Theres still a lot of work to be done, Diaz said, but its amazing the work that weve already put into this. Explore . These later wins, though against lower level opposition, somewhat softened the memories of the Corrales and Diaz fights, both of which this writer attended at the Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Munguia stopped by Los Angeles to meet with the media last week and spoke about Bennett and his upcoming first world title defense. "The doctor says if you want to go to the hospital, they can take you," a member of the team translates for Acosta. He's showing fighters how to pivot their feet to maximize their leverage. 232: Fundora Mendoza and More on a Deep Saturday of Boxing, Why Tapales vs Akhmadaliev Promises Fireworks This Saturday, Tank Davis Stops Ryan Garcia with a Near-Invisible but Lethal Body Shot, Literary Notes: Last on His Feet: Jack Johnson and the Battle of the Century, Brian Mendoza KOs Sebastian Fundora in a Shocker. "It hasn't stopped bleeding," Ervin adds. That's where Diaz and his brother Antonio (or Too, as he's commonly called) trained. Diaz sings again, only stopping to tell Gracia to visit an optometrist. They would be his only defeats in 43 pro bouts. Only a few of those kids will ever be good enough to box in amateur tournaments, but coming from here, all of them will have to fight. And because he doesn't treat her any different than any of his other fighters. He was the first and only inductee into the inaugural class of the Texas Boxing Hall of Fame, an organization founded by El Paso promoter Lester Bedford in 2015. Ive seen my dad train fighters my whole life, Joel Diaz Jr. said, but I havent seen that happiness, that comfort, that peace, that look in his eyes until now. He'sexcited about it, and I'm happy for him.". Just about everything planted here came to life: watermelon, grapefruits, dates, squash, radish and cabbage, to name a few. Led by the Diaz brothers Joel (in the white shorts) and Antonio, the roster of professional boxers can match any other gym in the world in terms of talent. He and Gracia have known each other for nearly 40 years. This energy, this level of commitment, is also one of the things that draws fighters to Indio. His manager asked me what I thought of his last fight and we agreed, said Diaz of Vargas. 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. Lead announcer Barry Tompkins went further, calling it the worst decision he has seen in his 40 years of covering the sport. Thirsty for liquid, the burning desert absorbed each drop of blood. He was fan-friendly and idolized in Brazil. The Swanson brothers were trained by Diaz Training Camp and make several cameos in the documentary. : Thank you head trainer Joel Diaz of the Indio, Ca. Gracia just raises his eyebrows and gives the slight shrug of "I don't know.". ref: Rudy Battle Alfred Buqwana 110 . The Coachella Valley has long been an area where the center inflatable garden slide of activity is Palm Springs. He shouts some instructions in Spanish to the youthful father of an infant just recently born who is being held by the mother. The Boys & Girls Club has been a great place for us for so many years, Antonio Diaz said. I was a little upset when they told us we had to leave the Boys & Girls Club. More: The pandemic shut down his boxing club. Other talents have learned from Joel's assertive style of fighting. Mucio has a fight sometime in June or July, so in a few weeks, they'll return to train again in the Coachella Valley. Diaz believes his training camp will be as well. Women's boxing divisional rankings: Ryan shakes up welterweight division after impressive win, Arrest warrant issued for Nate Diaz after brawl, Sources: Smith-Eubank rematch set for June 17, Gervonta Davis says he's the face of boxing and he's right, Inside fight week for a boxer and his trainer: A miner's vest, a bean dip can and plenty of fruit salad, Bivol no longer an afterthought after beating Canelo -- and lots more superfights are ahead, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Coach Diaz is one of the top boxing trainers in the world who has worked with many top boxing and MMA fighters. This is where the Diaz brothers learned to fight. 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. He found his purpose in a strange world where he didn't even speak the language. "Work! Key Principal: Joel Diaz See more contacts Industry: Physical fitness clubs with training equipment Printer Friendly View Address: 49375 Jazmin St Coachella, CA, 92236-3210 United States Phone: Employees (this site): Actual Employees (all sites): Actual Revenue: Modelled Year Started: ESG ranking: ESG industry average: What is D&B's ESG Ranking? There will, of course, be speed and heavy punching bags, treadmills, weight machines and free weights along withan area with a padded floor designated for wrestling, martial arts and other activities. He's sitting in a foldable metallic chair, getting his post-fight medical examination. But Im really excited for (Joel and Antonio) to get their own place and to do it the way they want to do it. When the announcer reads the judges' scores, the crowd boos. He won another fight in 2015 and though by now he was visibly paunchy, he still managed to go 10 rounds to beat Gabriel Martinez in 2017 with occasional flashes of his old explosive volleys. 