Anthony Velazquez says he has learned from his loss against Tim Tszyu, still believes he will win a world title and has added Roberto Diaz to his team as an advisor.
Velasquez, a junior middleweight, faced Tszyu in December, losing a unanimous decision in Australia.
For Velasquez, 18-1 (13 KOs), it was the first loss of his career. The 29-year-old from Springfield, Massachusetts, reflected on the learning experience, having arrived in Australia on fight week; in hindsight, he wishes he could have changed that. Velazquez noted that he never felt acclimated to the time change and noted that it was the longest plane ride he’d ever taken.
“I felt like I couldn’t be at 100 per cent,” Velasquez said. “There is a reason no world champion would do that.”
Velazquez, who is currently awaiting a fight date but is in training camp, believes the addition of Diaz is instrumental in helping him achieve his dream. Having spent his entire career fighting in the Northeast on regional shows, facing Tszyu – 26-3 (18 KOs), a former beltholder – was the biggest step-up in competition he had faced.
“I now know what it feels like,” Velazquez said. “We went overseas, and a lot of circumstances were against us.”
Diaz, former matchmaker at Golden Boy Promotions, has helped with many fighters, most notably the rise of Lamont Roach Jnr, who has become a marquee attraction, said of the future for Velazquez: “The goal is to get a win, that puts him in the next challenge, which is a bigger and better fight. I know he is highly motivated and ready to go. Hopefully, he will be back in the next two months and get the loss behind him.”
Despite the setback, Velazquez still has hopes for big fights in the future.
“My goal is still to be a world champion,” Velazquez said.
