Im going to keep that table here forever.. "Mr. Diaz," the doctor said, "you can't fight anymore." No loss is good, but Diaz says he's learned from it. While hes had some help, Diaz has done the majority of the work himself. In the beginning of round 12, Freitas was able to score an early knockdown, and as Barrios stood up on wobbly legs and Freitas went straight at him and with a couple more shots, Barrios was clearly in bad shape and badly discombobulated and the fight was stopped. Indio Councilman Glenn Miller volunteered his help. Get a head start on the mornings top stories. Located about 128 miles east of Los Angeles and 95 miles north of the Mexican border, the Indio Boys and Girls club gym is roughly in the middle of nowhere unless you like golf. It was a high-crime area, known for drugs and prostitution. Its helped everything come together.. Im going to put in the work. And I did.. They would be his only defeats in 43 pro bouts. It's his father's birthday; the victory is part of his gifts. Ive never won any kind of award before in my life, said Munguia at the Westside Boxing Club in the western portion of Los Angeles. He nods as he smiles and makes a fist too. There were so many fighters, in 1996, the city built Espinoza a 9,000 square foot gym and named it after him. Sometimes things happen for a reason, Diaz said on a weekday in early January, inside a gutted 6,250-square-foot building on Indio Blvd. So, it is something that we really admire, not just as a professional but as a human being and that is why doing the documentary was something like just an achievement because we already wanted to know more about his life.. Laurence Cole (pictured alongside his father) was singled out for his behavior as the third man in the ring for the fight between Regis Prograis and Juan Jose Velasco at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans on July 14. Monroe St Indio CA 92201. Joel wanted to become world champion, but of course, that didn't happen either. It's like a light switch flipped. Raise your punches a little higher.. "The Diaz brothers know what it takes to have a wonderful gym," said Brandun Lee, an unbeaten super lightweight (22-0) contender who has trained at the building. At the screening, were friends and family of Joel Diaz, along with important members of the community, like Congressman Raul Ruiz. Ive seen my dad train fighters my whole life, Joel Diaz Jr. said, but I havent seen that happiness, that comfort, that peace, that look in his eyes until now. As the water supply diminishes, some of those golf courses consume up to a million gallons a day. His voice rises above the rhythmic sounds of speed bags thumping, above the jump rope slapping the floor, above the grunts of those who sound as if they're fighting for their lives. Boxing is a sideline for Laurence Cole who runs an independent insurance agency in Dallas. He trains about 20 professional boxers, and with three of them fighting the next day, tomorrow will be busy. This was improper. The pain of Mucio unexpectedly losing her father -- who trained them both -- in July 2021. "GET UP, I want to meet you guys," a man told Joel and his brother, Too, then aged 11 and 5. "Nobody pushed me, I pushed myself," he says, remembering how he'd wake up to run hours before school. Everything that was originally in the building was taken out to the trash except for a table and chair that he kept as a reminder. It reminded me of George Foremans obliteration of Joe Frazier back in the 1970s. Representative Ruiz and Diaz grew up in the same neighborhood in Coachella and were only a couple of years apart at Coachella Valley High School. With nothing else to do, Diaz stops singing and helps Flores warm up. The Coachella Valley has long been an area where the center inflatable garden slide of activity is Palm Springs. "They come from nothing," Diaz says. Hes comfortable. The last time Pacquiao knocked out a welterweight was in 2009 against Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas. Indio boxing trainer Joel Diaz is 2-0 last week after Tito Acosta's first-round knockout win over Janiel Rivera & Dmitry Bivol Retains WBA light heavyweight title against Canelo Alvarez. Everybody would win, I would lose," Too says. "The f---ing check bounced," Joel still remembers. Once a highly touted prospect he states his biggest loss was to Regis Prograis in 2017 when he fought the soon to be light welterweight world champion and was stopped in the second round. As a couple, one of Mucino and Acosta's goals was to be world champions at the same time. a voice among the many in the dressing room yells. Inside there's a plaque from when Garcia was mayor, listed beneath "Lee Espinoza Coachella Valley Boxing Club." "The gallo is the bravest animal in the world," Diaz answers when I ask him why the gamecock is in the middle of his gym's logo. Popo had grown old. And because he doesn't treat her any different than any of his other fighters. In the second fight on the card, another one of his fighters, Grant Flores Jr., is warming up for his second career fight by stretching and jumping around. When Joel built his gym, Flores' father, a carpenter, did the framing. 