For three days on consecutive weekends, some of the biggest names in music perform in the country's largest festival. Cole was the third man in the ring for the Nov. 25, 2006 bout in Hildalgo, Texas, between Juan Manuel Marquez and Jimrex Jaca. It's the sameness of a daily routine, made a bit easier by a few inside jokes at the gym. This win made Daz the number one rated contender and mandatory to then WBC lightweight champion, Stevie Johnston. Boxers walk around trying to catch a breath and get a drink for their burning throat. He sings a Chalino Snchez song called "Recordando A Armando" that was playing earlier and must have gotten stuck in his head. ref: Rudy Battle Alfred Buqwana 110 . "It's a different place, and a different world, within the same community." he shouts at no one and everyone at once. This used to be a junkyard. He's wrapping hands and tying gloves. A lot of the boxers are just like me.". "What's going on?" JoJo Diaz's boxing approach altered by becoming a dad - The Desert Sun Step it up Vergil, he shouts to one of the fighters Vergil Ortiz Jr., a welterweight from Dallas, Texas. Inside there's a plaque from when Garcia was mayor, listed beneath "Lee Espinoza Coachella Valley Boxing Club." During the fight, Salido made a mockery of the Queensberry rules for which he received no point deductions and only one warning. The other to keep track of his day. 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. Joel trains WBO champion Timothy Bradley and Timothy Bradley Sr. also helps train the amateur kids at their Indio gym. 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. The Diaz coaching staff suddenly became world famous too and their gym began filling up with more boxers from not just the Coachella Valley region but from other parts of the country as well. But those that remain like the focus on boxing and the solitude. Diaz is back in the dressing room and back to joking with Gracia. Indio Joel Diaz Boxing Academy. "They'll spend weeks and months here and a lot of money, which is good for our economy and our communities. Also planned is an area for boxing memorabilia from the history of the Coachella Valley and the boxers whove trained and lived here. 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. They also want to provide school supplies for less-fortunate families at the start of the school year and turkeys at Thanksgiving. Controversy has dogged Laurence Cole for well over a decade. Too says at that point, in his early teens, he just wasn't dedicated enough. 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 Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com. I know you from the heart. It became a case of brawler vs. boxer/puncher and when the brawler caught the more athletic Popowho could slip and duck skillfullyand decked him with a straight left in the eighth, the title suddenly was up for grabs. The fourth brother in the Daz dynasty, Jesus,. As the fists and shoulders of fighters brush by him, it looks as if their violence might spill over. When he got up, he had no idea where he was but his corner worked furiously to get him ready for the final round. Last year, the event drew 750,000 attendees. 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. All he had to do was hang in there and the title would change hands on points. Wondering why he'd need the bottle of adrenaline now, Diaz answers with a confused look. INDIO, Calif.-Deep in the Coachella desert tiny scorpions come out at night so its best not to walk in sandals. Many of the fighters showcased at Fantasy Springs Casino and other surrounding casinos come from Joel and Antonio Diazs group and include prizefighters from all over the country and internationally. Other fighters like Argentinas Matthysse have arrived too and will be living and training in the remote desert gym. Diaz knows it was an accident. Boxing Techniques; Boxing Gym; Latest Fight Replays. More: Olympics more important than major titles for some women golfers, More: Strong and silly, Sarah Robles of Desert Hot Springs, is off to Tokyo, hoping to lift her way to another medal. Though Bradley had speed and agility and could easily fight 10 rounds without getting touched, he was being sculpted into a fan friendly action packed fighter. He nods as he smiles and makes a fist too. "Tengo que ir?" But here my son can just focus on boxing and only boxing and sharpen his skills.. Maybe by showing them those fields, that'd help explain why he and their mother left and were apart for so long. Its helped everything come together.. 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. It's been almost 40 minutes since the sun set on Coachella Valley, and now it's Acosta's turn to fight. EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK: "Joel Diaz: A Hard Knock-Life" Documentary by Popo had grown old. Joel Diaz 18: 3: 0: 4 KOs 2 KOs; wiki. She has to do the same work as the guys. But it's just not the reality of the working families.". Other talents have learned from Joel's assertive style of fighting. This is where the Diaz brothers learned to fight. Diaz, 48, said he plans to open the gym up to the community for a grand opening in September. Boxing is a sideline for Laurence Cole who runs an independent insurance agency in Dallas. Joel Diaz fought for the IBF world title against South Africas Phillip Holiday in 1996 and lost by decision. Joel Diaz: Yildirim going to shock the world - Fightnews.com Share. Palmdale's Joel Diaz, Jr. (26-2, 22 KOs) and San Diego's Mercito "No Mercy" Gesta (32-3-3, 17 KOs) hosted a media workout today ahead of their 10-round lightweight fight on Thursday, April . But I was like, Wait, I have a building. Get a head start on the mornings top stories. 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 rest is history. Joel's retina was almost entirely detached. Way too many distractions. 