"I'm supposed to be fighting 8 fights, so I'm supposed to be fighting every month or every other month. They are trying to keep me real aggressive and always out there. I want to build my record fast. I know I can do it; I just gotta stay prepared and focused and try to prevent any injuries. My next date is March 16th in Cancun, Mexico. That's our next date. We don't have an opponent or anything, but that's what we are looking forward toÂ… I'm gonna keep rising, building my skills and training hard," stated up-and-coming super bantamweight prospect Joseph Diaz Jr., who talked about his latest victory, his future plans, and more. Check it out!
PC: I wish you the best. I was very impressed with your last fight. Is there anything else you want to add?
JD: I just want to thank everybody that's supporting me; all of my fans. Just keep watching, man, and I'm gonna keep rising, building my skills and training hard.
PC: Congratulations on your last fight, which ended by second round knockout with a good body shot. How did you feel?
JD: Thanks a lot! I felt very great and I felt composed and very relaxed in there than I did in my first fight. In my first fight, I had some butterflies going on, but going into the second fight, I felt all of the butterflies were out and I felt really good, man. I can pick my shots and I ended up picking the right shot; I broke him down with a body shot.
PC: He was getting very aggressive. Did you feel like at some point you would have to start touching him downstairs just to slow him down?
JD: Yeah! The first round I was checking him out and he was aggressive coming out in the first round. When I was fighting him in the first round, I saw that I would be able to hit him to the body, so I waited until the second round to start to the body and when I did, he couldn't take my body shots, so I ended the fight quick.
PC: Other than being better composed and not nervous, what improvements do you feel like you made from fight one to fight two?
JD: I feel like I'm picking my shots better. I feel like I'm throwing more power shots and sitting down on my shots more. The first fight, I was still keeping my composure, but I felt a little more amateurish because I was trying to throw a lot of shots, just punches in bunches, and I wasn't trying to sit down on my strong shots and body shots. But this fight, I felt like I stayed composed and picked my power shots and knew eventually I would catch him because I have pretty good timing. And that's what creates knockouts and that's what I did. I was able to get at his body clean and that ended the fight.
PC: You have a very decorated amateur background, but many felt you were always better suited for the pros. Do you feel that way as well?
JD: I honestly feel like I have a pro style. I feel like I can do either or. I can box, I can brawl, or I could relax and stay calm. It just matters of who my opponent is. Right now, I do feel like I have more of a pro style and I'm glad that everyone likes the way I fight. if I have an opponent who is really aggressive, I will just pick my shots and box him, but if I have a guy that's going to stay away, then I'm going to be real aggressive and always pick my shots.
PC: What are some of the things you consistently work on in the gym to be a successful pro?
JD: I do a lot of shadowboxing. Me and my dad work on a lot of shadowboxing because I try to fight myself. I know that I have a pretty good defense, so when I'm fighting myself in the mirror, I try to beat myself. I'm throwing punches at myself and I try to slip them and block them and try to counter myself. I feel that that actually makes me a better fighter, especially when I'm sparring and stuff. I feel when people are throwing punches at me, I'm able to slip them easy because I'm used to slipping my shots in the mirror. It's kind of impossible to do that and I'm trying to make it possible.
PC: You have sparred some of the best fighters, not only on the Golden Boy roster, but they are some of the best in the world. How much has that quality of sparring work helped you so far?
JD: It's like a blessing and a dream come true. I mean, sparring with Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares and Ponce De Leon, all of the top pro fighters, it's a real blessing for me because not only do I learn from them, but they are actually helping me out. I'm learning how to move better, how to stay more relaxed and composed, and pick my shots because those guys, they ain't no joke, man. They are the real deal, so I know whenever I'm sparring them, I'm gonna learn a lesson and I'm gonna learn something new every single time I'm sparring them.
PC: They talked a lot during your last fight about the fan base that you have built already and how you get noticed and somewhat mobbed when you walk through these casinos. What keeps you humble and not let the fame at such a young age change who you are?
JD: I just stay close to God. I always pray to God and I know that God comes first. I know that God wouldn't want me to be cocky and arrogant and be like that to all of the people that support me, so I know that being humble and always saying thank you to the fans and always talking to the fans and always giving them my attention, I know that God likes that and he's watching and always blessing me. I can see it right now. I'm 2-0 as a pro right now and I'm signed to Golden Boy, and all of that is a blessing and a dream come true and I thank God for everything.
PC: You have the looks and the skills to match it, and of course with that combination, you start hearing the Oscar De La Hoya comparisons. Is that added pressure or more of a goal to accomplish what The Golden Boy has in his career?
JD: It's no pressure towards me. It's more like a goal because I know that Oscar De La Hoya and all of them have accomplished a lot in boxing, so I want to achieve the things that they did and maybe more, man. I want to make history in boxing and do what I do best and fight my fight. If later on down the line I end up making history, man, that would be great because that's really what I want to do. I want to show everybody that I have talent and hopefully one day, I could become a world champion and hopefully I get there.
PC: Do you think your style is like fighters you grew up watching or do you feel you have your own style and thing going on?
JD: I feel like I'm my own entity. I'm the only Joseph Diaz. I always learn from all of the different fighters like Oscar De La Hoya, and I got a bunch of different moves from Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz, Josesito Lopez and Canelo; all of 'em. Every single style that they do, I try to learn, adapt to it, and then do it myself. But I am Joseph Diaz and I feel like I am going to perform for myself and as myself.
PC: You mentioned having your father as your trainer. Knowing you have someone in your corner that will never lead you astray and that you can trust, does that make your job as a fighter easier?
JD: Yeah, it's the best having my dad in my corner when he's training me. He knows my body well; he knows when I'm tired and when I'm not feeling good, or when I'm getting mad or frustrated. He always tries to keep me relaxed when I'm inside of the ring. He always gives me good advice and tells me what the guy is doing wrong and what I'm doing wrong. If you look at the replay of my fight on FOX Sports, he was telling me, "You need to be more aggressive and pick those body shots," and that's what I did. I always trust my dad and do whatever he tells me because I know he's not gonna tell me wrong, because that's my father. He loves me and I love him and he's not gonna do me wrong.
PC: Golden Boy is known for keeping their young fighters very busy. You fought at the end of last year and already once this year. When can we expect to see you back in there and how often this year?
JD: This yearÂ…my first year, I'm supposed to be fighting 8 fights, so I'm supposed to be fighting every month or every other month. They are trying to keep me real aggressive and always out there. I want to build my record fast. I know I can do it; I just gotta stay prepared and focused and try to prevent any injuries. My next date is March 16th in Cancun, Mexico. That's our next date. We don't have an opponent or anything, but that's what we are looking forward to.
PC: I wish you the best. I was very impressed with your last fight. Is there anything else you want to add?
JD: I just want to thank everybody that's supporting me; all of my fans. Just keep watching, man, and I'm gonna keep rising, building my skills and training hard. God bless and thank you guys.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]