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. Joel was close to delivering on the promise he made to his mother, who didn't want him fighting. Joel Diaz fought for the IBF world title against South Africa's Phillip Holiday in 1996 and lost by decision. Back in April when middleweight titan Gennady GGG Golovkin was seeking an opponent to replace Saul Canelo Alvarez who was facing suspension for performance enhancement drug use, it was the 21-year-old from Tijuana who volunteered his services for a May 5th date in Las Vegas. "It's a good way to stay focused on training," Bivol said of using Joel's gym. The small Palm Springs Airport will get so crowded it'll be difficult to walk through. Until then, hes going to enjoy living his dream in the space that he created. Bennett claimed that the slender Mexican fighter had not proven worthy of contesting for the championship though the tall Mexican wielded an undefeated record of 28 wins with 24 coming by knockout. Reminders of that past are everywhere on the valley's east side, in schools and parks named after Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. When Im not here, thats gonna be a legacy that is gonna stay behind because its the story of my life. Joel is on Twitter @JoelDiazBoxing and Instagram @coachjoeldiaz. Too fought too, even though he wanted to go to college, but that wasn't financially possible. Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio has grapefruit trees on its compound alongside the plush hotel swimming pool. Hes almost there, said Joel Diaz. When Joel built his gym, Flores' father, a carpenter, did the framing. where the gym will be located. Diaz says, then immediately corrects himself. This was improper. "Nobody pushed me, I pushed myself," he says, remembering how he'd wake up to run hours before school. Controversy has dogged Laurence Cole for well over a decade. But he likes it. Indio District Office. Bad Bunny, as the most streamed artist on Spotify for three consecutive years and who might be the biggest musical act in the world, will be headlining. Fifty years ago here, around the time when a farmworker's average life expectancy was 49 years old, the Coachella Grape Strike's picket lines turned violent. Everything that was originally in the building was taken out to the trash except for a table and chair that he kept as a reminder. Maybe it was the cheat meal from a few weeks ago. Hemet District Office. 2,235 Followers, 54 Following, 49 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Diaz Brothers (@thediaztrainingcamp) It was Mosleys first defense after taking the title from Oscar De La Hoya and was held in New York City. 445 East Florida Ave. 2nd Floor. Honestly, it makes me happy because at one point, you know, life is short. In his last fight, things were going well. Diaz, 47, said he expects the new gym to open in March. Professional boxing trainer Joel Diaz has recently opened his boxing gym in Indio, Calif., on July 23, 2021. desertsun.com Photos: Indio boxing gym of world-renown trainer Joel Diaz nearing completion That's what ultimately led him to politics, becoming Coachella's first elected mayor in 2006. Stars like Argentinas Lucas Matthysse to UFCs Cub Swanson have walked through the doors of the gym that is run like the United States Marine Corps recruiting depot. I appreciate what people are doing. event bout wiki. "Cordova was a tough opponent," Acosta says. Inside the Special Events Center's dressing room, in the Fantasy Springs Casino Resort, a boxer is bleeding. The gym is located in California's. On top of supporting his longtime friend, Congressman Ruiz awarded Coach Diaz a Certificate of Congressional Recognition for all the work he has done providing underprivileged kids in the valley with an outlet like boxing. They all stand behind the heavy black curtain separating the dressing rooms from the ring. Even the fancy gas stations get their share of the dangerous little creatures. "I got to get these guys ready," Diaz says. 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. Fighters who, for a variety of reasons, reached their level here, among the desert's drab colors, instead of the bright lights of places like Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York. Last year, the event drew 750,000 attendees. Migrant workers come each year to the desert region to pick crops: primarily dates, grapes, peppers, and citrus fruits in the area. He's on the main ring, next to the banner with his logo on it, a gamecock wearing boxing gloves, circled by the gym's name: Joel Diaz Training Camp. The Diaz brothers initially found homeless men and women squatting in the building and asked them to leave. With the fight over, he saw a doctor about his right eye that'd been giving him problems. "No, you don't have to go," the man tells him, "Only if you want to." But by the time he got to high school, he'd won 55 of his next 57 fights along with two national titles and knew exactly what he was born to do. That night the cruiserweight southpaw Usyk bored audiences with his slap happy style until lowering the boom on South Africas Thabiso Mchunu in round nine at the Inglewood Forum. Whatever sense of peace they find, it comes from knowing they've done all they can to prepare. But it's just not the reality of the working families.". He put them in his truck and they drove the long way home out by the fields. Let us know. Waiting for his time just like a scorpion in the desert heat. For three days on consecutive weekends, some of the biggest names in music perform in the country's largest festival. They also want to provide school supplies for less-fortunate families at the start of the school year and turkeys at Thanksgiving. Photos: Indio boxing gym of world-renown trainer Joel Diaz nearing completion Skip to . "I'm your dad. Until then the Diaz boys had been raised by their grandparents. Fantasy Springs Casino has a continuous schedule of boxing cards. Joel Diaz Boxing | Indio CA. We always have a lot of things going on, said Joel Diaz. He's on the main ring, next to the banner with his logo on it, a gamecock wearing boxing gloves, circled by the gym's name: Joel Diaz Training Camp. When Mucio fights and Acosta watches, he feels the same. Maybe a thousand other things and it would've been different. "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. After seeing those fields, the man drove them home where the Diaz brothers met their mother, sister and another brother. As the fists and shoulders of fighters brush by him, it looks as if their violence might spill over. It's one of the desert's last major tourist events before the population plummets in the summer. It happens. He returns to the dressing room that not even an hour before had been so full of excitement. Across the street from that mural, there's an old fire station on the corner of 6th Street and Vine Avenue. Joel will often arrive at the building in the early morning hours and work on the space. Acosta walks down the hall, surrounded by about a dozen people. 