brawler vs. boxer/puncher and when the brawler caught the more athletic Popowho could slip and duck skillfullyand decked him with a straight left in the eighth, the title suddenly was up for grabs. Home. Find him on Twitter: @Andrew_L_John. While Diaz was reluctant to accept any offers, many have insisted. From all the rage he'd pass out in his car during the middle of night. Even the fancy gas stations get their share of the dangerous little creatures. On October 19, 1996, Joel lost a twelve-round decision to undefeated IBF lightweight champion Philip Holiday in Wembley Indoor Arena, Johannesburg. The fourth brother in the Daz dynasty, Jesus,. More: Olympics more important than major titles for some women golfers, More: Strong and silly, Sarah Robles of Desert Hot Springs, is off to Tokyo, hoping to lift her way to another medal. Mucio walks beside him. "They're putting all their ideas together and creating their dream gym.". Wherever it is, they'll rest and enjoy the things they've denied themselves for months. Barrios turned professional in 1996 and went 14-0 before a DQ loss after which he went 25-0-1 with 1 no decision. Indio Joel Diaz Boxing Academy. Im going to put in the work. And I did.. Recently former WBC super featherweight champion Francisco El Bandido Vargas has become part of the team and is preparing for a showdown against Englands Stephen Smith at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Dec. 9. Until then the Diaz boys had been raised by their grandparents. In 1987, when the U.S. Supreme Court decided that neither the state of California nor Riverside County could dictate authority over the various American Indian tribes, it changed the landscape for good and brought professional boxing to the forefront. Heavy bags, speed bags, weights, chin-up bars and two boxing rings are all used simultaneously by the different boxers. "The doctor says if you want to go to the hospital, they can take you," a member of the team translates for Acosta. Sometimes things happen for a reason, Diaz said on a weekday in early January, inside a gutted 6,250-square-foot building on Indio Blvd. Joel Diaz said that he is working with his attorney to make the gym a non-profit that will be open to the community and offer programs for kids to provide activities, fitnessand self-defense training. Boxing Techniques; Boxing Gym; Latest Fight Replays. He won another fight in 2015 and though by now he was visibly paunchy, he still managed to go 10 rounds to beat Gabriel Martinez in 2017 with occasional flashes of his old explosive volleys. He and Gracia have known each other for nearly 40 years. Diaz throws up his frustrated hands. Diaz, the eldest brother in a boxing family that produced two world champions in brothers Antonio and Julio, worked out of the Indio Boys & Girls Club for close to 18 years. Claim this business. He became a professional boxer. The Diaz brothers initially found homeless men and women squatting in the building and asked them to leave. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 Entravision All rights reserved. Acosta walks down the hall, surrounded by about a dozen people. Diaz, 48, said he plans to open the gym up to the community for a grand opening in September. He fought because he saw it as his path to escape from the desert where the harsh realities of life operate at high decibels. Also planned is an area for boxing memorabilia from the history of the Coachella Valley and the boxers whove trained and lived here. In Joel Diaz gym Indio CA | esnews - YouTube 0:00 / 3:46 Future champ hits mitts fast but his nick name is "turtle"? This used to be a junkyard. How good will the promotion be? Fifty years ago here, around the time when a farmworker's average life expectancy was 49 years old, the Coachella Grape Strike's picket lines turned violent. Divisional rankings: Where do Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia land after their megafight? He sings a Chalino Snchez song called "Recordando A Armando" that was playing earlier and must have gotten stuck in his head. Now seven casinos have opened their doors in the desert region and most of them have held boxing cards at one time or another. I appreciate what people are doing. He'd scream and yell. Theres some freedom from that and there can be a lot of good energy from that.. Coach Diaz is one of the top boxing trainers in the world who has worked with many top boxing and MMA fighters. Kids come after school to hit the bag and spar, too. Their relationship grew, brought closer by pain and uncertainty. Who has the edge? Barrios stood dazed for a moment, frozen in time, and then down he went, WOW WOW WOW!!!! The documentary is co-produced by Joel Diaz, his son, Joel Diaz Jr., along with former UFC fighter & Coachella Valley native, Cub Swanson and his brother, Steve Swanson. Indio Councilman Glenn Miller volunteered his help. Otherwise any future fights for the Philippine great will not be forthcoming. Joel will often arrive at the building in the early morning hours and work on the space. He might see everything, but he can't be everywhere. It's now a restaurant. During the fight, Salido made a mockery of the Queensberry rules for which he received no point deductions and only one warning. That gave Diaz a dateto get an abandoned building he owned, whichhad been damaged by a fire, ready to open to his boxing clientele. he shouts at no one and everyone at once. A post shared by Jorge Newman (@jorgenewman13). Indio District Office. Once they learned about how Diaz built his life in America as a Mexican immigrant, they wanted to know more. When the announcer reads the judges' scores, the crowd boos. While still yelling instructions, Diaz is organizing who'll fight next. Controversy has dogged Laurence Cole for well over a decade. "Rosado, Rosado," other boxers tell him. He sits on the couch, his face is disfigured and bruised. When Mucio fights and Acosta