By Francisco Salazar
Unbeaten featherweight Joseph Diaz may be looked at as a ‘pretty boy’ because of his good looks.
That does not mean he is not willing to mix it up in the ring, especially against hard-hitting foes. He did that in his last fight and may have received more bruises than he is accustomed to.
That is all fine, as he knows that boxing is the hurt business. Swelling, cuts, and blood are a part of the business and no fighter is immune to that.
Willie Pep is not coming back from the grave.
Diaz can box or brawl and you might find him doing both at times. His style has made him more fans and with the right game-plan against future opponents, he could be in line for a world title down the road.
He needs to first get by Ruben Tamayo tonight at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. The 10 round bout will top a Golden Boy Promotions card, which will be broadcast live on Estrella TV, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT.
Diaz is coming off a hard-fought 10 round unanimous decision over Rene Alvarado on Jul. 11 in Los Angeles. The veteran and hard-hitting Alvarado took the fight to Diaz, pressing the action while the southpaw Diaz mostly countered on his way to victory.
It was the right fight for Diaz, who represented the United States in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Diaz, has been moving Diaz since he made his pro debut in December of 2012.
The Alvarado fight also taught Diaz a number of things, some of which he never got in previous fights.
“Alvarado came to fight and that is what I wanted,” Diaz told BoxingScene.com earlier this week. “He brought his best and he made me work for the win. That fight showed that I have a lot of heart. Alvarado was aggressive and threw a lot of punches, but I had to show that I can hang in there and fight back. That was a good experience for me.”
Diaz (17-0, 10 KOs) will face a tough hombre in Tamayo, who has mixed results over the last two years. Tamayo holds an upset win over former fringe contender Efrain Esquivias. He has lost his last two fights in a row; a fifth round technical knockout to Jesus Cuellar on Dec. 20 and most recently, a 10 round decision to Oscar Valdez.
Valdez is also a southpaw, but he will have a distinct and reach advantage over Diaz.
That is all good, says the fighter from South El Monte. Diaz wants to prove he can decisively beat both conventional and southpaw fighters.
“Tamayo is tall and lanky,” said Diaz, who is managed by Ralph Heredia. “He did some good things in the Valdez fight. My team has a solid game-plan against him. We’re going to work on moving in and out, sitting down on my punches while I’m on the inside. We’re going to work hard to end the fight early.”
So is he promising a knockout?
“Yes, my goal is stop him (tonight).”
Diaz has a lot of upside and likely has not hit his ceiling yet. If everything goes to plan, he envisions fighting for a world title late in 2016.
Based on what he has demonstrated and how far he has come along, that may not be as far-fetched an idea as some may think. Diaz wants to fight the better opposition, as he believes it will make him a better overall fighter.
“I feel I have done well in 2015, fighting on the Canelo (Alvarez)-(James) Kirkland card in Houston, fighting on HBO Latino (telecast against Alvarado). I really believe 2016 will be a breakout year for me.”
“I can’t wait.”
Francisco A. Salazar has written for Boxingscene.com since September of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (CA) Star newspaper, RingTV, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing
