Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Diaz Jr. (26-2, 22 KOs) is 30 years old and still has dreams of becoming a world champion and won't let two losses detract him from his dream. The last time Pacquiao knocked out a welterweight was in 2009 against Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas. The pandemic shut down his boxing club. He nods as he smiles and makes a fist too. I was a little upset when they told us we had to leave the Boys & Girls Club. "Even when he's dead, he's still fighting.". The curtains part and the crowd chants Acosta's name. It was a high-crime area, known for drugs and prostitution. Speaking of casinos, it was the arrival of casinos that opened the door for professional boxing cards in the Coachella desert area. Maybe it was the cheat meal from a few weeks ago. Explore . At various times during his tenure, Dickie Cole held high executive posts with the World Boxing Council and North American Boxing Federation. "Vamos Tito!" In his last fight, things were going well. Boxing Pro 21 bouts date w-l-d last 6 result; 1997-04-26: Jose Luis Montes: 9 17 0: Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio W-TKO. That's what ultimately led him to politics, becoming Coachella's first elected mayor in 2006. Step it up Vergil, he shouts to one of the fighters Vergil Ortiz Jr., a welterweight from Dallas, Texas. He'd scream and yell. Social media influencers will be there too, charging thousands of dollars for a single post. Divisional rankings: Where do Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia land after their megafight? 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. Car share apps charge $40 for a two-minute ride to the festival grounds. 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. Word was spreading that there was something going on in that desert gym in Indio that was making champions. It's Friday and that means it's sparring day for his pros. It's been almost 40 minutes since the sun set on Coachella Valley, and now it's Acosta's turn to fight. Joel trains WBO champion Timothy Bradley and Timothy Bradley Sr. also helps train the amateur kids at their Indio gym. Between rounds, Diaz keeps teaching. Joel and Antonio began telling people about the project and many began offering to help for free. 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. Diaz throws up his frustrated hands. Shows. At the screening, were friends and family of Joel Diaz, along with important members of the community, like Congressman Raul Ruiz. Diaz surrenders to New Orleans police after brawl, Paul launches series for up-and-coming boxers, Ramirez to defend WBO title vs. Shimizu in July. And because boxing is everywhere here, he still follows it, especially when there are ties to this place. One entire section was filled by Russian supporters and Gassiev did not disappoint in winning by stoppage that night. Even the transients who I asked to leave, when they see me, they ask, Hey Coach, hows the gym coming along?. He would fight one more time before retiring as a fighter and continuing as a trainer. Diaz is back in the dressing room and back to joking with Gracia. Coles performance, said Matt McGrain, was astonishingly bad, an opinion echoed by many other boxing writers. "This is all I know how to do.". 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. 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. At the screening, coach Diaz was enjoying the moment with his friends and family. But here my son can just focus on boxing and only boxing and sharpen his skills.. Hemet District Office. "One day, I'll make money," he told her. He hopes the facility, which he wants to name Indio Athletic & Youth Center, will one day be a part of his legacy in the valley. 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. When Im not here, thats gonna be a legacy that is gonna stay behind because its the story of my life. The gym is clattering with noise from the various boxers working in the different stations. One to keep track of rounds. For this indiscretion, Cole was prohibited from working a significant fight in Texas for the next six months. They would be his only defeats in 43 pro bouts. How he works with the youth, he brings and trains them to show them what it takes to excel in this sport and in life and that is remarkable.. Hes almost there, said Joel Diaz. For three days on consecutive weekends, some of the biggest names in music perform in the country's largest festival. Whether he makes it into the Hall will depend on how much a No Mas can count against one, but he warrants serious consideration when he becomes eligible. The small cut on his right palm has long ago stopped bleeding, but that's the last thing on anyone's mind. Now we have water, we have power. Still beaming over his newfound recognition, Munguia has grand plans for his future including challenging all of the other champions in his weight category and the next weight division. Controversy has dogged Laurence Cole for well over a decade. 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. "It's just a nick.". ref: Rudy Battle Alfred Buqwana 110 . Sometimes things happen for a reason, Diaz said on a weekday in early January, inside a gutted 6,250-square-foot building on Indio Blvd. Boxing is a sideline for Laurence Cole who runs an independent insurance agency in Dallas. "I'm going to call the doctor," says Larry Ervin, an inspector with the California State Athletic Commission. 