By Steve Kim
Tim Bradley recently stated that he learned more in three days with his new trainer, Teddy Atlas, than he did in a decade with Joel Diaz. Currently, Bradley is preparing for his November 7th clash against Brandon Rios at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. Those comments don't particularly offend Bradley's former trainer.
"No, it doesn't offend me, at all. It's his opinion and you know what happens is this: people don't appreciate and I just took it that way,"said Diaz, who still trains a host of fighters at his gym in Coachella, California.
"When I saw that message it really bothered me, I was going to respond to it but I said, 'I'll leave it alone'. Now he has to prove to the fans, to the world, that he learned more with Teddy Atlas in three days than he did in ten years after five world titles. I mean, his only loss was to Manny Pacquiao. It doesn't bother me.''
Under the guidance of Diaz, Bradley won multiple titles at 140 and 147, while banking millions of dollars. By any stretch it was a productive union. Diaz now moves on.
"As a matter of fact, there will be a point in time where I'm going to thank Tim Bradley for making that decision - or his wife - because right now, honestly, whether it was his wife's decision to get rid of me or his decision, regardless of who's it was - I live a happier life," said the trainer, who's rift with Bradley wife/manager, Monica, is no secret.
"I got fighters coming to my camp, I got Ruslan Provodnikov and Ruslan every day tells me, 'Coach, Bradley, Bradley' and in fact, the day Ruslan read that he walks in the gym and he's talking and I don't understand his language and they translate for me - 'Coach, Ruslan is saying that he respects every fighter in the world in the sport. But he used to respect Bradley as a man, as a person but after what he said about you he lost all respect for Bradley as man because you don't do something like that to somebody who helped you for so many years.'
"Y'know, that right there makes me feel good, it motivates me to keep working. It doesn't bother me, whatever Tim is saying. I honestly don't think he's saying that, I think there's someone behind him telling him to say stuff like that. I mean, he posted a picture on his wife's birthday of a cake full of money saying thanks to his wife who negotiated $15.4 million (in purses). So where's Cameron (Dunkin)?," asked Diaz, referring to Bradley's former manager.
"Cameron was part of the negotiation when they fought Manny Pacquiao the first time. So it's actually disrespecting Cameron Dunkin as well."
Diaz, will be an interested observer on the night of November 7th.
"In this sport you gotta be careful with what you say because if you don't say the right things, the world can attack you. But Bradley, hey, hopefully he does well against Brandon Rios. If he decides to sit on his punches the way Teddy Atlas is teaching him......Brandon, he may not have the ability to move around and be fast, but he hits harder than Jessie Vargas - I'm telling you that."
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.
