JUAN DIAZ

updated February 27, 2008

Longtime manager and trainer Willie Savannah and his wife Clara had operated a boxing gym in Houston, Texas, since 1980. Savannah had groomed top junior welterweight contender (now top trainer) Ronnie Shields into a world-championship caliber fighter in 1986, but he and his wife ran the gym for the sake of the kids who came there rather than to seek fame and fortune.

"It was a somewhat expensive hobby," Savannah said, "but we helped a lot of kids to head down the straight and narrow rather than the crooked path. It brought a lot of joy to us to see kids improve or change their lives through physical fitness and structure."

Savannah was smart enough to keep his day job at Union Pacific Railroad, which helped him finance his hobby.

In 1990, knowing that they had lost money with their gym every year since it opened, they decided it was time for them to spend more time on their boat fishing in Galveston Bay. They figured the first to leave would be a new, overweight 8-year-old by the name of Juan Diaz.

"I told my wife the fat kid wasn't going to last much longer and that we could close the gym after he quits. Juan was always first in line when one of the kids would have a birthday party at the gym because he really liked that birthday cake."

The only problem was the little fat boy never quit. He just kept coming back, and Diaz and his manager and trainer Savannah are still together today. They later brought in old friend Shields as head trainer and Derwin Richards as assistant trainer, who Savannah had raised since age 14, to complete the family affair.

"A boxer needs good people around him and I've been lucky to have my mother and father and Willie and Clara guiding me all the way." Diaz said. "They are the story behind the story of my success."

The roly-poly kid went on to compile an astounding amateur record of 105-5 while capturing three national silver gloves titles, three national PAL titles, and two Mexican Youth titles. At age 15, he won the junior Golden Gloves in Cincinnati and also won the Junior World Championships in Puebla, Mexico.

Unable to box in open amateur tournaments in the United States due to rules disallowing participation until age 17, Diaz traveled to Mexico in December 1999 and at age 16 won the gold medal at the Mexican Open National Championships. Fighting grown men in this open event, he was also named the tourney's "Outstanding Boxer."

This also earned him a spot on the 2000 Mexican Olympic team (Juan's parents were born in Mexico, so he qualified) only to be informed later by Olympic organizers that he was three months too young to compete in Sydney. Disappointed that his Olympic dream would not become a reality, but unwilling to wait for the 2004 Olympic games, Diaz opted to turn professional at just age 16.

Savannah believes that if Diaz had stayed in the amateur ranks for a couple of more years, "Juan may have become the most decorated amateur in U.S. history."

Too young to fight professionally in America, Diaz made his pro debut south of the border scoring three first-round knockouts in Mexico, on June 23, July 22, and Sept. 2, 2000. Just 20 days later-and only five days after his 17th birthday-he was now legal to fight in his hometown of Houston where he scored a third-round technical knockout.

Diaz fought twice more in his whirlwind first pro year after receiving special clearance from the Nevada State Athletic Commission in a unanimous 5-0 vote that allowed him to fight there as a 17-year-old. He boxed at Mandalay Bay on Nov. 10 and MGM Grand on Dec. 1, winning the former with a second-round knockout and the latter by six-round unanimous decision.

The 19-year-old phenom had reeled off 20 wins to earn a spot headlining the NBC "Budweiser Boxing Series" on May 10, 2003, which was broadcast from Temecula, Calif. The match was also sanctioned by the World Boxing Council for their youth lightweight title. Diaz traded bombs with Eliza Contreras for 10 rounds in a bout that was a Fight of the Year nominee. Diaz had pulled slightly ahead on the scorecards entering round six before being dropped by a quick Contreras right hook.

Knowing he would need to dominate the last four rounds to assure a victory, Diaz feverishly pounded Contreras in rounds seven through 10, winning all four rounds on two of the judges' scorecards and three of the four rounds on the third judge's scorecard to win by unanimous decision. The bout proved Diaz's mettle and served as trial by fire for the lightweight prospect.

