He couldn't risk losing the money or the opportunity, so he waited until after the fight. His promoter told him he'd soon fight for millions but that didn't happen. . The doctor looks at Acosta's hand as he hears the story. The crowd was divided between Brazilian fans and those from Argentina. He said he thinks about that often when hes pushing a broom and putting work into the gym that before last year he never really thought about building. INDIO - When Joel Diaz Jr., returns to the ring for the first time in seven years, he said he hopes to have his world-class trainer and father in his corner at the Desert Showdown, which. Mucio walks beside him. He was just 23 years old when boxing took it from him. What changed? He's sitting in a foldable metallic chair, getting his post-fight medical examination. Wherever it is, they'll rest and enjoy the things they've denied themselves for months. Now seven casinos have opened their doors in the desert region and most of them have held boxing cards at one time or another. They'll run their daily miles and their feet will feel as if they're on fire. Word was spreading that there was something going on in that desert gym in Indio that was making champions. In January 2010 he was involved in a hit and runaccident in which a 20-year-old pregnant woman was killed. With this loss, that now becomes more difficult. The brothers plan to bring over a mass of memorabilia at the Boys & Girls Club to the new gym and use the facility as an opportunity to revitalize the area. Since they understood the discipline and sacrifices required to make a living from fighting, they became fast friends. "Things happened for a reason," he says. It's the old gym that's now a restaurant, the place where every day he and his fighters swept away plaster and pieces of concrete that fell from the walls. Last May, Bivol beat Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, a boxer many considered the best in the world. Inside there's a plaque from when Garcia was mayor, listed beneath "Lee Espinoza Coachella Valley Boxing Club." He trains about 20 professional boxers, and with three of them fighting the next day, tomorrow will be busy. Let us know. Since Bazooka won his fight, Diaz is happy. Adjoining states in the west host a number of boxing cards including a world title contest that features a newcomer who, before knocking out a world champion, was erroneously categorized by a Nevada official as unworthy of a title challenge. The brutal sun will make the gym in that once-bad place, so hot that in between rounds, boxers will drink their water and stand beneath the air conditioning vents that work best. In his first bout, a promoter paid him $400 then filed for bankruptcy as soon as the fight ended. Im about helping the community, Diaz said. "Even when he's dead, he's still fighting.". Trainer Joel Diaz to build his own boxing gym in Indio - The Desert Sun When Im not here, thats gonna be a legacy that is gonna stay behind because its the story of my life. Since he speaks little English, around the gym he's congratulated on the opportunity to avenge the sole loss of his career. Mucio has a fight sometime in June or July, so in a few weeks, they'll return to train again in the Coachella Valley. Now all I have to do is make it shine. Ive never won any kind of award before in my life, said Munguia at the Westside Boxing Club in the western portion of Los Angeles. Its slowly made the transition from training strictly local boxers to international mega stars in this past decade. Its a small venue near East L.A. and the fight was attended by numerous boxing celebrities such as James Lights Out Toney, Mauricio El Maestro Herrera and Gennady GGG Golovkin. THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON Diaz leaves for San Antonio where he'll join his brother. In the fifth round, Marquez sustained a cut on his forehead from an accidental head butt. Hes home. "This is a bad area." Coach Diaz is one of the top boxing trainers in the world who has worked with many top boxing and MMA fighters. Honestly, it makes me happy because at one point, you know, life is short. The Diaz brothers initially found homeless men and women squatting in the building and asked them to leave. It's been almost 40 minutes since the sun set on Coachella Valley, and now it's Acosta's turn to fight. Joel wanted to become world champion, but of course, that didn't happen either. More than a partner, she's Arely Mucio, the IBF flyweight world champion. Theres no wasting time. Vergil Ortiz Sr., the father of welterweight prospect Vergil Ortiz Jr., said he urged his son to choose Indio because of the desert location. Joel was close to delivering on the promise he made to his mother, who didn't want him fighting. There