Juan Díaz (boxer)

Juan Díaz (born September 17, 1983) is an American professional boxer who held the WBA (Unified) and WBA (Undisputed), IBF and WBO lightweight championships from 2007 to 2008 and the IBO lightweight championship from 2008 to 2009.

Juan Díaz
Statistics
Nickname(s)Baby Bull
Weight(s)
Height5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Reach67 in (170 cm)
Born (1983-09-17) September 17, 1983
Houston, Texas, U.S.
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights46
Wins42
Wins by KO21
Losses4

Amateur career

Diaz was 105–5 as an amateur, winning 13 National Gold Medals, two National Silver Medals and four World Championships.[1] He thought he had qualified for the 2000 Mexican Olympic team but was informed he was too young to compete in Sydney. He did not want to wait four more years and turned pro.

Professional career

Lightweight

Díaz made his professional boxing debut at age 16 on June 23, 2000 with a first-round TKO victory over Rafael Ortiz.[2] He won his first five fights by knockout.

On November 22, 2003, Díaz won the WBO youth lightweight title with a sixth-round TKO of journeyman Joel Pérez.[2] He accumulated a record of 24–0, which included wins over title challengers Joel Perez and Francisco Lorenzo, before challenging for his first world title.

On July 17, 2004, Díaz defeated Mongolian Lakva Sim for the WBA lightweight title by unanimous decision.[2] Díaz defended the title seven times.[2] On December 4, 2004, he defeated former two-time WBA lightweight champion Julien Lorcy by unanimous decision. In his second defense, he defeated Billy Irwin by 9th round tko. On April 8, 2006, he defended his title against undefeated José Miguel Cotto (brother of Miguel Cotto) with a unanimous decision victory.[2] In his next fight, he defeated Randy Suico by 9th round tko. On November 14, 2006, Diaz successfully defended his title for the fifth time against Fernando Angulo of Ecuador by unanimous decision.

On April 28, 2007, Diaz was upgraded to super champion by the WBA, successfully defending his title against WBO champion Acelino Freitas by TKO after Freitas forfeited the fight before beginning the 9th round, unifying the WBO lightweight championship with the WBA (Super) lightweight title. The fight took place in Mashantucket, USA.

On October 13, 2007, Díaz unified a third title by defeating IBF Lightweight champion Julio Díaz in Chicago Illinois.

Diaz vs. Campbell

Nate Campbell defeated Diaz by split decision to become IBF, WBO, WBA Champion, on March 8, 2008 in Cancún, Mexico. This ended Diaz's undefeated streak of thirty-three wins.

Diaz's training is supervised by fitness guru Brian Caldwell of Houston Texas.[3]

Diaz vs. Katsidis

Díaz (34–1, 17 KO's) won a 12-round split decision over Australia's previous WBO lightweight champion Michael Katsidis, (23–2, 20 KO's) on September 6, 2008. Diaz became the new IBO lightweight champion in the "No Retreat, No Surrender" main event fight at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. ringside judge Gale Van Hoy scored the fight 116–112 while Levi Martinez scored it 115–113, all for Diaz, but Judge Glen Hamada had it 115–113 for Katsidis.[4][5]

Diaz vs. Marquez

On February 28, 2009, Juan Manuel Márquez defeated Diaz in the 9th round of a 12 round bout for the unified world lightweight title. In the opening rounds, Diaz appeared to be winning the fight, pinning Marquez on the ropes and occasionally staggering him with big left hands. In the eighth round, Diaz was cut over his eye by a Marquez punch, much like he was in the loss to Nate Campbell. After starting strong in the ninth round, Marquez's precision punching proved to be too much and Diaz was knocked down twice, bringing an end to the fight. This fight was named "Fight of the Year" for 2009 by Ring magazine and ESPN.com.[6] A rematch was scheduled for July the 31st 2010. The fight was held live on Pay Per View and in U.S. Theaters[7] around the country.

Diaz vs. Malignaggi I & II

On August 22, 2009, Diaz moved up in weight to challenge Paul Malignaggi for the vacant WBO NABO light welterweight title at a catch-weight of 138½ pounds in his hometown of Houston, Texas. Although the fight was competitive, Malignaggi appeared stronger in the latter rounds. Diaz was ultimately awarded a unanimous decision, however, the scores were controversial with one judge, Gale Von Hoy, scoring the fight 118–110 in Diaz's favor; another, Raul Caiz Sr., had it 115-113. Harold Lederman scored the fight 7 rounds to 5 for Malignaggi. On December 12, he had a rematch vs Paulie Malignaggi and lost a unanimous decision, all 3 judges scored it 116–111.[8]

Diaz vs. Marquez II

Diaz fought Juan Manuel Márquez for the second time on July 31, 2010. Marquez won the fight via Unanimous Decision, 117–111, 118–110, 116–112

Diaz vs. Pipino Cuevas Jr.

