It was at the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III post-fight press conference at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas last November that I first spoke with trainer Joel Diaz. Having led undefeated junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley to a successful victory over faded former champ Joel Casamayor on the undercard, Diaz was a bit of an unknown commodity to the general boxing public at the time but it was easy to spot just how much knowledge and pedigree he possessed.
Fast forward nearly seven months later and things have changed for Diaz, as he is now days away from his biggest assignment as a trainer as he will be leading Bradley into battle against Pacquiao this Saturday night in an HBO pay-per-view attraction. I have kept tabs on Diaz since our first conversation, including a two-day swing through Bradley?s camp in Indio, California in late April, and I have taken great pleasure in hearing all of his pre-fight thoughts, including his undying loyalty towards his fighter and his strategy for beating Pacquiao in three days? time. Advertisement
.
Newsflash: Please visit Chris Robinson’s Youtube page for all the latest Pacquiao-Bradley fight week videos, including behind the scens with Pacquiao, Bob Arum sensing an upset, and much more
.
Following Bradley?s grand arrival to the MGM Grand yesterday, Diaz and I had what will likely be our last in-depth conversation before his charge heads into the biggest fight of his career. And just as has been the case for the past few months, Diaz spoke with a special kind of intellect and showed off an unwavering bravado when discussing the Pacquiao-Bradley match.
Continue reading below for Diaz?s thoughts on why the Pacquiao challenge reminds him a bit of Bradley?s May 2008 upset over then-champion Junior Witter, his appreciation for his time featured on HBO?s 24/7 series, what it was like for his monitoring Bradley?s progress in camp, and why he feels victory is within their reach.
This is what Diaz had to share.
Feeling confident? ?Well, I feel very confident. He?s very confident. There?s no negative thoughts in our mind that we?re going to lose this fight. We?re going to go in there and do our thing. He?s in great shape. He?s ready to give it all and win this fight June 9th.?
Appearing on HBO?s 24/7 series the last few weeks? ?It?s a great opportunity. It?s an opportunity of a lifetime, just letting people know what we do, what are the things in life we?ve gone through in order to make it here. Because this is not an easy job, this is very, very tough job. We go through a lot of adversities through this sport of boxing and thank God we?re here. And we?ve got an opportunity of a lifetime. And we?re going to take advantage of it because we might not have another opportunity. We?re going to work extremely hard to win this fight and get rewarded for everything that we?ve went through and we?ve been going through in our career.?
Not paying attention to the hype? ?No, you know what. Because, up to this moment, nothing has bothered me. Because I program myself to not listen to anything. I really don?t read on the internet, read comments, read people?s opinions. Because, at the end of the day, that?s the way it is. We all have freedom of opinion and if you?re going to pay the pay-per-view, you?re going to pay to watch the fight, ok then you have a right to have an opinion. I don?t want anything to bother me right now. I know we?re living in the moment but at the same time I?m very focused. I don?t care what Freddie Roach says. I don?t? care what they?re going through in their camp, whether it?s good or if it?s bad. That?s their problem. Right now my main focus is Tim Bradley. Because June 9th is a fight I?m going to be fighting the fight with him mentally.?
Bringing back flashbacks? ?Tim?s always been the underdog. Right now, I?ve seen a couple of people with Manny Pacquiao signs out there, yelling ?Manny Pacquiao is going to knock you out? and it brings back flashbacks from the Junior Witter fight. You know what we do? We smile at it. At the end of the day these people are here to support their fighter and you?ve got to respect that. Every fan, every supporter, has a right to do whatever. As long as they don?t harm my fighter, it?s fine. We just got our minds just focused and programmed for June 9th. There?s nothing that can distract us now.?