were so many fighters, in 1996, the city built Espinoza a 9,000 square foot gym and named it after him. He was big and tall and had a beard. If you enjoy honest and heartfelt talk about life and boxing then read on, you won't be disappointed. Indio Councilman Glenn Miller volunteered his help. Joel Diaz said that he is working with his attorney to make the gym a non-profit that will be open to the community and offer programs for kids to provide activities, fitnessand self-defense training. He found his purpose in a strange world where he didn't even speak the language. As a World Class Trainer, I know by now what it takes to not only be a World Champion, but to be one of the Greats in the sport of Boxing. Eduardo Salazar hopes that those who watch this documentary are inspired to better their lives, even when times are tough, just like Joel Diaz has done. Watch. Recently former WBC super featherweight champion Francisco El Bandido Vargas has become part of the team and is preparing for a showdown against Englands Stephen Smith at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Dec. 9. We begin with Joel's enforced retirement and the ups and downs that followed, before looking at his experiences as a trainer, taking us up to his current bunch of fighters. A lot of the boxers are just like me.". Joel Diaz fought for the IBF world title against South Africas Phillip Holiday in 1996 and lost by decision. thesweetscience.com All rights reserved. And though the festival is on the east side, about four miles from Joel's gym, most of the tourists will stay on the west side of Coachella Valley. "The f---ing check bounced," Joel still remembers. Over the past few years the benefits of desert training are evident in the overwhelming success of those sweating and grinding in the sweltering desert gym in Indio. They would be his only defeats in 43 pro bouts. Munguia stopped by Los Angeles to meet with the media last week and spoke about Bennett and his upcoming first world title defense. To them this was a Mega-Fight; this was BIG. One of those guys is Bek The Bully, who'll rematch against Gabe Rosado on April 22. 7 Questions With Joel Diaz - NY FIGHTS When Acelino Freitas turned professional in 1995, he streaked from the gate with 29 straight KOs, one of the longest knockout win streaks in boxing history. The documentary is titled Joel Diaz: A Hard Knock-Life and was directed by Jorge Newman and Eduardo Salazar of Newman Studios. Joel Diaz worked for a while with Lee Espinoza at the Coachella Boxing Club before opening up his own gym. Diaz teamed up with Yildirim (21-2 12 KOs) late in October 2019 but due to . For three days on consecutive weekends, some of the biggest names in music perform in the country's largest festival. This was yet another shocker, but others (including Kostya Tszyu, Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya and even Ali) had done so and the criticism this time seemed disproportionate. The last time Pacquiao knocked out a welterweight was in 2009 against Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas. The community, in turn, has helped Diaz make this project a reality. Mucio comes into the locker room to say a prayer and Diaz gives him some last-minute advice. Boxing trainer Joel Daz bought and transformed the space during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his last fight, things were going well. At its best, it's a low frequency hum. How a gym in California's Coachella Valley became an international "It's a different place, and a different world, within the same community." When he was active as a fighter Antonio captured the IBA world welterweight title and fought many of the best fighters in the world including Sugar Shane Mosley for the WBC welterweight world title in November 2000. Needing a space to traintheir boxers, including professionals and young amateurs, Joel and Antonio moved their operation to KBX Fitness, the North Indio gym of UFC featherweight Cub Swanson and his brother, Steve, also a mixed martial artist. Trainer extraordinaire Joel Diaz looks on as two boxers engage at his world-renowned gym in Indio, California. Every day and every year, he'd turned so many spigots that his palm blistered then calloused. Theres some freedom from that and there can be a lot of good energy from that.. There also will be an area for weight machines and a space at the front desk to purchase merchandiseof the world-famous boxers who train at the gym, including unified super bantamweight champion Murodjon MJ Akhmadaliev, Olympic welterweight silver medalist Shakhram Giyasov, Olympic flyweight gold medalist Hasanboy Dusmatov and Olympic middleweight silver medalist Bektemir Melikuziev. When I'm not here, that's gonna be a legacy that is