On July 19, 2003, Diaz out-hustled WBC junior lightweight FECARBOX champion Francisco Lorenzo. Diaz showed tremendous poise, ignoring repeated low blows and rabbit punches, before battering Lorenzo with punishing body punches to win a unanimous decision by scores of 98-91 and 96-93, twice.

On Nov. 22, 2003, Diaz continued to show why he was being recognized as one of the most exciting boxers in the sport by defeating cross-town rival Joel Perez in a six-round war that left Perez bruised and beaten when his corner threw in the towel at 1:27 into round six. Diaz's left hooks closed the right eye of Perez, and his right hooks caused the former world-title challenger to bleed from his left ear.

Diaz returned to headline another NBC "Budweiser Boxing Series" card on April 17, 2004, dismantling Martin O'Malley in two rounds by technical knockout. O'Malley argued that the fight had been stopped prematurely but expressed his respect for Diaz nevertheless: "Juan Diaz is up there with those guys I've fought. He's a great fighter."

In front of several thousand of his hometown friends and family at the Reliant Center on July 17, 2004, in Houston, Tex., Diaz out-hustled, out-slugged, and out-worked one of boxing's most durable champions in Lakva Sim to earn the WBA lightweight title.

From the opening bell, Diaz utilized his natural hand speed to land combinations to Sim's head and body, and pile up points on the judges' scorecards.

Midway through the bout Sim closed the gap by successfully luring Diaz into a slugging match. But just when it seemed as if Sim had convinced Diaz to brawl, the young star showed why he is one of the sport's smartest fighters. He reverted back to his boxing skills, capitalizing on his natural ability to storm ahead and win by the lopsided scores of 118-110, 118-111, and 116-112.

At the sound of the final bell, the accolades gushed forth:

"From here, he [Diaz] will only improve, and we should all latch on and enjoy the ride. True champions don't come around often."
-John Lopez, Houston Chronicle

"I think Diaz certainly stole the show. He is a potential star with his style, personality and background."
-Larry Merchant, longtime HBO analyst

With the victory, Diaz became the youngest world champion in boxing at age 20, the second youngest world champion in the history of the sport, and the youngest world lightweight champion in over 30 years.

Those who know Diaz were not surprised by his victory, as success through hard work has defined the young man's character both in and out of the ring. He graduated fourth in his class from Contemporary Learning Center High School with a 3.8 grade-point average at age 17.

Today, Diaz is a junior pre-law major at the University of Houston-Downtown, expecting to graduate in 2008. He wants to go on to law school and would like nothing more than to help out the less fortunate in need of legal aid.

"Nobody in my family ever went past high school, so I wanted to be the first," Diaz said. "You never know what will happen with boxing, so I want something to fall back on."

After defeating Sim to win the WBA 135-pound championship, Diaz successfully defended his crown for the first time on Nov 4, 2004, by battering two-time world champion and then-No. 1 ranked WBA lightweight contender Julien Lorcy to earn a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision by the scores of 119-109 and two scores of 118-110. Diaz pounded his courageous French opponent with thunderous body shots and overwhelmed him with a feverish punch output that continued until the final bell.

Upon the bout's conclusion most ringside spectators agreed with the sentiment expressed by San Antonio Express-News boxing columnist John Whisler: "How do you say 'mugging' in French?"

On Jan. 21, 2005, Diaz successfully defended his crown for the second time by punishing WBA No. 10-ranked contender Billy Irwin to earn a ninth-round stoppage (TKO 9). Irwin fought valiantly, but the younger, stronger Diaz overwhelmed Irwin from the opening bell, capturing every round on the judges' scorecards.

Twice the ringside doctor examined Irwin's swollen shut right eye. In round nine, after Diaz landed one of his many crippling combinations, referee Earl Morton waved a halt to the bout. The official time was 1:27 into the round.

Diaz was scheduled to battle Ebo Elder on an April 23, 2005, ESPN Pay-Per-View card; however, he was forced to cancel the bout after suffering a cut on his eyelid during training camp.

Diaz returned to the ring on July 16, 2005, stopping Arturo Cruz in five rounds in a non-title bout (TKO 5).

