Juan Diaz: "This Time I Know I Will Beat Marquez"

By Ryan Burton

 

Former IBF/WBO/WBC undisputed lightweight champion Juan Diaz talks to BoxingScene.com about his upcoming rematch with Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez.  The first fight took place in February of 2009 in Houston, Texas and won The Ring Fight of the Year award.  Diaz jumped out to an early lead but Marquez made the necessary adjustments to score a 9th round TKO victory.  Diaz talks about what is going to be different this time around in what he describes as a must win fight.  The rematch takes place July 10th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Tell us about your upcoming fight, a rematch to last year's Fight of the Year versus Juan Manuel Marquez?

 

Juan Diaz:  I am very excited and I am hopeful that this time around it will be Fight of the Year for 2010 as well but with a different outcome.  This time I know I will win.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Let's talk about that.  You started out really well out of the gate in the first fight and then Marquez made some adjustments and he turned the fight in his favor in the middle rounds.  What kind of adjustments to you plan on making to make sure you come out with the win?

 

Juan Diaz:  Well first and foremost I have to keep myself under control.  For that fight I was so excited and so pumped up to be in a fight of that magnitude that I couldn't control my emotions.  I let my emotions take control of me.  I didn't listen to my corner and I didn't follow the game plan.  I went out there and I fought with my heart and not with my head.

 

BoxingScene.com:  You are known as a volume puncher but you came out throwing even more punches than your normal standards.  Do you think you were tiring out in the middle rounds?

 

Juan Diaz:  I don't think it was so much that I got tired from throwing the punches even though I know I threw a lot more than I normally do.  That is what I worked on and was ready for, to be in shape and be able to throw that many punches for twelve rounds.  I think the excitement and my anxiousness got to me and a lot of times it is not about being tired.  Sometimes the anxiousness, excitement and everything that goes on with a fight can drain you and I think that is what happened to me that night.  I think I was drained from my own emotions and excitement.  That was the main reason I got tired.  I wasn't physically tired but I was mentally tired.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Your last two fights with Malignaggi were at catch weights close to the junior welterweight limit.  Do you feel more comfortable back at lightweight?

 

Juan Diaz:  Definitely.  I tell you right now I am walking around at 143 so after those two fights at junior welterweight if you look at it I haven't really gained that much weight.  To work down to the lightweight limit and rehydrate and eat is what I am more comfortable doing.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Have you ever thought about even going down farther to the 130 pound limit?

 

Juan Diaz:  I have thought about it in the past but I have never fought at junior lightweight and I don't think I will go down that low.  I like the lightweight limit.  I am comfortable here and I think that is where I am going to stay.

 

BoxingScene.com:  How does it feel to be headlining in Las Vegas?

 

Juan Diaz:  It feels great.  It is a little awkward in that I thought I would get my first main event pay per view showing when I was the unified lightweight champion when I had three three belts but here I am now when I lost my last fight and Marquez lost his last fight and we are headlining a pay per view.  It is a little awkward but regardless of the circumstances I will take it.

 

BoxingScene.com:  I wanted to ask you about that.  Do you think this fight would have been better off on HBO World Championship Boxing than on HBO pay per view?

 

Juan Diaz:  I believe it should be on HBO World Championship Boxing just because we had such a great fight the first time around and I think that as many fans as possible deserve to see this fight.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Being that you have lost three out of your last five fights do you feel that you have to win this fight?

 

Juan Diaz:  I definitely do.  I said to myself and to my team that guys this is a do or die fight for me.  Either I win and go on to bigger and better things and achieve superstar status or I don't.  I am 26 years old.  I have been a unified champion.  I have held three belts at once.  I think this right here will be the defining fight of my career.

 

BoxingScene.com:  How do you think you will feel if you get your hand raised after the bell rings knowing you just beat a Mexican legend?

 

Juan Diaz:  It will be a great victory for me and a great honor.  Everything that I have worked for since I was a little boy will have came true.  All of the hard work that I have put in the gym I think that night on July the 10th will be rewarded.  I will feel like I have achieved in life everything that I wanted to achieve.

 

BoxingScene.com:  I mentioned that you have lost three out of your last five fights but it is not as if you were fighting bums in tune up fights.  They were all champions or former champions (Campbell, Marquez, Malignaggi twice).  Was there ever any thought to taking any tune up fights in between those fights?

 

Juan Diaz:  At some point there was talk about taking a tune up but boxing is boxing and it is a contact sport.  Whether you get in with a fighter considered the best fighter in the world or you get in there with a guy considered the worst fighter in the world it is still a contact sport.  You are risking injury every time in the ring.  Whether it is a top guy or a not so great guy they both can punch and they both have gloves.  They can cut you, they can knock you down or knock you out.  I wasn't willing to take that risk to take a tune up and get possibly cut or injured.  I would rather take that chance with a top notch opponent and come out a winner.

 

BoxingScene.com:  If you are going to take the risk you might as well get paid accordingly.

 

Juan Diaz:  Exactly.

 

BoxingScene.com:  When do you plan on starting training camp?

 

Juan Diaz:  I have been training a little bit already.  Just lifting weights and running a little bit.  The fight is finalized and I am just waiting for the final contracts from Golden Boy.  They told me I should get them late this week.  I probably will start training camp next week.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Do you have a message for the fans?

 

Juan Diaz:  I want all my fans to know that 2010 is a new year.  It is a new decade that we are all starting and I believe that this is my year.  I think that Marquez' time has run out and I think it is time for the young guy to come up and I think I am the guy to take him and become a great champion.