National Conference Call Transcript: Rocky Juarez, Juan Diaz

Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime

17.07 - Juarez and Diaz participated in a conference call to discuss their upcoming fights on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Saturday, July 19, 2003, from Reliant Park in Houston. Juarez, 23, the 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist, will take on tough Dominican Antonio “Chelo” Diaz, while Juan Diaz, the youngest boxer ever to appear on SHOWTIME, will be opposed by FECARBOX 130-pound champion and former Dominican titleholder, Francisco “The Drowned” Lorenzo. SHOWTIME will televise the Main Events, Inc.-promoted fight card at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Question: Juan and Rocky, can we get some opening comments about this upcoming fight?

Diaz: I am looking forward to fighting in my hometown of Houston in front of my friends and family.

Juarez: This is a good opportunity to be fighting in Houston. I feel it is good for the people in Houston and for us to fight in front of our friends and family. This is my first fight back since my Las Vegas fight on NBC. Having the opportunity to fight on NBC put us out there more as name fighters, and I am happy to once again be fighting on SHOWTIME.

Question: Do either of you plan to fight in California anytime soon?

Diaz: My last fight on May 10 was in Temecula, Calif. It was my first time in California, but I have fought there.

Juarez: Whether I fight in California is up to my manager and promoters. I do not care where I fight as long as I get my fights. It is a known fact that California is one of the biggest boxing states in the country. It does not matter to me. I just want to stay busy.

Question: What is different about this fight from your previous fights?

Diaz: It is a different experience fighting here in Houston. So many people will come out and support us. It is very exciting. Fighting in your hometown, you know you will not be the underdog. It makes it interesting because if you are behind on points, the fans will start screaming, which gives you a burst of energy. It really helps fighting in your hometown.

Juarez: Like all my other fights, this is my most important fight to date. Fighting against Antonio “Chelo” Diaz will help my status and help me gain experience against a well-known, experienced fighter. I feel this fight will allow me to get to bigger fights. It will be a tough fight, but I am well prepared for it.

Question: Juan, did you see Lorenzo’s fight on May 10 in Temecula?

Diaz: I did not really see his fight, even though we were on the same card in Temecula. Main Events sent me a tape. I know he is a good fighter. He is real aggressive and quick. It is going to be a tough fight.

Question: How do you see the next year going for you?

Diaz: I feel so lucky and blessed that I am at the point I am right now. I came up really good thanks to Main Events getting me fights on SHOWTIME and NBC. Being a young teenager, I have done so much. If my career keeps going the way it has so far, I see myself being one of the top-10 fighters. I think other fighters will want to me and give me a shot at a championship.

Question: Rocky, can you give us an overview of your career so far?

Juarez: I feel my career has been going great. I have no complaints. I have been staying active. To be honest with you, it does not feel like I have been a professional for three years. This will be my 17th fight, and from what I have been hearing, my matchmaker and manager have been bringing names to me for future fights. I know in the next year, I will have big fights. I would love to get a fight with Johnny Tapia or any of the other top fighters in my division. My career is going well. I am just putting in the rounds, getting experience and learning as I go.

Question: Rocky and Juan, how do you plan to win over the Mexican fight fans?

Juarez: Mexican and Hispanic fans are always behind us. They find styles of boxers they favor, but they support all fighters out there.

Diaz: I know most Mexican fight fans like to see boxers go to war, get cut or knocked down, and come back to win the fight. I plan to win not only the Mexican community over, but the American community as well. Fans make fighters, not just the fighters themselves. I see myself winning them over by fighting good fights. When it comes time for me to brawl, I will do that. However, I know I can box smart, and I am going to do that too. I am also staying in school to give the image that not all boxers are dumb. Some boxers can be world champions and world-class guys too.

Question: Rocky, are you specifically training for Antonio Diaz as he is considered a step up in opponents?

Juarez: Diaz is a step up for me, but my training is somewhat similar to how it has always been. I am working on certain combinations for that particular fighter. I always train my butt off in the gym, and I am always in the gym, so I do not have to really change anything. I feel good for every fight. I work on certain combinations, depending on the opponent, to come out victorious.