2,235 Followers, 54 Following, 49 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Diaz Brothers (@thediaztrainingcamp) Until he finds out Acosta's bleeding. Complaints of ineptitude, says the WBAA, will be evaluated by a rotating committee of select BWAA members and respected boxing experts. In subsequent years, says the press release, the watch list will be published quarterly in the months of April, August, and December (must be the new math). He was hurt, and at this point it looked like it might be over. Suite G. Indio, CA 92201. "She'd have beat the s--- out of me," he answers while smiling. We are excited and honored to have coach Joel Diaz join us to teach a boxing class next Wednesday November 20th at 6pm at KBX Fitness Indio. More recently, Cole worked the 2014 fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Orlando Salido at the San Antonio Alamodome. "Things happened for a reason," he says. 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. "One minute!" As the water supply diminishes, some of those golf courses consume up to a million gallons a day. 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. The list goes on. When Im not here, thats gonna be a legacy that is gonna stay behind because its the story of my life. And one could site numerous other incidents where Coles performance came under scrutiny. Thats life.. Explore . Reminders of that past are everywhere on the valley's east side, in schools and parks named after Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. The curtains part and the crowd chants Acosta's name. He's looking at a boxer's pinkie to see how badly it's hurt. His chief second bullied him into coming out for another round. Mexican migration increased. Im going to put in the work. And I did.. Although Mattice vs. Hamazaryan was a supporting bout, it aired live on ShoBox. Decades ago, when this part of Coachella, the city -- right next to Indio -- looked abandoned, the building housed a crumbling boxing gym. Mucio walks beside him. Two months ago Munguia put on a frightening display of raw power in knocking down then WBO super welterweight titlist Sadam Ali numerous times in front of New York fans. Thank you head trainer Joel Diaz of the Indio, Ca.. 29 views, 2 likes, 0 loves, 1 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Chiropractor Indio, Ca. The last time Pacquiao knocked out a welterweight was in 2009 against Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas. "Put him in the oven and slowly cook him, and when he's done, take him out.". "Even when he's dead, he's still fighting.". Divisional rankings: Where do Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia land after their megafight? 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. "People are attracted to, and come here," Garcia continues. From an administrative standpoint, boxing in Texas during the reign of Dickie Cole was frequently described in terms befitting a banana republic. Find him on Twitter: @Andrew_L_John. Looking for something to do in a desert where it's easy to get lost. They've sacrificed for all of this. While Diaz was reluctant to accept any offers, many have insisted. How a gym in California's Coachella Valley became an international That his young boxer was able to have the kind of homecoming fight that he. "I'm your dad. I was a little upset when they told us we had to leave the Boys & Girls Club. Heavy bags, speed bags, weights, chin-up bars and two boxing rings are all used simultaneously by the different boxers. This is what Diaz does throughout the day. In two rings beside each other, there are two fights going on at the same time. 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. the doctor asks when he arrives a few minutes later. World champions and contenders fight along with boxers early in their careers, risking it all for a shot at their dreams. "But he kept hitting me behind the head.". Diaz has trained professional fighters for more than a decade out of his gym at Indio Boys & Girls Club. Find Related Places. So this former champ moved it out to the desert, More: Riverside County reports 3,901 additional coronavirus cases, 53 new deaths Wednesday. While wrapping his hands, Oscar Gracia, who helps train fighters at Diaz's gym, accidentally cut Angel "Tito" Acosta, their boxer on the main event. Golden Boy chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya announced the fight, saying: "It has been Golden Boy's home in the Coachella Valley, and we are excited to bring a DAZN fight night that they will enjoy for the first . How a gym in California's Coachella Valley became an international As Gracia wraps Acosta's left hand, and Flores shadow boxes, Diaz returns to the dressing room. Joel Diaz Boxing | Indio CA. He was fan-friendly and idolized in Brazil. Since Bazooka won his fight, Diaz is happy. He shouts some instructions in Spanish to the youthful father of an infant just recently born who is being held by the mother. Flores wins his fight in the first minute. Some of the biggest names in the sport includingTimothy Bradley Jr., Terence Crawford, Lucas Matthysse, JoJo Diaz, Victor andVergil Ortiz and Julio and Antonio Diaz have trained and sparred at the club over the years. Theres nothing to do but focus on boxing, said Ortiz Sr. whose family is based in Dallas, Texas. Hed sit, often by himself, in the early stages of the project drawing designs from his ideas for the space. Recently Diego De La Hoya has emerged as a budding young star who is just about ready to enter the big time. But he likes it. In the fifth round, Marquez sustained a cut on his forehead from an accidental head butt. The bags of ice to help ease the swelling between rounds. It's a welcomed distraction from the importance of this fight. Theres still a lot of work to be done, Diaz said, but its amazing the work that weve already put into this. Diaz believes this building will be the cherry on top of a great career in boxing. 