gonna stay behind because it's the story of my life. Until then, hes going to enjoy living his dream in the space that he created. Golden Boy Promotions, which has a business relationship with the Diaz brothers and many of the boxers who train with them, has offered help as well. Palm Springs Desert Sun Subscription Discount | Subscriber Services, Olympics more important than major titles for some women golfers, Strong and silly, Sarah Robles of Desert Hot Springs, is off to Tokyo, hoping to lift her way to another medal, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "People come to this country for a better opportunity and a better life for their kids and their family, and they're fighting every step of the way to make that happen," Garcia says. 81719 Doctor Carreon Blvd. The facility also has locker rooms and restrooms for men and womenand willeventually include saunas, a laundry room and massive office space. Theres enough room for two boxing rings, a section with mats for wrestling, treadmills and elliptical machines, heavy bags, speed bags and an area for yoga and other activities. At various times during his tenure, Dickie Cole held high executive posts with the World Boxing Council and North American Boxing Federation. 2,187 likes. Heavy bags, speed bags, weights, chin-up bars and two boxing rings are all used simultaneously by the different boxers. The uncertainty of changing trainers that far into their careers. EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK: Joel Diaz: A Hard Knock-Life Documentary by Newman Studios. IBA upset by 'rogue' boxing group as U.S. quits, Sources: Anderson-Kossobutskiy to meet July 1. "The Diaz brothers know what it takes to have a wonderful gym," said Brandun Lee, an unbeaten super lightweight (22-0) contender who has trained at the building. Barrios was like a madman pounding Popo with a variety of wild shots, but with exactly one half of one second to go before the bell ending the round, Freitas caught La Hiena with a monster right hand that caused the Hyena to do the South American version of the chicken dance before he went down with his face horribly bloodied. "It hasn't stopped bleeding," Ervin adds. All he had to do was win and he'd fight for a world title. Diaz comes from the Palmdale, California area and will be the hometown favorite over the Filipino Mercito Gesta who is based out of San Diego, California. Joel will often arrive at the building in the early morning hours and work on the space. He's talking about where his gym is, on the eastern side of the Coachella Valley. Since then he had not stopped an opponent. Maybe it was the cheat meal from a few weeks ago. While Diaz was reluctant to accept any offers, many have insisted. Indio's Diaz Brothers Have Built a Fight Club on the Coachella Desert Welcome to the world of Mexicos Jaime Munguia (29-0, 25 KOs) the WBO super welterweight world titlist who meets Englands Liam Smith (26-1-1, 14 KOs) at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 21. the doctor asks when he arrives a few minutes later. With the boys gathered around me, I want to find out what they admire most about their trainer and pro fighter. By law in Texas (and in most other states), a boxing promoter must purchase insurance to cover medical costs in the event that one or more of the fighters on his show is seriously injured. In the second fight on the card, another one of his fighters, Grant Flores Jr., is warming up for his second career fight by stretching and jumping around. We dont have any women for her to spar so she spars with the men.. But I was like, Wait, I have a building. His gravelly voice, built for teaching people how to fight, makes you wonder whether he has found peace at 50 years old, or whether he's too busy to give much thought to what he lost more than a half-life ago. He became a professional boxer. He fought because he saw it as his path to escape from the desert where the harsh realities of life operate at high decibels. The bout was televised live on ESPN. How Indio Boxing Trainer Joel Diaz Helped Dmitry Bivol Secure Victory Photos: Indio boxing gym of world-renown trainer Joel Diaz nearing completion Skip to . As soon as the doctor says all's well, everyone's able to joke. Trainer Joel Diaz says his work with new charge Avni Yildirim will shock the world when he takes on WBC/WBA super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens in Florida on Saturday February 27, live worldwide on DAZN (except Mexico). He asks if he must go. But Diaz said he couldnt be more excited about eventually having a training facility of his own, after 18 years of training boxers, including several world champions, at the Indio Boys & Girls Club. "But he kept hitting me behind the head.". Diaz, 