watches, he feels the same. Back to the chaos of the boxing gym where the hungry people fight. For three days on consecutive weekends, some of the biggest names in music perform in the country's largest festival. As Gracia wraps Acosta's left hand, and Flores shadow boxes, Diaz returns to the dressing room. Social media influencers will be there too, charging thousands of dollars for a single post. Thirsty for liquid, the burning desert absorbed each drop of blood. That's what ultimately led him to politics, becoming Coachella's first elected mayor in 2006. After10 years, its now paid off, Diaz said. The documentary will be available very soon on a streaming platform, no date for release has been specified at this time. We had been there 18 years, JoelDiaz said. This win made Daz the number one rated contender and mandatory to then WBC lightweight champion, Stevie Johnston. It's not a serious cut -- a notch above a paper cut, on the meaty part of the palm closest to the thumb -- but it hasn't stopped bleeding. And, like Manny, he did and he also pursued a career in politics. It's like a light switch flipped. He was just 23 years old when boxing took it from him. ACOSTA LOST. Beginning in 1999, it has showcased acts as diverse as Guns N' Roses, Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar. When Tim Desert Storm Bradley arrived as a pro in 2004 he had been passed over by various promotion companies who felt he was too small to fight at the super welterweight class he had participated in as an amateur. The first time I ever saw Russias 24-year-old Gassiev was three years ago when he made his American debut at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello. Around the turn of the 20th century, the Colorado River was diverted, and water flowed into what was barren desert. He built his camp from the ground up, starting with a twice-burned-down building he bought ten years ago for $230,000 dollars. In this age of PEDs there was no mention of testing for the Pacquiao/Matthysse fight. When I'm not here, that's gonna be a legacy that is gonna stay behind because it's the story of my life. Located about 128 miles east of Los Angeles and 95 miles north of the Mexican border, the Indio Boys and Girls club gym is roughly in the middle of nowhere unless you like golf. This was yet another shocker, but others (including Kostya Tszyu, Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya and even Ali) had done so and the criticism this time seemed disproportionate. The man hugged them tight then picked them up. At the screening, coach Diaz was enjoying the moment with his friends and family. Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. He would fight one more time before retiring as a fighter and continuing as a trainer. "But he kept hitting me behind the head.". Boxing pound-for-pound rankings: Did Gervonta Davis make the top 10? So this former champ moved it out to the desert, Riverside County reports 3,901 additional coronavirus cases, 53 new deaths Wednesday, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Diaz is back in the dressing room and back to joking with Gracia. He's looking at a boxer's pinkie to see how badly it's hurt. the doctor asks when he arrives a few minutes later. See a problem? Bob Bennett, the Executive Director for Nevada State Athletic Commission, denied allowing Munguia an opportunity to fight Golovkin for the middleweight titles. "Vamos Tito!" Flores is 18 and has boxed since he was 7 years old. Diaz and Gracia put away the tools used to help their boxers fight. His chief second bullied him into coming out for another round. Thats what Im doing.. Andrew John is a reporterfor The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. It dives into everything from growing up in Coachella to winning world titles with the fighters he trained and a few things in between. "Those types of values and principles are instilled in the kids many times. Joel's retina was almost entirely detached. We begin with Joel's enforced retirement and the ups and downs that followed, before looking at his experiences as a trainer, taking us up to his current bunch of fighters. Monday Morning Cornermen (Nov. 6 edition), The Hauser Report: Wilder-Stiverne and More from Barclays Center, In an unprecedented development, the Boxing Writers Association of America has started a watch list to lift the curtain on ring officials who have screwed up. Veteran Texas referee Laurence Cole and Nebraska judges Mike Contreras and Jeff Sinnett have the unwelcome distinction of being the first honorees., Boxing is a sport where judges and referees are rarely held accountable for poor performances that unfairly change the course of a fighters career and, in some instances, endanger lives, says the BWAA in a preamble to the new feature. In a couple of months, the heat will be so unbearable those who can buy their way out will. Joel worked in construction for years before he became a trainer, and they have a contractor who has helped. Back at home in Dallas there are too many distractions. "Even when he's dead, he's still fighting.". 