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Joseph Diaz calls out featherweight division before his HBO bout

Fighters Network
22
Mar
Photo by Lina Baker/Instant Boxing

Photo: Lina Baker/Instant Boxing

 

Joseph Diaz did his best to show respect to his next opponent Jayson Velez. He tried not to discuss the potential lucrative bouts that await him if he wins Saturday on HBO.

But introduce the names of the top featherweights in the division- Vasyl Lomachenko, Leo Santa Cruz, Gary Russell Jr., etc., and the 23-year-old Diaz couldn’t resist. “In order for me to be No. 1 at 126 I have to conquer all these guys,” he said, his competitive juices running over.

After some initial prodding, Diaz (19-0, 11 knockouts) admitted that he’s looking at his bout with Velez (23-1-1, 16 KOs) on the televised undercard of Andre Ward’s light heavyweight debut against Sullivan Barrera as a doorway to getting bigger fights with the leading lights of the division.



“I think I belong in the same category as them,” the southpaw from South El Monte, California said on a recent conference call to promote the card at Oracle Arena in Oakland. “I’m still young in my career,” he went on. “I’m 23 years-old but I feel like my skill level is very good and I feel like I belong in that category. I know Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares and Lomachenko and Gary Russell- they’re really great fighters but come March 26, I’m going to show everybody that I’m a really great fighter as well and I’m not going to disappoint.”

A 2012 U.S. Olympian, Diaz is familiar with Lomachenko’s amateur achievements, having watched him in London. While he fought in the bantamweight division, reaching the second round, Lomachenko was laying waste to lightweights on his way to winning gold in 2012 for the second straight Games. Diaz, who often sparred with American flyweight Rau’shee Warren to prepare for the Olympics, said it would be surreal to one day face the WBO featherweight title holder after he gets by Velez, who is coming off a loss against RING-rated No. 10 featherweight Ronny Rios in November.

“Absolutely,” Diaz said of facing Lomachenko. “Those are all the big names I want to fight. Down the line I want to fight a Lomachenko, I want to fight a Santa Cruz, and Abner Mares because those are the big names in my division. I know eventually down the line I’m going to get an opportunity to fight Lomachenko and at that time I know I’ll be ready. But right now my main focus in Jayson Velez.”

Diaz said he was excited to be sharing the same card with Ward, a 2004 U.S. gold medalist, whom he met before the 2012 Games. “I met Andre Ward a couple times and he gave us some great advice, just to stay focused and don’t let anything distract you and make sure you’re main focus is getting the gold medal and the main focus is the person in front of you,” he said. “I’m excited to be on the same card. I couldn’t have ever imagined this.”

 

Joseph Diaz Jr. vs Jayson Velez 15sec spot from Golden Boy Digital on Vimeo.

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