Joseph Diaz is finally ready to take his feud with Tevin Farmer from the Twitter streets to the boxing ring.
The former featherweight title challenger and current 130-pound contender has spent most of the year going back and forth with the streaking super featherweight titlist, though for months not appearing any closer to an actual fight.
That could change now that his latest ring adventure is out of the way, as California’s Diaz overcame an early hand injury and a stiff challenge from Venezuela’s Jesus Cuadro (18-6, 14KOs) to claim a 12-round majority decision Saturday evening in Mexicali, Mexico.
“In the first round, I hurt my left hand and didn’t want to do anything (to) it after that,” admitted Diaz (30-1, 15KOs), a 2012 U.S. Olympian and proud Mexican-American from the greater Los Angeles area who was fighting in Mexico for just the second time as a pro. “I got a big fight so I just wanted to fight smart, work behind my jab and move forward towards (a title shot).”
That shot would presumably come against Farmer (30-4-1, 6KOs), a slick southpaw from Philadelphia, Pa. who has made four defenses of the 130-pound title he claimed in a 12-round win over Billy Dib just last August.
The two have exchanged harsh words on screen and in person, and—with Farmer due to return to the ring later this fall—appear to finally be ready to trade fists instead of (or in addition to) tweets.
“Tevin Farmer has been calling me out,” Diaz pointed out after Saturday’s win. “Let’s get this show on the road. I had a good little fight here, and got this out of the way.
“Let’s go in December, man. Tevin Farmer, I’m calling you out.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