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. Watch. Its helped everything come together.. Mucio has a fight sometime in June or July, so in a few weeks, they'll return to train again in the Coachella Valley. All he had to do was win and he'd fight for a world title. "Cordova was a tough opponent," Acosta says. Work! "It's fine," he says. Theres still a lot of work to be done, Diaz said, but its amazing the work that weve already put into this. In the murals around downtown Coachella, like the one showing endless rows of fields along with the words, "Lucha Sin Fin." The building, which boasts 10-foot ceilings, is around three timesthe space the Diaz brothers had at the Boys & Girls Club. When I'm not here, that's gonna be a legacy that is gonna stay behind because it's the story of my life. . Whatever sense of peace they find, it comes from knowing they've done all they can to prepare. The best known is Dmitry Bivol. Antonio Diaz, the younger brother of Joel, works well with the fighters and their combined knowledge gives them insight not often found in many gyms. It's his father's birthday; the victory is part of his gifts. "A lot of the people are just like me. When asked how he felt about Nevadas denying him an attempt to fight Golovkin, a wide grin appeared on the Mexican youngster. In boxing and in life, it is always better to give than to receive. Hes so happy.. Directions Advertisement. They're kids with parents who are agricultural, construction or service workers. Claim this business. The day after Diaz is gone, Mucio and Acosta will leave too. 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. 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. The Diaz brothers are currently training Avni Yildirim for his Feb. 27 bout versus middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, and Bektemir Melikuziev for his fight later this month in Russia against former world champion Sergey Kovalev. He could have left, opened a gym somewhere else, but he didn't. Coach Diaz is one of the top boxing trainers in the world who has worked with many top boxing and MMA fighters. "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. Gracia asks him in Spanish. Not just them, but everyone here. HBO will televise. He purchased the building as an investment property about 10 years ago. Until then the Diaz boys had been raised by their grandparents. He built his camp from the ground up, starting with a twice-burned-down building he bought ten years ago for $230,000 dollars. To them this was a Mega-Fight; this was BIG. He won. Diaz, 47, said he expects the new gym to open in March. He says he will because next time he just might cut off Acosta's finger. They all stand behind the heavy black curtain separating the dressing rooms from the ring. Thats what Im doing.. It's where the snowbirds live in million-dollar homes and car dealerships sell Rolls-Royces and Lamborghinis that glisten in the sun. The inference was that Marquez was free to quit right then without tarnishing his record. He lost his first four amateur fights. 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. At the screening, coach Diaz was enjoying the moment with his friends and family. "Honestly, it makes me happy because at one point, you know, life is short. Home. As Marquez was being examined by the ring doctor, Cole informed Marquez that he was ahead on the scorecards, volunteering this information while holding his hand over his HBO wireless mike. Hes enjoying everything right now, and he wants everyone who trains and visits there to have that same feeling.. Way too many distractions. 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. He stands, sometimes with his hands on the top rope and other times holding them behind his back. Boxing trainer Joel Diaz is building his own gym in Indio after 18 years at Indio Boys & Girls Club Andrew L. John Palm Springs Desert Sun 0:00 0:24 Until last year, Joel Diaz hadn't. There were so many fighters, in 1996, the city built Espinoza a 9,000 square foot gym and named it after him. "Work! "Every time I went to a show or to a tournament, Lee would take five, six of us. JoJo Diaz, an Olympian from the Los Angeles suburb of South El Monte, beat Tevin Farmer last February to secure the International Boxing Federation's super featherweight title in Miami. The gym is located in California's. With nothing else to do, Diaz stops singing and helps Flores warm up. Everlast, a boxing appareland equipment company, has offered to outfit his gym with bags for free. This is what Diaz does throughout the day. When Joel built his gym, Flores' father, a carpenter, did the framing. A lot of the boxers are just like me.". "If Arely knew about this, she'd drop you with a punch to the liver," Diaz tells Gracia. He says he won the fight and wants a rematch. The fourth brother in the Daz dynasty, Jesus,. In a couple of months, the heat will be so unbearable those who can buy their way out will. But that would just a short-term solution and Diaz had until July 1 to move into a new facility. More than a partner, she's Arely Mucio, the IBF flyweight world champion. Although Mattice vs. Hamazaryan was a supporting bout, it aired live on ShoBox. Too fought too, even though he wanted to go to college, but that wasn't financially possible. Looking for something to do in a desert where it's easy to get lost. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com. Indio District Office. Flores wins his fight in the first minute. 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. Luckily, a new smaller promotion company had just started in the Inland Empire called Thompson Boxing Promotions. As for the Hyena, on April 8, 2005, he won the WBO junior lightweight title with a fourth round stoppage of undefeated but overweight Mike Anchondo. So he did what his brother did, he even won a minor world title. The small Palm Springs Airport will get so crowded it'll be difficult to walk through. 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. To comment on this article at The Fight Forum, CLICK HERE. Find him on Twitter: @Andrew_L_John. After10 years, its now paid off, Diaz said. The list goes on. He served 27 months and never fought again, retiring with a record of 50-4-1. "Tijuana, linda frontera, cmo te podr olvidar," (or in English, "Tijuana, beautiful border how can I forget you?") Theres some freedom from that and there can be a lot of good energy from that.. 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. DAZN will show Joel Diaz Jr. vs Mercito Gesta tonight exclusively around the world.. When WBA/WBO super featherweight champion Acelino Popo Freitas met Jorge Rodrigo Il Hiena Barrios in Miami on August 8, 2003, there was more on the line than just the titles. "No, it's OK," Gracia says, trying to keep the doctor away. Of those fading photographs on the gym wall, a lot of them are of the fighters he trained.