Declaring that he had "the fire back", the former unified lightweight titleholder Juan Díaz ended a 2½-year retirement on April 13 by fighting Gerardo "Pipino" Cuevas Jr. He was trained by Tim Knight of Louisville, Kentucky[9] He won that bout, and went on fighting until 2016.

Personal life

Díaz maintained a full-time academic schedule while boxing,[1] graduating high school from Contemporary Learning Center in Houston in 2001 and obtaining a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Houston–Downtown. He is a community activist who has been deputized as a Volunteer Voter Registrar for Harris County, Texas, and has also worked with the League of Women Voters of the Houston Area to promote full participation in civic life.[10] Diaz's promotional company, Baby Bull LLC, partners with ESPN Deportes to produce the radio show The Baby Bull Show, which has featured guest appearances by fellow boxers. He also has a trucking company, JD Express Inc, with his brother Jose as partner.[1]

Professional boxing record

46 fights 42 wins 4 losses
By knockout 21 1
By decision 21 3
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
46 Win 42–4 Cesar Vasquez TKO 8 (10), 2:09 Aug 6, 2016 Casino Del Sol, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
45 Win 41–4 Fernando Garcia TKO 9 (10), 2:24 Mar 19, 2016 Arena Place, Houston, Texas, U.S.
44 Win 40–4 Carlos Cardenas UD 10 Sep 6, 2014 Energy Arena, Laredo, Texas, U.S.
43 Win 39–4 Gerardo Robles UD 10 Mar 1, 2014 Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
42 Win 38–4 Juan Santiago UD 10 Oct 19, 2013 1stBank Center, Denver, Colorado, U.S.
41 Win 37–4 Adailton De Jesus TKO 5 (10), 1:51 Aug 17, 2013 Energy Arena, Laredo, Texas, U.S.
40 Win 36–4 Gerardo Cuevas TKO 6 (10), 0:55 Apr 13, 2013 American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.
39 Loss 35–4 Juan Manuel Márquez UD 12 Jul 31, 2010 Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. For WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles
38 Loss 35–3 Paulie Malignaggi UD 12 Dec 12, 2009 UIC Pavilion Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Lost WBO–NABO junior welterweight title
37 Win 35–2 Paulie Malignaggi UD 12 Aug 22, 2009 Toyota Center, Houston, Texas, U.S. Won vacant WBO–NABO junior welterweight title
36 Loss34–2Juan Manuel Márquez TKO 9 (12), 2:40 Feb 28, 2009 Toyota Center, Houston, Texas, U.S. Lost IBO lightweight title;
For The Ring, vacant WBA (Super), and WBO lightweight titles
35 Win 34–1 Michael Katsidis SD 12 Sep 6, 2008 Toyota Center, Houston, Texas, U.S. Won vacant IBO lightweight title
34 Loss 33–1 Nate Campbell SD 12 Mar 8, 2008 Plaza de Toros, Cancún, Mexico Lost WBA (Undisputed), IBF, and WBO lightweight titles
33 Win 33–0 Julio Díaz TKO 9 (12), 0:01 Oct 13, 2007 Sears Centre Arena, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, U.S. Retained WBA (Undisputed) and WBO lightweight titles;
Won IBF lightweight title
32 Win 32–0 Acelino Freitas RTD 8 (12), 3:00 Apr 28, 2007 Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut, U.S. Retained WBA (Unified) lightweight title;
Won WBO lightweight title
31 Win 31–0 Fernando Angulo UD 12 Nov 4, 2006 Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. Retained WBA lightweight title
30 Win 30–0 Randy Suico TKO 9 (12), 2:06 Jul 15, 2006 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Retained WBA lightweight title
29 Win 29–0 José Cotto UD 12 Apr 8, 2006 Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Retained WBA lightweight title
28 Win 28–0 Arthur Cruz TKO 5 (10), 1:44 Jul 16, 2005 Coushatta Casino Resort, Kinder, Louisiana, U.S.
27 Win 27–0 Billy Irwin TKO 9 (12), 1:27 Jan 21, 2005 Reliant Center, Houston, Texas, U.S. Retained WBA lightweight title
26 Win 26–0 Julien Lorcy UD 12 Nov 4, 2004 AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Retained WBA lightweight title
25 Win 25–0 Lakva Sim UD 12 Jul 17, 2004 Reliant Center, Houston, Texas, U.S. Won WBA lightweight title
24 Win 24–0 Martin O'Malley TKO 2 (10), 0:55 Apr 17, 2004 Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, U.S.
23 Win 23–0 Joel Perez TKO 6 (10), 1:27 Nov 22, 2003 Reliant Center, Houston, Texas, U.S. Retained WBC Youth lightweight title
22 Win 22–0 Francisco Lorenzo UD 10 Jul 19, 2003 Reliant Center, Houston, Texas, U.S. Retained WBC Youth lightweight title
21 Win 21–0 Eleazar Contreras Jr. UD 10 May 10, 2003 Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, U.S. Won vacant WBC Youth lightweight title
20 Win 20–0 John Bailey TKO 7 (10), 2:16 Feb 1, 2003 Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
19 Win 19–0 Arthur Cruz TKO 4 (10), 0:39 Nov 22, 2002 Bally's Park Place, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
18 Win 18–0 Roy Delgado TKO 6 (10), 0:46 Oct 19, 2002 Reliant Center, Houston, Texas, U.S.
17 Win 17–0 Peter Nieves UD 10 Aug 24, 2002 Bally's Park Place, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
16 Win 16–0 Michael Davis UD 10 Jul 5, 2002 Entertainment Center, Laredo, Texas, U.S.
15 Win 15–0 Nelson Ramon Medina UD 8 Apr 27, 2002 Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
14 Win 14–0 Juan Carlos Juarez UD 8 Feb 15, 2002 Radisson Hotel, Houston, Texas, U.S.
13 Win 13–0 Rudolfo Lunsford UD 4 Nov 10, 2001 Reliant Center, Houston, Texas, U.S.
12 Win 12–0 Ubaldo Hernandez SD 8 Sep 1, 2001 Don Haskins Center, El Paso, Texas, U.S.
11 Win 11–0 Scott Buck TKO 1 (6), 2:26 Jul 27, 2001 Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, U.S.
10 Win 10–0 John Trigg UD 6 Jun 23, 2001 Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
9 Win 9–0 Carlos Horacio Nevarez KO 1 (6), 2:44 May 19, 2001 Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
8 Win 8–0 Mahan Washington UD 6 Mar 2, 2001 Texas Station, North Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
7 Win 7–0 Bradley Jensen UD 6 Jan 13, 2001 Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
6 Win 6–0 Michael Lucero UD 6 Dec 1, 2000 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
5 Win 5–0 Antonio Young TKO 2 (6), 1:43 Nov 10, 2000 Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
4 Win 4–0 Starr Johnson TKO 3 (4) Sep 22, 2000 International Ballroom, Houston, Texas, U.S.
3 Win 3–0 Juan Carlos Alvarez TKO 1 (4) Sep 2, 2000 Salón Teotihuacán, Mexicali, Mexico
2 Win 2–0 Miller Vazquez KO 1 (4) Jul 22, 2000 Arena México, Mexico City, Mexico
1 Win 1–0 Rafael Ortiz TKO 1 (4) Jun 23, 2000 Poliforum Zamna, Mérida, Mexico

