Despite holding an undefeated record with world titles in two divisions, Joan Guzman’s stock in boxing is at Enron levels.
The 35-year-old veteran, originally from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic but now residing in Brooklyn, N.Y., has seen failures to make weight for fights, a positive drug test for diuretics and a subsequent dismissal by Golden Boy Promotions exile him from meaningful fights and fan acclaim.
“It’s been very tough dealing with the highs and lows of Guzman, dealing with the weight issues,” said Jose Nunez, Guzman’s manager. “It’s been a rollercoaster ride, but we’re trying to look past it.”
The next – and perhaps final – chapter for Guzman (30-0-1, 17 knockouts) begins on November 18, when he faces soft touch Florencio Castellano in a junior welterweight contest at the Jaragua Hotel and Casino in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
For Guzman, the challenge of Castellano is nothing that should overwhelm him. The 31-year-old Colombian has a decent record (17-4, 13 KOs), but hasn’t fought in 18 months. Only one of his wins are against an opponent with a winning record, and the only recognizable name on his dossier is junior welterweight contender Lucas Matthysse, whom he lost to by a knockout in the fourth round.
The real struggle is, and always has been, with the scale.
Guzman, who himself hasn’t fought in nearly a year, has failed to make weight for his last two appearances, and prior to that pulled out of a fight with then-lightweight champion Nate Campbell just hours before the fight after being well over the 135 pound limit.
Now, with renewed dedication and head trainer Don Saxby and strength and conditioning coach Anthony Terranova manning the helm, Guzman assures that his struggles with the scales are a thing of the past.
“I feel good, I’m in good condition because I trained like three months,” said Guzman at a recent press conference at Lucky 7s, a tapas restaurant in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood. Guzman spoke about removing himself from the temptation to indulge in food just steps away from diners enjoying his favorite Dominican cuisines.
“I’m a different man now,” said Guzman. “I’m not like Guzman before when my friends would say, ‘Hey Guzman, go to restaurant,’ and I go to the restaurant. ‘Guzman, go to the buffet,’ and I go to the buffet. Now when they say, ‘Guzman eat,’ that doesn’t make me hungry.
“Before I didn’t feel comfortable, but I put it in my mind that I’m going to stay in my house to avoid temptation.”
“It’s just like baby sitting,” said Nunez, who even while being interviewed peers occasionally at Guzman through the corner of his sunglasses. “I gotta watch everything that he does, just like watching a baby. I’m not saying he’ll go out there and eat, but we’ve been through this struggle together.”
