Joseph Diaz Jr. patient, but craves featherweight title shot

SOUTH EL MONTE — Joseph Diaz Jr. recently moved out of his parents’ home in South El Monte into an apartment in Glendora.

“Oh, it was very tough, man, because I had my mom and my dad cooking meals for me and my mom babying me, washing my clothes when I was done working out,” said Diaz, a world-class prize-fighter who Saturday will take on Victor Proa (28-1-2, 21 KOs) of Mexico in the featherweight co-main event at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio (on HBO Latino).

“So all I had to do was just go to my room and get some rest. But I feel like it’s a new jouey for me and just another leaing experience. It’s time for me to be a grown adult and to be a man and start being more responsible with everything in general.”

Part of the maturation process for anyone is doing the right thing at work. It’s not easy for Diaz (20-0, 11 KOs), who has risen as high as No. 2 in the rankings. He wants a title shot now, but he realizes he must exercise patience. Sometimes boxers get thrown into the fire too soon, and it can have disastrous repercussions.

Diaz doesn’t want that, so he knows he has to be cool. Then again ...

“Yeah, I get very anxious and I want to fight for a world title because I feel like I’m at that elite level with these type of fighters,” said Diaz, a 2012 U.S. Olympian and graduate of Mountain View High in South El Monte. “But you know what? Patience is a key.

“And like my father told me, and my manager (Ralph Heredia) told me, ‘The opportunity is going to come. You’re still 23 years young, your opportunity is going to present itself when the time is right.’”

Diaz is ranked No. 2 to the WBC title, which is held by Gary Russell Jr. Leo Santa Cruz is another champion, as is Oscar Valdez. Diaz believes he can hang with any of them.

“Oh, absolutely,” he said. “I mean, I felt like I was ready last year after I fought (Hugo Partida) in December at Fantasy Springs. I feel like my skill level and the way I’ve progressed, I feel like I’m ready for a world-championship fight this Saturday.

“If Oscar got on the phone and called me saying that there’s a fight this Saturday to fight for a world title and, ‘Would you take it?’ I would be like, ‘Absolutely.’”

Diaz, a southpaw with excellent technical tools, is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. Matchmaker and vice-president Eric Gomez agrees Diaz is primed for the task.

“We’re going to be lobbying the WBC to do some sort of eliminator so that we can get him in position to fight for a world title,” Gomez said. “We’re going to go after that, and I think he’s two steps from a world title. He’s ready for it.

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“He’s had some good fights, he’s had some tough fights. He’s had some good experience and he’s ready to go. He’s at that point now where he’s no longer a prospect, he’s a contender.”

That would seem to put the timeline for a world-title fight in the spring of 2017, assuming Diaz wins Saturday and wins whatever title-elimination fight he might have in the fall.

With the strategy in place, now all Diaz has to do is continue to grow as a fighter. He hasn’t come close to losing, but that doesn’t mean he can rest on his laurels.

Joseph Diaz Sr. is making sure of that. The father and trainer believes his son has the goods to win a world title, but he wants to see him improve in one vital area.

“Actually, I think Joseph has the skills to take those (champions) on,” Joseph Diaz Sr. said. “But I think (it’s) the experience of actually being in the ring, leaing the different things you need to lea in the ring, the ring generalship and stuff, which comes with time.”

Besides, Joseph Diaz Sr. doesn’t want his son to be a one-hit wonder.

“When it’s time to move him and get him that title shot and, God willing, he becomes a world champion, we don’t want him just to get the belt,” he said. “We want him to actually be able to keep it for a while, to sit there and defend it and defend it and defend it.”

As the Diazes sat in the office of South El Monte’s Teamsters Youth Boxing Club, their strong bond was obvious. That made it more difficult on the old man when his son flew the coop to Glendora.

“It was tough because he’s my son and I always want to be there for him,” Joseph Diaz Sr. said. “I know he’s 23 years old and he wants to be on his own, and I understand that.”

He also gets that his son wants a championship belt around his waist in the worst way.

“I’m very excited to be in this kind of elite division,” Joseph Diaz Jr. said. “I know it’s stacked and it’s going to be hard to win these world titles, but I’m willing to fight all these guys.”

He can’t wait. But he’ll have to, just a bit longer.