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. Since they understood the discipline and sacrifices required to make a living from fighting, they became fast friends. The pain of Mucio unexpectedly losing her father -- who trained them both -- in July 2021. He trains about 20 professional boxers, and with three of them fighting the next day, tomorrow will be busy. Heavy bags, speed bags, weights, chin-up bars and two boxing rings are all used simultaneously by the different boxers. Since Bazooka won his fight, Diaz is happy. "I accidentally cut Tito," Gracia tells him as Diaz hands over the small dark bottle with a yellow label. As one of the more well-respected and well-known members of the Coachella Valley, because of his success in boxing and his friendly yet direct nature, many in the neighborhood already knew of Joel and also have offered to help. (Marquez elected to continue and stopped Jaca in the next round.). Dedication was never a problem for Joel. From an administrative standpoint, boxing in Texas during the reign of Dickie Cole was frequently described in terms befitting a banana republic. "This is a bad area." 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. He would fight one more time before retiring as a fighter and continuing as a trainer. Raise your punches a little higher.. The doctor looks at Acosta's hand as he hears the story. Find him on Twitter: @Andrew_L_John. Way too many distractions. "I'd wake up the next day, go home and try finding something to do," he says. With this loss, that now becomes more difficult. Diaz throws up his frustrated hands. And although Joel has long been considered one of boxing's best trainers, being part of Bivol's team, and Bivol beating Canelo, who hadn't lost in nine years, made people take further notice of what was happening in this boxing gym out in the desert. 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. The idea that it was easier to show the separation of Mexican farmworkers, than to explain it, was something that'd been happening for decades. "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. But when it's time to fight, they train in Diaz's gym, in part because his strong personality reminds them of Mucio's father. Although Mattice vs. Hamazaryan was a supporting bout, it aired live on ShoBox. Barrios turned professional in 1996 and went 14-0 before a DQ loss after which he went 25-0-1 with 1 no decision. I would sit at that table and eat, drink, write and sleep, Diaz said. Joel trains WBO champion Timothy Bradley and Timothy Bradley Sr. also helps train the amateur kids at their Indio gym. Freitas had won a TKO victory in round 12, amazing!!!!. He went on to claim the WBO world lightweight title with a split decision over Zahir Raheem, but that fight was a snoozefest and he lost the title in his first defense against Juan Baby Bull Diaz. He asks if he must go. On October 19, 1996, Joel lost a twelve-round decision to undefeated IBF lightweight champion Philip Holiday in Wembley Indoor Arena, Johannesburg. Located about 24 miles southwest of Indio, Palm Springs is still home to many celebrities. But at the end of round seven he was a thoroughly beaten fighter.. Divisional rankings: Where do Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia land after their megafight? He's 32 years old and wants to be a world champion again. To them this was a Mega-Fight; this was BIG. Questions ahead of Paul vs. Diaz: Can Diaz box? They both scored the fight 76-75 for Mattice, enabling the Ohio fighter to keep his undefeated record intact via a split decision. Work!" Maybe a couple miles more of running and a few rounds more of sparring. If hotel rooms are even available, some will double their usual price. Ted Sares is one of the oldest active full power lifters in the world. This win made Daz the number one rated contender and mandatory to then WBC lightweight champion, Stevie Johnston. But I was like, Wait, I have a building. These are the fights away from the bright side of boxing; the big events with big money that attracts people from all over the country. The wild swinging Hyena literally turned into one as he attacked from the beginning and did not let up until the last second of the eleventh round. Hes so happy.. Joel's retina was almost entirely detached. He fought because he saw it as his path to escape from the desert where the harsh realities of life operate at high decibels. Diaz, the eldest brother in a boxing family that produced two world champions in brothers. It's a welcomed distraction from the importance of this fight. 11/10/2019 Mexican migration increased. Representative Ruiz and Diaz grew up in the same neighborhood in Coachella and were only a couple of years apart at Coachella Valley High School. And because there was nothing left to do, they all exit the ring and return behind the thick black curtain. Order Online. Mercito Gesta vs Joel Diaz Jr at Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio Filipino boxer Mercito 'No Mercy' Gesta will take on twice beaten Joel Diaz Jr in a 10 round Lightweight bout.