On April 8, 2006, Diaz outworked fellow-undefeated lightweight Jose Miguel Cotto to earn a unanimous decision by the scores of 116-112, 117-111, and 118-110 to successfully defend his WBA crown for the third time (W 12). The entertaining slugfest, which took place on the Floyd Mayweather-Zab Judah HBO Pay-Per-View card, was thought by many of the boxing media in attendance to be the best bout of the night.

After disposing of respected Filipino Randy Suico by technical knockout in round nine at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on July 15, 2006, Diaz signed with legendary promoter Don King and appeared on a SHOWTIME World Championship Boxing doubleheader from Chase Field in Phoenix on Nov. 4 against an intriguing opponent, Fernando "La Fiera" Angulo.

Angulo grew up in the jungles of the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest after he fled from abusive parents at age 7. At 11, he lived alone in the jungle for 18 months, fending for himself by hunting and subsisting on bugs, worms, snakes or anything he could find. The only thing he wouldn't eat were frogs because he doesn't like them.

The Ecuadorian provided a spirited challenge but was no match for the highly skilled and undefeated Diaz, who won a lopsided unanimous decision.

Now 24, Diaz had long wished to unify all of the lightweight titles, but his manager Savannah had always wanted to chart a prudent course. Savannah decided the time was now right, and a match was made for Diaz to take on Brazilian knockout artist and World Boxing Organization lightweight champion Acelino "Popo" Freitas on April 28, 2007, on HBO from Foxwoods Resort Casino as part of their 100th boxing card.

Freitas came out wanting to land his trademark haymakers, but the Baby Bull shook off the assaults and kept charging in. Diaz would later admit that a shot landed in the second round made him step back, but he said he was never seriously hurt.

Freitas landed his best right of the fight in round five, but it incensed Diaz, who charged Freitas again a punished him from ring post to ring post in a stunning display that left Freitas wobbled.

The situation repeated itself in round eight, and Diaz exploded with a withering assault that left Freitas in such rough shape his trainer Oscar Suarez through in the towel with his fighter on his stool between the eighth and ninth rounds.

Diaz was ecstatic after the fight.

"I'm really happy to become a two-time world champion, Diaz said. "This was the biggest fight of my career but I have faced opponents who hit harder than Freitas did tonight. I took his best punches and gave back five or six when he got in two or three.

"My corner kept telling me to jab because it was effective but my inner Mexican kept coming out.

"I was surprised he was willing to stay in there and fight with me as much as he did. I thought he would try to box me more. He hit me with some clean punches and I stepped back a few steps when he did but he never seriously hurt me.

"My ultimate goal is to unify all the lightweight titles. In the people's eyes you're not the champion until you have all the belts. That's what I want to give them.

"I'm just a college student from Houston, Texas [University of Houston-Downtown]. Boxing is a hobby for me. I'm still a young champion. I still have a lot to learn."

Diaz made good on his promise when he agreed to face International Boxing Federation lightweight champion Julio "The Kidd" Diaz in "El Dia de los Diaz" on Oct. 13.

A scheduling conflict that night sent Diaz's longtime trainer Ronnie Shields to Evander Holyfield's corner that night while Diaz fought in Hoffman Estates, Ill., with assistant trainer Derwin Richards stepping in.

Juan was the favorite going into the fight, but few could have predicted in advance his overwhelming domination in a near-flawless performance. Making the seventh defense of his WBA crown and the first of his WBO strap, Juan dominated a very good fighter in Julio where he pummeled him from pillar to post from the opening bell.

Coincidentally, Julio quit on his stool at the end of the eighth round just as Freitas had done one fight before.

"I thought Julio was going to box me more but he came to fight," Diaz said. "That surprised me. I was able to lure him into my kind of fight, a toe-to-toe action fight. Julio had decent power which also surprised me."

Julio was quick to give Juan credit after the fight.

"I couldn't get started tonight. Juan has a lot of energy. I tightened up when I tried to overpower him. Juan's a hyper kid with a lot of heart.

"My brother Joel in my corner thought I was getting to hit too much, so he stopped the fight after the eighth round. It was Juan's night tonight."