WBC lightweight champion David Diaz has everything to gain and everything to lose in defending his crown against Manny Pacquiao in a 12-round bout at the Mandalay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on June 28.
Diaz, who turns 32 on June 7, is looking to displace Pacquiao in the multi-million dollar boxing sweepstakes. His biggest purse ever was the $350,000 paycheck he got in surviving a first round knockdown to outpoint Erik Morales in August last year.
He?s guaranteed $800,000 for facing Pacquiao and his take-home pay could exceed $1 million depending on pay-per-view sales. In contrast, Pacquiao is expected to bankroll over $5 million, including his share in ancillary revenues.
If Diaz upends Pacquiao, he suddenly becomes a marquee attraction. That?s the motivation making Diaz a dangerous, hungry opponent.
It?s been a long climb uphill for Diaz who won four Chicago and three US Golden Gloves championships before beating Zab Judah to join celebrated teammates Floyd Mayweather, Fernando Vargas, David Reid and Eric Morel on the 1996 US Olympic team. Diaz, however, failed to live up to expectations and lost a 14-6 decision to Germany?s Oktay Urkal in his second Olympic bout, winding up without a medal. Urkal, who defeated the Philippines? Reynaldo Galido, 19-2, in his first fight, went on to settle for the silver medal in the lightwelterweight division after bowing to Cuba?s Hector Vinent in the finals.
Diaz turned pro as a junior welterweight in November 1996 ? a year after Pacquiao?s debut ? and feasted on nondescripts to fatten his record but didn?t score a knockout until his seventh outing, indicating a lack of power.
In 2000, Diaz decided to take a break from boxing to redirect his life. He was devastated when one of his brothers died of AIDS and his mother, Basilia, underwent a kidney transplant then suffered a heart attack.
“His brother?s death and his mother?s prolonged illness struck with the force of a dizzying combination of well-placed punches,” wrote Joseph Hoff in Boxing Digest magazine. “Diaz left boxing altogether for a year and a half.”
Diaz, the youngest of eight children, started boxing when he was eight years old, trained by his father Anselmo at the Wells Park Gym in Chicago. His father worked for R. S. Owens, the trophy company that makes the Oscar statues for Hollywood, and instilled in him an uncompromising work ethic.
Coming from a close-knit family, Diaz worked for a brother, who owned a fencing business, when he took a break from boxing. He got involved in construction work and real estate.
Eventually, Diaz returned to boxing with long-time cutman Jim Strickland as manager and trainer.
Diaz was far from financially stable when he got married to his wife Tanya, whom he met in a karaoke bar, in 2003. She worked as an administrative assistant and part-time real estate agent to help in putting food on the table.
In 2005, the chinks in Diaz? armor were exposed. He was knocked out by Kendall Holt in the eighth round and held to a majority draw by Ramazan Palyani.
Neither Holt nor Palyani is considered anywhere close to being top-caliber.
Holt was knocked out by Ricardo Torres in Colombia last year and Palyani hasn?t fought since he was poleaxed by Ray Narh two years ago.
The setback to Holt led to Diaz dropping down to lightweight.
Diaz? luck turned around when he halted Jose Armando Santa Cruz for the interim WBC 135-pound title in 2006. and the WBC later elevated his status to permanent champion.
Diaz said he knows boxing isn?t a forever career so he?s out to make the most out of the situation now.
Pacquiao is his stepping stone to a comfortable life where he?ll be financially stable.
Diaz said his inspiration is wife Tanya and their two sons David Anselmo, 3, and Elias Armando, 1.
After boxing, Diaz plans to make a living in real estate.
“I?m going to try to be Donald Trump,” he said.
“I?m getting old and I don?t know how long I?ll be in this sport.”
A decisive loss to Pacquiao could signal curtains for Diaz? fistic career.
It will mean relinquishing the WBC title and the chance to earn big bucks.
He?ll be relegated to the ranks of the forgettables.
If Diaz has everything to gain in beating Pacquiao, he?s got everything to lose, too, in a defeat.