7 Questions With Joel Diaz - NY FIGHTS Hes almost there, said Joel Diaz. Back to the chaos of the boxing gym where the hungry people fight. I've been here so long, and I sent these guys to pick you up.". Diaz sings again, only stopping to tell Gracia to visit an optometrist. Joel Diaz will be in the opposite corner as his friend Randy Caballero The thermostat says the gym is 75 degrees, but it feels hotter. Since they understood the discipline and sacrifices required to make a living from fighting, they became fast friends. Once a highly touted prospect he states his biggest loss was to Regis Prograis in 2017 when he fought the soon to be light welterweight world champion and was stopped in the second round. 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. Just about everything planted here came to life: watermelon, grapefruits, dates, squash, radish and cabbage, to name a few. The building boasts 10-foot ceilings and the design for the space is expansive. Maybe that would help show how much they sacrificed. To them this was a Mega-Fight; this was BIG. To comment on this article at The Fight Forum, CLICK HERE. The doctor looks at Acosta's hand as he hears the story. Box-am Box-pro . IF YOU'VE HEARD of Coachella Valley -- that place 45 miles long and 15 miles wide, surrounded by the San Jacinto, Santa Rosa and Little San Bernardino Mountains -- chances are it's because of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the yearly music and arts exhibition held every April. "Let me go grab my gun," he says, "I'll shoot that thing off.". At its best, it's a low frequency hum. He tells a boxer what he wants by showing it with his own body, moving his legs as if he's evading punches. More: The pandemic shut down his boxing club. Freitas had won a TKO victory in round 12, amazing!!!!. They make a fist, then give him a thumbs up. Elite boxers began showing up such as Terence Crawford, Omar Figueroa, Lucas Matthysse and others. Since he speaks little English, around the gym he's congratulated on the opportunity to avenge the sole loss of his career. 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. I would like to thank him, said Munguia about Bennetts refusal to allow him to fight Golovkin. Who has the edge? So this former champ moved it out to the desert, Riverside County reports 3,901 additional coronavirus cases, 53 new deaths Wednesday, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. 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. He's showing fighters how to pivot their feet to maximize their leverage. IBA upset by 'rogue' boxing group as U.S. quits, Sources: Anderson-Kossobutskiy to meet July 1. 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. Joel Diaz "I told him when he came to the gym [last week], 'The problem is not you. The first step toward history begins on Saturday when he faces former world champion Smith who was dethroned by another Mexican named Canelo. The crowd was divided between Brazilian fans and those from Argentina. 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. Lead announcer Barry Tompkins went further, calling it the worst decision he has seen in his 40 years of covering the sport. I barely slept for a year while I was working on this, said Diaz, who has wonworld titleswith 13 differentboxers during his two decades as a trainer. Forty-five seconds into round eight, after being knocked down for a third time, Velasco spit out his mouthpiece and indicated to Cole that he was finished. Thirsty for liquid, the burning desert absorbed each drop of blood. In his last fight, things were going well. It's where Garcia once got punched in the face so hard he understood that boxing wasn't for him. What happens when a boxer kills his opponent? 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 two met in 2018, at a boxing convention in Panama. Of those fading photographs on the gym wall, a lot of them are of the fighters he trained. thesweetscience.com All rights reserved. You gave somebody too much authority of your life,'" Diaz said. To know that a kid from Coachella was coaching, Timothy Bradley and so many others to win world championship belts, it just brought a lot of pride, you know? Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio has grapefruit trees on its compound alongside the plush hotel swimming pool. That side is where most of the Coachella Valley's tourist industry is centered. One of those guys is Bek The Bully, who'll rematch against Gabe Rosado on April 22. But I can finally sleep comfortably now.. Photos: Indio boxing gym of world-renown trainer Joel Diaz nearing completion Skip to . Every day and every year, he'd turned so many spigots that his palm blistered then calloused. Photos: Indio boxing gym of world-renown trainer Joel Diaz nearing Work!" Wherever it is, they'll rest and enjoy the things they've denied themselves for months. Speaking of casinos, it was the arrival of casinos that opened the door for professional boxing cards in the Coachella desert area. 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. Even more ironic was that two Inland Empire fighters were forced to fight 2,000 miles away instead of in California. Hes enjoying everything right now, and he wants everyone who trains and visits there to have that same feeling.. "WE STARTED WITH THIS," says trainer Librado "Lee" Espinoza, pointing at a yellowed newspaper article taped to the wall of his gym. "Was a bad area.". Laurence Cole is the son of Richard Dickie Cole. This is going to be a popular place for boxers to come and have training camp and be a part of that.. The building has remained empty for years. He found his purpose in a strange world where he didn't even speak the language. 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. 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 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. "Those types of values and principles are instilled in the kids many times. At various times during his tenure, Dickie Cole held high executive posts with the World Boxing Council and North American Boxing Federation. It dives into everything from growing up in Coachella to winning world titles with the fighters he trained and a few things in between. And so, it's back to yelling commands and instructions. The gym is clattering with noise from the various boxers working in the different stations.
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