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Philippines, 18 Feb 2026 |
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DAVID DIAZ: A CLASS ACT By Tam Almeda PhilBoxing.com Fri, 04 Jul 2008  Months before the anticipated defense of then WBC Lightweight Champion David Diaz, I noticed the lack of harsh words from both camps. From Manny?s side, I understand because from the start, he?s never been that kind of a person. It was only when Edwin Valero started taunting when Manny finally answered back. But David Diaz surprised me. I?ve seen his fights before but I never had the idea that he was that kind of a person ? a gentleman, very respectful, a very good family man, and very down to earth. In fact, I even read an article at Philboxing.com that the title ?Lethal Combination? for the match seemed off since both fighters never traded any harsh words. It wasn?t living up to the hype. Manny was even quoted saying ?How could I say such bad words against him (Diaz)? He?s such a gentleman.? Even in media interviews, Diaz never said anything harsh to Manny and just stuck with talking about his plans for his challenger and how it challenges him because he was considered the underdog. He even joked around reporters and showed them his candid side. After the fight -- dethroned, beaten and all, Diaz still showed his class at the press conference. He made the crowd laugh with jokes like whether someone got the license plate of the truck that ran over him, or that Manny had a knife in his hands while they were fighting. It?s very rare to find such a perfect example of how a champion should behave. Manny has always been like that. He praises everyone, never fails to ask the people to pray for him, and never fails to thank the Lord for all his blessings. He deserved the win. He showed that he was the better boxer but both Manny and Diaz displayed to the world how champions should respect each other. Diaz has won the hearts of the Filipinos because of his attitude. I?m not going to be surprised if he?ll be visiting the Philippines very soon. I?m pretty sure he has lots of offers from companies who wants him to endorse their products. Trash talking and insults between protagonists before a fight gets people interested. But class acts before and after the fight earns the respect of boxing fans all around the world! To Manny Paquiao and David Diaz ? Mabuhay to you both and Congratulations! Click here to view a list of other articles written by Tam Almeda.  |
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