1996-10-19: Phillip Holiday: 28 0 0: Wembley Indoor Arena, Johannesburg L-UD. With the fight over, he saw a doctor about his right eye that'd been giving him problems. Questions ahead of Paul vs. Diaz: Can Diaz box? But when it's time to fight, they train in Diaz's gym, in part because his strong personality reminds them of Mucio's father. It's his father's birthday; the victory is part of his gifts. The Brazilian fans urged their hero on but to no avail as Barrios rendered a pure beat down on Popo during virtually the entirety of the 11th roundone of the most exciting in boxing history. He says he won the fight and wants a rematch. Whatever sense of peace they find, it comes from knowing they've done all they can to prepare. Too says at that point, in his early teens, he just wasn't dedicated enough. One of those guys is Bek The Bully, who'll rematch against Gabe Rosado on April 22. He's on the main ring, next to the banner with his logo on it, a gamecock wearing boxing gloves, circled by the gym's name: Joel Diaz Training Camp. It's a stepping stone to potential greatness in the profession. Were going to do that with this gym.. Since he speaks little English, around the gym he's congratulated on the opportunity to avenge the sole loss of his career. He couldn't risk losing the money or the opportunity, so he waited until after the fight. He's nonetheless working to finish the entryway and his workplace contained in the gymnasium, off Indio Boulevard, however the remainder of the 6,250-square foot area has . The bags of ice to help ease the swelling between rounds. When Joel built his gym, Flores' father, a carpenter, did the framing. He was the first and only inductee into the inaugural class of the Texas Boxing Hall of Fame, an organization founded by El Paso promoter Lester Bedford in 2015. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Email He went on to claim the WBO world lightweight title with a split decision over Zahir Raheem, but that fight was a snoozefest and he lost the title in his first defense against Juan Baby Bull Diaz. Joel Diaz 18: 3: 0: 4 KOs 2 KOs; wiki. The place looked so brittle, everyone worried that if an earthquake hit, it all would collapse. Hes still working to complete the entryway and his office inside the gym, off Indio Boulevard, but the rest of the 6,250-square foot space has been transformed from a gutted building to a gym that will soon host current and future world champions. These are the fights away from the bright side of boxing; the big events with big money that attracts people from all over the country. He could have left, opened a gym somewhere else, but he didn't. A lot of people want to help, Diaz said. But on the other hand, how can an official involved in prizefighting deny any fighter the right to make a million dollar payday if both parties are willing? Everyone here has. In Joel Diaz gym Indio CA | esnews ESNEWS 749K subscribers. It would not be safe, he wastold. "You'll see." Were working on some changes and well see on December 9.. He won. There will, of course, be speed and heavy punching bags, treadmills, weight machines and free weights along withan area with a padded floor designated for wrestling, martial arts and other activities. Im going to keep that table here forever.. event bout wiki. Russian boxer. Its helped everything come together.. Raise your punches a little higher.. More than anything, he looks relieved. Work!" As he explains it now, a few months after that experience, Joel walked into the boxing gym in downtown Coachella. Neither fighter looked good in their fight in Malaysia but when Pacquiao floored Matthysse several times during the fight, it raised some red flags. He's worked with his younger brothers, Antonio and Julio, as they captured world titles. Theres still a lot of work to be done, Diaz said, but its amazing the work that weve already put into this. Last March, as the ongoing pandemic surged throughout the country, Diaz was told by Indio Boys & Girls Club administratorsthat hecould not continue to train professional boxers at thepublic facility that would remain closed for a fewmonths. More recently, Cole worked the 2014 fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Orlando Salido at the San Antonio Alamodome. Instructions are yelled in four languages; English, Spanish, Uzbek and Russian. He hopes the facility, which he wants to name Indio Athletic & Youth Center, will one day be a part of his legacy in the valley. Box-am Box-pro . Trainer Joel Diaz says his work with new charge Avni Yildirim will shock the world when he takes on WBC/WBA super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens in Florida on Saturday February 27, live worldwide on DAZN (except Mexico). Of those fading photographs on the gym wall, a lot of them are of the fighters he trained. He'd bought his parents used cars and earned enough for a down payment on a modest house where all nine of them -- five brothers, two sisters, his mother and father -- could live. 445 East Florida Ave. 2nd Floor. 232: Fundora Mendoza and More on a Deep Saturday of Boxing, Why Tapales vs Akhmadaliev Promises Fireworks This Saturday, Tank Davis Stops Ryan Garcia with a Near-Invisible but Lethal Body Shot, Literary Notes: Last on His Feet: Jack Johnson and the Battle of the Century, Brian Mendoza KOs Sebastian Fundora in a Shocker. Back then, to raise funds for travel, Lee sold raffle tickets where the prizes were pigs and cows and TVs. Im excited to give this building life, Diaz added. Advertisement. Welcome to the world of Mexicos Jaime Munguia (29-0, 25 KOs) the WBO super welterweight world titlist who meets Englands Liam Smith (26-1-1, 14 KOs) at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 21. Everlast, a boxing appareland equipment company, has offered to outfit his gym with bags for free. For the curiosity of the media and the fans, someone should come forward with proof of testing. It was a high-crime area, known for drugs and prostitution. The pandemic shut down his boxing club. I want to make history.. Ive seen my dad train fighters my whole life, Joel Diaz Jr. said, but I havent seen that happiness, that comfort, that peace, that look in his eyes until now. Team Diaz is a big part of the Coachella Valley boxing community. The gym is located in California's Coachella Valley, in the desert town of Indio, roughly 120 miles away from Los Angeles. Though Bradley had speed and agility and could easily fight 10 rounds without getting touched, he was being sculpted into a fan friendly action packed fighter. If hotel rooms are even available, some will double their usual price. (Marquez elected to continue and stopped Jaca in the next round.).
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