234: Once-in-a-Generation Mega Fight: Tank Davis vs King Ry Garcia, Cordina-Rakhimov Might Steal the Show this Saturday, Avila Perspective, Chap. Until last year, Joel Diaz hadnt given much thought to building his own boxing gym. "I'd wake up the next day, go home and try finding something to do," he says. Joel Diaz sounds like a drill sergeant and constantly harangues the various boxers to continue the intensity of their drills. Antonio Diaz plans to continue working with kids and says one day he may bring professionals back tothe club, even after his brother moves to the new facility. Although Mattice vs. Hamazaryan was a supporting bout, it aired live on ShoBox. Too says at that point, in his early teens, he just wasn't dedicated enough. Diaz and Gracia put away the tools used to help their boxers fight. Not far from an abandoned gas station with a fading sign for cold beer and cheap motels with pools that've been filled in with sand and covered. Every second is used by the prizefighters. It was panic time in the Barrios corner, as the blood continued to flow like lava, and he was bleeding from his ear (due to a ruptured ear drum). Diaz said that he's rarely seen a boxer who works as hard as Flores, who is as dedicated to the gym and to the sport. For six days, festival goers from across the country, and world, will pack into the 250 acres of the Empire Polo Club's immaculate green fields. Garcia tucks in his shirt and gives him a small squirt of water. The festival is part of the valley's annual $7.5 billion tourist industry that attracts more than 13 million people a year. Located about 24 miles southwest of Indio, Palm Springs is still home to many celebrities. She has to do the same work as the guys. When the announcer reads the judges' scores, the crowd boos. "It's a different place, and a different world, within the same community." Even the transients who I asked to leave, when they see me, they ask, Hey Coach, hows the gym coming along?. Though Bradley had speed and agility and could easily fight 10 rounds without getting touched, he was being sculpted into a fan friendly action packed fighter. Bad Bunny, as the most streamed artist on Spotify for three consecutive years and who might be the biggest musical act in the world, will be headlining. But here my son can just focus on boxing and only boxing and sharpen his skills.. 81719 Doctor Carreon Blvd. To comment on this article at The Fight Forum, CLICK HERE. "These guys" were the coyote and his family -- his wife, mother and kids -- who drove them for over a day from their rancho in the mountains of Michoacan, Mexico to an unincorporated part of eastern Coachella Valley. INDIO - When Joel Diaz Jr., returns to the ring for the first time in seven years, he said he hopes to have his world-class trainer and father in his corner at the Desert Showdown, which. But I was like, Wait, I have a building. And yet, the professionals, who aren't from here, will return because, despite the heat, they come to train with Diaz. Boxing trainer Joel Daz bought and transformed the space during the COVID-19 pandemic. That, along with intelligence, is how he trains everyone here to fight. Freitas looked out of shape coming in to the Diaz fight and that proved to be the case as he was so gassed at the end of the eighth round that he quit on his stool. And because there was nothing left to do, they all exit the ring and return behind the thick black curtain. Also planned is an area for boxing memorabilia from the history of the Coachella Valley and the boxers whove trained and lived here. Maybe it was the cheat meal from a few weeks ago. Freitas went down early from a straight right. More recently, Cole worked the 2014 fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Orlando Salido at the San Antonio Alamodome. Instructions are yelled in four languages; English, Spanish, Uzbek and Russian. Its isolation eliminates distractions. Its slowly made the transition from training strictly local boxers to international mega stars in this past decade. If things go well for some of these boxers, maybe they'll fight as