Question: Juan, do you feel the Eleazar Contreras fight was the biggest learning experience of your career so far?

Diaz: I learned a lot in that fight. It was a tough fight. Even though I had been knocked down before, this showed me I could get knocked down, keep focused and get the win. He has been the toughest opponent I have fought because he went out there to win. He kept on coming and gave it everything he had. He is young and hungry, so that made us both look good.

Question: Rocky, how do you rate the top featherweights?

Juarez: (Miguel Antonio) Barrera is No. 1 to me. I feel (Derrick) Gainer might be second toughest because he is tall, tough and a southpaw. (Juan) Marquez is another tough fighter, and Erik Morales is moving up as well. There is a lot of talent in my division. If everything goes well in my career, and I happen to make it up there, I will have to fight against some of these tough fighters. I feel confident enough in my skills that whenever the time is right and I have everything going for me, I will be the fighter they are looking out for.

Question: Juan, what do you think about the lightweight division?

Diaz: Every guy out there is going to be a tough opponent. As you have seen, any guy can come out of nowhere and become champion. I have to give credit to everyone in the division. They are all in there to win and they are dangerous. They all have the possibility of beating anyone. I see them all as contenders.

Question: Juan and Rocky, is it a big deal to move up in the number of rounds you fight?

Diaz: I did not have any problem moving up in rounds because I trained hard in the gym, and that is why we are in the gym, so we can go as many rounds as needed. The only thing I think was a factor was moving up in rounds and fighting an older opponent when I was 17 or 18 years old. I was fighting 32 or 33 year olds. The number of rounds did not matter; it was my opponent’s age that was a mental factor. Now that I am getting older and stronger, that is not a problem.

Juarez: I feel that I have always been the type of fighter that gets stronger in the later rounds. I am the type of fighter that breaks down my opponents. I keep myself calm, I am very patient and I make every shot count. I feel that a lot of fighters out there do not study the fight as they are in the ring or look for mistakes. They just go out there and fight. Personally, I like to work on things. If I cannot hurt them to the head, I go to the body. I try to mentally tire my opponent out as well as tire them out with punches.

Question: Can you point out a particular skill you have improved on since your amateur days?

Juarez: My patience has improved. I have gotten out of the amateur style of fighting. As I am sparring in the gym, I feel I am not going that hard, but I am hurting my opponent. I am very consistent. I throw every punch with some amount of power. I want to keep working on my body punches. My big “A+” that I bring in the ring is my body punching.

Diaz: The thing that I have improved the most on is my boxing skills. When I first started, I would just go after the guy and throw a lot of punches. Now, I am establishing my jab a little more and picking my shots.

Question: Rocky, what do you think about the 2000 Olympic talent pool?

Juarez: I cannot speak for them. I feel sometimes the professional game is not meant for all fighters. I feel fortunate that I have gone undefeated to this point. Sometimes, the money can get to you. The outside life can get to you with the nightlife and the women. I think some fighters did not stay dedicated to the sport. I feel you have to always stay hungry to make a mark as a professional. One of my true goals as a kid was to be a world champion as a pro. I do not slack off and I stay dedicated because I have not accomplished that yet. Some fighters never trained as hard as amateurs because we were only going four rounds. Now they are at home and do not have to go into training camps, so they do not train as hard. I have always been the type of fighter that is always in the gym. I give it 110 percent all the time.

Question: Is there any extra pressure fighting at home?

Juarez: It does not matter where I fight. I have fought here in Houston as an amateur. The way I look at it, I concentrate on the fight and the fighter. Honestly, when I walk into the ring, the ring is my world and everything else around it does not matter. I get to have my family and friends with me, but it does not put any pressure on me. The only pressure I have is the fear of losing.

Diaz: It makes me very excited to fight in Houston. The Houston fans are so supportive. Every time I fight here, it is an overwhelming feeling because I want to do the best I can and fight my heart out.