Good read, good question : Why is Juan Diaz not respected or a fan favorite?

[Wacko3205]

CC very well put Boom i am a bit harsh on Juan but he has accomplished a lot your right

who has he beaten

An overrated Julio and washed up Freitas

He is good but not great..IMO Casamayor schools this guy

He’s beaten Cotto, Freitas, Diaz, Sim, & Delgado to name but a few that I recall.

Those were pretty good names to best at lightweight & he’s held & defended his title 9 or 10 times now since 2004 I think.

That’s pretty impressive for a young contender/champion...but he does still have some growing & proving to do.

[Julius Rain]

maybe becuase he promotes his college more so then his boxing. I guess fans don't take him seriously cause he said so himself that college is his main focus and boxing is just a hobby. He pretty much shoots himself on his toes, he shouldn't be bragging about his college and should be all boxing.

[BoomBoom]

Juan Diaz is not a fan favourite for 1 main reason,and Larry Merchant mentioned it and the end of the Diaz-Diaz fight,where's the hype? This young,unbeaten strong fighter with an exciting style,with THREE belts and he's fighting in Chicago?! For what reason? Where was the hype for the fight?

Don King is not doing enough to make him a star,which he should be by now. Hopefully he'll get his chance soon,he deserves it. Also,with his style,you have to winder how long he is going to be around.

Very well put.

For Don King to be the great promoter & marketing genius that he claims to be...he sure as shat aint done jack for Juan.

Personally...I think he'll do fine with his style...as long as he starts utilizing his defense more often.

Think he is going with the wbo mandatory Katidas or what ever his name is every one says it is going to be a good fight but i do not know the guy

Katsidis is the S***...but he won't be able to hang with the output of Juan Diaz & he'll also get read like an open book.

Look boom i watched him fight and i would not say he is a legend in the making quite yet just a good fighter i mean the lightweight division not weak sure as S*** ain't strong either lest see how he does when he moves up which i think going to happen in a year or so that lack of power going to be the end of him because if he can not back a guy up what is he going to do but who knows but keep it in mind

Im just going by his age, what hes already done, and what he can do. He has already had good career and is a vetran at 24 and fights like one. He could retire tommorow at 33-0 as champion but he has probably a decade lefty in the sport, maybe more. Hes not a "great" fighter yet but he will do what all great fighter do when faced with adversity, and win. There arent many guys who have accomplished as much as him at his age in the way that he did. Unless he cant handle a loss, I cant see his career doing anything but get better. If I was him id stay at lightweight as long as possible cause youre right he wont be as sucessful at higher weights.

Boom. Very well put.

He has done a shitload to be as young as he is...no way in hell can I see or picture him doing anything outside of improving. I agree that he needs to stay at lightweight for awhile. There are plenty of game contenders to beat...after that...even though I have my doubts...I want to believe that he could be effective at light welter...I guess we'll just have to wait & see.

Thanks Wack cc. Im hoping he can be effective at higher weights too and he may be. First though he should continue his domination at lightweight for as long as his body is comfortable there and not weight jump for big paydays like so many guys are doing right now.

[BoomBoom]

CC very well put Boom i am a bit harsh on Juan but he has accomplished a lot your right

cc Mr. Im harsh on a lot of fighters too.

[Rican]

I don't think Diaz is ducking Casamayor at all. Diaz simply wants to get paid, and the only one at or near his weight class that can get him paid is the Pacman.

[brucelee]

well Juan can get the full respect if he goes up to lightwelter and welter and still win there. Pacquaio, Mayweather, Barrera, Morales had done it. That's why they are more respected than Juan.

[CutMeMick]

I had the privelage to see Diaz fight back in 2003. Hack it I think he lost that fight but it was close.
I wasn't a fan then and little by little hes proven me wrong time and time again.
Now I have no choice but to respect the kid for what hes done.
24 yrs. old, H.S. Grad, College student, dedicates time to charities loves his mom and is doing good for his family.

Fights like a mad bull. Whats not to like about the kid?


Hes won my respect and for that I him I'll tell you 1 thing from the Freitas fight and on hes gotten a lot of attention and hes gotten a lot of people to notive him now. Watch the next fight and see the turn out for him...

[elijah24]

well Juan can get the full respect if he goes up to lightwelter and welter and still win there. Pacquaio, Mayweather, Barrera, Morales had done it. That's why they are more respected than Juan.

that's exactly what he needs to do....go up in weight and challenge the bigger guys to earn more respect...No disrespect to JD but challenging PAC says a lot about his character really...He just wants to get paid

If he wants PAC he should go down to 130

[Deanrw]

He is a very good fighter and champion now. I tell you. If he had a bit more zip to his punches, he would be at the top of my P4P list on potential alone.

The way the punches just flow from him though is a complete pleasure to watch. He makes it all look so effortless.

[The Rookie Fan]

He is still young and he is just now making some noise. His last two wins were very convincing and exciting. With his style he will be a fan favorite soon enough. Trust me, by the end of next year Juan Diaz will have stepped into the ring with eather Casa or Manny or both. And I give him a good chance of still beeing undefeated afterwards.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

I think the problem is that the Lightweight division is slipping.
I mean IMO (before the juilo - juan fight) from flyweight upwards, lightweight is languishing somewhere near the relegation zone.

Obviously... Or should i say hopefully the picture is changing. And rightly so. But its really only a one man show. Kinda like Roy at Light Heavy a while back.


Juan needs names and fierce publicity.
The names will only come from 130 IMO so its a difficult situation unless he's prepared to move his 5ft 6 self up to 140?

I dont see a superstar in the making, simply because of circumstance, which is sad. But maybe circumstances will change. They often do.

[Pugilistic]

he's just one of the unlucky ones. give it time and he will one of biggest stars. if he beats pacman, etc that would really help him

[Rican]

well Juan can get the full respect if he goes up to lightwelter and welter and still win there. Pacquaio, Mayweather, Barrera, Morales had done it. That's why they are more respected than Juan.

that's exactly what he needs to do....go up in weight and challenge the bigger guys to earn more respect...No disrespect to JD but challenging PAC says a lot about his character really...He just wants to get paid

If he wants PAC he should go down to 130

Why would Diaz go down to 130? He has never fought at that weight. Also, Manny can't make that weight these days. If anything, Diaz could go up to 140, a weight class he began his career in.

[Wacko3205]

he's just one of the unlucky ones. give it time and he will one of biggest stars. if he beats pacman, etc that would really help him

Good point.

I agree...given time...people will catch on.

I may be the only one in thinking this...but I personally think that he's mismanaged. If "Con-King" put the time into Juan that he puts into all these heavyweight trashers...maybe...NO...most likely Juan would be bigger.

Think about it...pair him with Golden Boy & put him on these undercards where he can be seen...he'd be the man.

Seriously...with his toe to toe 6 punch combos...seeing is believing & Juan is just too rarely seen.

In the end...I don't think that he needs Pac that much...althought his scalp would look B-E-A-Utiful on his record...but if Pacquiao lost the fans or Pac fans would say that the only reason that he lost was because he was out of his weight class.

[Wacko3205]

well Juan can get the full respect if he goes up to lightwelter and welter and still win there. Pacquaio, Mayweather, Barrera, Morales had done it. That's why they are more respected than Juan.

that's exactly what he needs to do....go up in weight and challenge the bigger guys to earn more respect...No disrespect to JD but challenging PAC says a lot about his character really...He just wants to get paid

If he wants PAC he should go down to 130

Why would Diaz go down to 130? He has never fought at that weight. Also, Manny can't make that weight these days. If anything, Diaz could go up to 140, a weight class he began his career in.

Very good point.