47, said he expects the new gym to open in March. "Ponle una putiza!" And because of that, this place also has a long history of farmworkers fighting for their rights. It would not be safe, he wastold. Jorge Newman and Eduardo Salazar are from Cancun, Mexico, and first met Diaz while he was training a boxer for a fight in Mexico. But it's just not the reality of the working families.". : Thank you head trainer Joel Diaz of the Indio, Ca. The other to keep track of his day. I would like to thank him, said Munguia about Bennetts refusal to allow him to fight Golovkin. The day after Diaz is gone, Mucio and Acosta will leave too. Health Clubs & Gyms. The documentary is co-produced by Joel Diaz, his son, Joel Diaz Jr., along with former UFC fighter & Coachella Valley native, Cub Swanson and his brother, Steve Swanson. On Saturday, June 18th, NBC Palm Springs had an exclusive first look at a documentary on the life of local boxing trainer, Joel Diaz. In the beginning of round 12, Freitas was able to score an early knockdown, and as Barrios stood up on wobbly legs and Freitas went straight at him and with a couple more shots, Barrios was clearly in bad shape and badly discombobulated and the fight was stopped. Another donated an ice machine. "It hurts me," she says of watching her husband fight. The boxer is one of several Eastern European and Central Asian boxers -- from Uzbekistan and Russia mostly -- who train here. Maybe a thousand other things and it would've been different. Also planned is an area for boxing memorabilia from the history of the Coachella Valley and the boxers whove trained and lived here. Phone: (760) 424-8888. In the murals around downtown Coachella, like the one showing endless rows of fields along with the words, "Lucha Sin Fin." Team Diaz is a big part of the Coachella Valley boxing community. Monday Morning Cornermen (Nov. 6 edition), The Hauser Report: Wilder-Stiverne and More from Barclays Center, In an unprecedented development, the Boxing Writers Association of America has started a watch list to lift the curtain on ring officials who have screwed up. Veteran Texas referee Laurence Cole and Nebraska judges Mike Contreras and Jeff Sinnett have the unwelcome distinction of being the first honorees., Boxing is a sport where judges and referees are rarely held accountable for poor performances that unfairly change the course of a fighters career and, in some instances, endanger lives, says the BWAA in a preamble to the new feature. Riverside Tamale Fest to Feature Food Competition, Music, Dancing, Felon Convicted of Killing Girlfriend, Fleeing to Vegas with Young Son, Blaze Damages Abandoned Restaurant near Jurupa Valley Animal Shelter, Man Caught with Cache of Super Toxic Illegal Drugs Sentenced, Blaze in Santa Ana River Bottom Quickly Stopped, Felon Suspected in Altercation Outside Motel in Rancho Mirage to Stand Trial, Two Injured When Car Crashes into MoVal Residence, UPDATED: Charges Filed Against Man Suspected in Sexually Motivated Messages with Teen. Laurence Cole (pictured alongside his father) was singled out for his behavior as the third man in the ring for the fight between Regis Prograis and Juan Jose Velasco at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans on July 14. Their relationship grew, brought closer by pain and uncertainty. That side is where most of the Coachella Valley's tourist industry is centered. In Joel Diaz gym Indio CA | esnews - YouTube 0:00 / 3:46 Future champ hits mitts fast but his nick name is "turtle"? Joel Diaz helping put Indio front - Indio Senior Center | Facebook Hes put in so much work on that place, said Diazs adult son, Joel Diaz Jr. Now, when hes in that building, you can tell that hes at home. "Honestly, it makes me happy because at one point, you know, life is short. More than anything, he looks relieved. Decades ago, when this part of Coachella, the city -- right next to Indio -- looked abandoned, the building housed a crumbling boxing gym. How a gym in California's Coachella Valley became an international Its helped everything come together.. "If Arely knew about this, she'd drop you with a punch to the liver," Diaz tells Gracia. In about a week from Acosta's fight, the Coachella music festival will start. Hed write down his plans, his goals, his schedule to make it happen, and would occasionally put his head down on the tableand rest for a few minutes. The film not only showcases coach Diazs accomplishments as a professional boxer and trainer but also his fight to build a life for himself and his family. "GET UP, I want to meet you guys," a man told Joel and his brother, Too, then aged 11 and 5. He said that he expects the gym to live on long after he one day retires.
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