the main event in those places. Indio Joel Diaz Boxing Academy. From an administrative standpoint, boxing in Texas during the reign of Dickie Cole was frequently described in terms befitting a banana republic. He couldn't risk losing the money or the opportunity, so he waited until after the fight. More than anything, he looks relieved. Their relationship grew, brought closer by pain and uncertainty. "His speed, his power and his footwork!" they say. And though the festival is on the east side, about four miles from Joel's gym, most of the tourists will stay on the west side of Coachella Valley. He was the first and only inductee into the inaugural class of the Texas Boxing Hall of Fame, an organization founded by El Paso promoter Lester Bedford in 2015. After10 years, its now paid off, Diaz said. Other talents have learned from Joel's assertive style of fighting. Since he speaks little English, around the gym he's congratulated on the opportunity to avenge the sole loss of his career. "Was a bad area.". They aren't sure yet whether they'll go to Mexico or Puerto Rico first. INDIO, Calif.-Deep in the Coachella desert tiny scorpions come out at night so its best not to walk in sandals. He doesn't go. . "Every time I went to a show or to a tournament, Lee would take five, six of us. Ive always wanted to be a world champion since I was old enough to fight.. Boxing trainer Joel Diaz is building his own gym in Indio after 18 years at Indio Boys & Girls Club Andrew L. John Palm Springs Desert Sun 0:00 0:24 Until last year, Joel Diaz hadn't. That gave Diaz a dateto get an abandoned building he owned, whichhad been damaged by a fire, ready to open to his boxing clientele. That amount shocked him, considering $5,000 was the most he'd been paid until then. The gym is located in California's. There will, of course, be speed and heavy punching bags, treadmills, weight machines and free weights along withan area with a padded floor designated for wrestling, martial arts and other activities. "This is where I work," the father told his sons. Were working on some changes and well see on December 9.. When I'm not here, that's gonna be a legacy that is gonna stay behind because it's the story of my life. Other fighters like Argentinas Matthysse have arrived too and will be living and training in the remote desert gym. All he had to do was hang in there and the title would change hands on points. event bout wiki. Hes just waiting for his time.. With this loss, that now becomes more difficult. Yet, against Barrios, he had proven without a doubt that he possessed the heart of a warrior. Led by the Diaz brothers Joel (in the white shorts) and Antonio, the roster of professional boxers can match any other gym in the world in terms of talent. I was a little upset when they told us we had to leave the Boys & Girls Club. The film not only showcases coach Diazs accomplishments as a professional boxer and trainer but also his fight to build a life for himself and his family. As he explains it now, a few months after that experience, Joel walked into the boxing gym in downtown Coachella. Though Joel's brother, Antonio, remains employed by the Indio Boys & Girls Club and works with about 20 kids now that the facility has re-opened, an era of professional boxing at the club came to a close whereboxing history runs deep. Phone: (760) 424-8888. Neither fighter looked good in their fight in Malaysia but when Pacquiao floored Matthysse several times during the fight, it raised some red flags. He served 27 months and never fought again, retiring with a record of 50-4-1. Everything happens for a reason.. Joe Joyce vs Zhilei Zhang Full Fight Replay April 15, 2023 ; With his right eye gone, so too went his dreams. Many of the fighters showcased at Fantasy Springs Casino and other surrounding casinos come from Joel and Antonio Diazs group and include prizefighters from all over the country and internationally. He says he will because next time he just might cut off Acosta's finger. Share. "Things happened for a reason," he says. Analyst Steve Farhood, who was been with ShoBox since the inception of the series in 2001, called it one of the worst decisions he had ever seen. When WBA/WBO super featherweight champion Acelino Popo Freitas met Jorge Rodrigo Il Hiena Barrios in Miami on August 8, 2003, there was more on the line than just the titles. This was yet another shocker, but others (including Kostya Tszyu, Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya and even Ali) had done so and the criticism this time seemed disproportionate. Joel and Antonio began telling people about the project and many began offering to