References

  1. Juan Diaz Explains Reasons For Retirement From Boxing – Boxing News. Boxingscene.com. Retrieved on 2011-12-17.
  2. BoxRec.com editors. "Juan Diaz." Archived 2006-04-22 at the Wayback Machine BoxRec.com. URL accessed 3 August 2006.
  3. Brian, Caldwell (June 7, 2007). "Caldwell a Source of Strength". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
  4. Houston Fighters Juan Diaz and Rocky Juarez Win Big, but Judges are the Big Losers. ringsidereport.com. September 7, 2008
  5. Diaz takes IBO lightweight belt via split decision. abs-cbnnews.com (2008-07-09)
  6. Dan Rafael: From Round 1 to Round 9, Marquez-Diaz delivered – ESPN. Sports.espn.go.com (2010-01-03). Retrieved on 2011-12-17.
  7. Marquez vs Diaz on the Big Screen. marquezvsdiazonthebigscreen.com
  8. Boxer Diaz goes distance to claim victory at Toyota – Houston Chronicle. Chron.com (2009-08-23). Retrieved on 2011-12-17.
  9. Juan Diaz set to fight Pipino Cuevas – ESPN Boxing. Espn.com (2013-03-13). Retrieved on 2013-04-17.
  10. "Could Politics Be Next for Juan Díaz?". Boxing Tribune. July 25, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
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