help for free. This is where the Diaz brothers learned to fight. It's now a restaurant. He said that he expects the gym to live on long after he one day retires. He simply moves, resets and continues yelling. "Ponle una putiza!" In his last fight, things were going well. And if all that weren't enough, there's always someone calling his phone. His job was irrigation. Boxing Home Schedule Champions Divisional Rankings P4P Historic Bouts Tickets When he got up, he had no idea where he was but his corner worked furiously to get him ready for the final round. With the fight over, he saw a doctor about his right eye that'd been giving him problems. Joel Diaz Jr. is the son of top trainer Joel Diaz Sr. and although his father doesn't work his corner he still carries the family name when he enters the ring. Diaz sings again, only stopping to tell Gracia to visit an optometrist. Theyve built relationships with several youth boxers whose dads are either plumbers, painters or work with concrete and have offered their services. Last May, Bivol beat Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, a boxer many considered the best in the world. Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. And although Joel has long been considered one of boxing's best trainers, being part of Bivol's team, and Bivol beating Canelo, who hadn't lost in nine years, made people take further notice of what was happening in this boxing gym out in the desert. He's sitting in a foldable metallic chair, getting his post-fight medical examination. Order Online. Live. Joel has given them his phone number and theyve called him whenever they notice any suspicious activity at the building. Last year, the event drew 750,000 attendees. Theres no wasting time. Even if they share just a few words of a common language, they understand each other. Boxers walk around trying to catch a breath and get a drink for their burning throat. And one could site numerous other incidents where Coles performance came under scrutiny. Stars like Argentinas Lucas Matthysse to UFCs Cub Swanson have walked through the doors of the gym that is run like the United States Marine Corps recruiting depot. Between rounds, Diaz keeps teaching. This is going to be a popular place for boxers to come and have training camp and be a part of that.. We begin with Joel's enforced retirement and the ups and downs that followed, before looking at his experiences as a trainer, taking us up to his current bunch of fighters. It's where Garcia once got punched in the face so hard he understood that boxing wasn't for him. That's how state Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia describes the contrasts within Coachella Valley, part of the district he represents. Jorge Newman and Eduardo Salazar are from Cancun, Mexico, and first met Diaz while he was training a boxer for a fight in Mexico. Barrios wanted to turn the fight into a street fight and was reasonably successful with that strategy. Thats what Im doing.. As soon as the doctor says all's well, everyone's able to joke. Mucio walks beside him. A couple of significant fights took place last weekend, but Manny Pacquiaos knockout win over Lucas Matthysse for the WBO welterweight world title heads the list. The thermostat says the gym is 75 degrees, but it feels hotter. On the western side, it's greener and bluer because of the golf courses, pools and artificial lakes. It was Mosleys first defense after taking the title from Oscar De La Hoya and was held in New York City. They were looking for new talent and Diaz brought forth some of his boxers, including Bradley. thesweetscience.com All rights reserved. Work! And right now, Diaz is sitting behind the ring's red corner, giving instructions to Leonardo Sanchez, a young southpaw, also from the Coachella Valley, who everyone calls Bazooka. As the fists and shoulders of fighters brush by him, it looks as if their violence might spill over. Since they understood the discipline and sacrifices required to make a living from fighting, they became fast friends. The Diaz brothers are currently training Avni Yildirim for his Feb. 27 bout versus middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, and Bektemir Melikuziev for his fight later this month in Russia against former world champion Sergey Kovalev. Hes put in so much work on that place, said Diazs adult son, Joel Diaz Jr. Now, when hes in that building, you can tell that hes at home. JoJo Diaz, an Olympian from the Los Angeles suburb of South El Monte, beat Tevin Farmer last February to secure the International Boxing Federation's super featherweight title in Miami. The gym is located in California's Coachella Valley, in the desert town of Indio, roughly 120 miles away from Los Angeles. Joel Diaz said that he is working with his attorney to make the gym a non-profit that will be open to the community and offer programs for kids to provide activities, fitnessand self-defense training. I've been here so long, and I sent these guys to pick you up.". Maybe that would help show how much they sacrificed. Mexican migration increased. We dont treat her any differently than we do the men, said Joel Diaz. The goal for many was always to work here, for a season or two, maybe longer, then return. But by the time he got to high school, he'd won 55 of his next 57 fights along with two national titles and knew exactly what he was born to do. Luckily, a new smaller promotion company had just started in the Inland Empire called Thompson Boxing Promotions. World champions and contenders fight along with boxers early in their careers, risking it all for a shot at their dreams. Even the fancy gas stations get their share of the dangerous little creatures. Explore . In the murals around downtown Coachella, like the one showing endless rows of fields along with the words, "Lucha Sin Fin." Flores is 18 and has boxed since he was 7 years old. Whatever sense of peace they find, it comes from knowing they've done all they can to prepare. The pandemic shut down his boxing club. Joel Diaz Boxing, Indio, California. The bags of ice to help ease the swelling between rounds. I can imagine what its going to look like when were done.. As Gracia wraps Acosta's left hand, and Flores shadow boxes, Diaz returns to the dressing room. But not before a full day of training. Bob Bennett, the Executive Director for Nevada State Athletic Commission, denied allowing Munguia an opportunity to fight Golovkin for the middleweight titles. Inside the Special Events Center's dressing room, in the Fantasy Springs Casino Resort, a boxer is bleeding. "It's fine," he says. He's on the main ring, next to the banner with his logo on it, a gamecock wearing boxing gloves, circled by the gym's name: Joel Diaz Training Camp. On October 19, 1996, Joel lost a twelve-round decision to undefeated IBF lightweight champion Philip Holiday in Wembley Indoor Arena, Johannesburg. To make the hurt worse, he was one round short of qualifying for California's boxer pension. The doctor looks at Acosta's hand as he hears the story. How a gym in California's Coachella Valley became an international destination for boxing. In January 2010 he was involved in a hit and runaccident in which a 20-year-old pregnant woman was killed. And in the cruel world of boxing, as he sits there and his team stands near, they can hear the voice of the man who just beat them. Back in April when middleweight titan Gennady GGG Golovkin was seeking an opponent to replace Saul Canelo Alvarez who was facing suspension for performance enhancement drug use, it was the 21-year-old from Tijuana who volunteered his services for a May 5th date in Las Vegas. Not just them, but everyone here. "She'd have beat the s--- out of me," he answers while smiling. So this former champ moved it out to the desert, Riverside County reports 3,901 additional coronavirus cases, 53 new deaths Wednesday, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. If he weren't watching men fight, he'd look like an appraiser examining a piece of art. "When I got here, I started sparring with men," she says. "A lot of the people are just like me. I barely slept for a year while I was working on this, said Diaz, who has wonworld titleswith 13 differentboxers during his two decades as a trainer. Decades ago, when this part of Coachella, the city -- right next to Indio -- looked abandoned, the building housed a crumbling boxing gym. Hed sit, often by himself, in the early stages of the project drawing designs from his ideas for the space. 2,235 Followers, 54 Following, 49 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Diaz Brothers (@thediaztrainingcamp) Needing a space to traintheir boxers, including professionals and young amateurs, Joel and Antonio moved their operation to KBX Fitness, the North Indio gym of UFC featherweight Cub Swanson and his brother, Steve, also a mixed martial artist. The super lightweight fight will take place at the Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California. Back at home in Dallas there are too many distractions. Looking for something to do in a desert where it's easy to get lost. Whenever there was a big fight in the Lone Star State, his son was the favorite to draw the coveted refereeing assignment.
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