Diaz shouts between sneaking looks at two clocks. Gracia just raises his eyebrows and gives the slight shrug of "I don't know.". He asks if he must go. The brutal sun will make the gym in that once-bad place, so hot that in between rounds, boxers will drink their water and stand beneath the air conditioning vents that work best. Trainer extraordinaire Joel Diaz looks on as two boxers engage at his world-renowned gym in Indio, California. 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. 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. The building has remained empty for years. To them this was a Mega-Fight; this was BIG. Lead announcer Barry Tompkins went further, calling it the worst decision he has seen in his 40 years of covering the sport. The first time I ever saw Russias 24-year-old Gassiev was three years ago when he made his American debut at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello. The gym is located in California's Coachella Valley, in the desert town of Indio, roughly 120 miles away from Los Angeles. He became a professional boxer. he screams inside the 6,995-square-foot gym. Bethany Mollenkof for ESPN. What changed? Hed sit, often by himself, in the early stages of the project drawing designs from his ideas for the space. When Acelino Freitas turned professional in 1995, he streaked from the gate with 29 straight KOs, one of the longest knockout win streaks in boxing history. JOEL DIAZ STANDS on the ring apron while there's chaos all around him. Despite having diminished vision, he sees everything, his single functioning eye darting in every direction. Boxing Home Schedule Champions Divisional Rankings P4P Historic Bouts Tickets On October 19, 1996, Joel lost a twelve-round decision to undefeated IBF lightweight champion Philip Holiday in Wembley Indoor Arena, Johannesburg. Located about 24 miles southwest of Indio, Palm Springs is still home to many celebrities. After eight months of work, the building remains a work in progress. Word was spreading that there was something going on in that desert gym in Indio that was making champions. Ted Sares is one of the oldest active full power lifters in the world. The boxer is one of several Eastern European and Central Asian boxers -- from Uzbekistan and Russia mostly -- who train here. Hes poured his blood sweat and tears, he says, into the project knowing that he was on a deadline. (Marquez elected to continue and stopped Jaca in the next round.). Antonio Diaz works with Vergil Ortiz Jr. inside one of the boxing rings on movement and punching accuracy. It's his father's birthday; the victory is part of his gifts. "The f---ing check bounced," Joel still remembers. Another donated an ice machine. With the fight over, he saw a doctor about his right eye that'd been giving him problems. The gym is located in California's. They'll run their daily miles and their feet will feel as if they're on fire. The first step toward history begins on Saturday when he faces former world champion Smith who was dethroned by another Mexican named Canelo. He nods as he smiles and makes a fist too. It's the stomach pain from hunger while trying to make weight. That's where Diaz and his brother Antonio (or Too, as he's commonly called) trained. The Boys & Girls Club has been a great place for us for so many years, Antonio Diaz said. "One minute!" She looks calm even if her stomach is full of nerves. Antonio Diaz plans to continue working with kids and says one day he may bring professionals back tothe club, even after his brother moves to the new facility. Although Mattice vs. Hamazaryan was a supporting bout, it aired live on ShoBox. They all stand behind the heavy black curtain separating the dressing rooms from the ring. Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Even the transients who I asked to leave, when they see me, they ask, Hey Coach, hows the gym coming along?. Coles agency is purportedly in the top two nationally in writing these policies. How a gym in California's Coachella Valley became an international destination for boxing. It's Friday and that means it's sparring day for his pros. In his first bout, a promoter paid him $400 then filed for bankruptcy as soon as the fight ended. "It's a good way to stay focused on training," Bivol said of using Joel's gym. Golden Boy Promotions, which has a business relationship with the Diaz brothers and many of the boxers who train with them, has offered help as well. 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. Wondering why he'd need the bottle of adrenaline now, Diaz answers with a confused look. During the fight, Salido made a mockery of the Queensberry rules for which he received no point deductions and only one warning. Otherwise any future fights for the Philippine great will not be forthcoming. Im about helping the community, Diaz said. Now we have water, we have power. He would fight one more time before retiring as a fighter and continuing as a trainer. His last bout ever was a knockout win over the veteran Jos Luis Montes. 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. While the Coachella Valley is a perfect winter escape for those with money, it's also home to some of the country's most fertile lands. Im going to put in the work. And I did.. He fought because he saw it as his path to escape from the desert where the harsh realities of life operate at high decibels. And right now, Diaz is sitting behind the ring's red corner, giving instructions to Leonardo Sanchez, a young southpaw, also from the Coachella Valley, who everyone calls Bazooka. Hes almost there, said Joel Diaz. 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. 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. We had been there 18 years, JoelDiaz said. A furniture store occupied the space for a time, but it went out of business and the area has in recent years become known for drugs, prostitution and homelessness. In his rationale for calling out Cole, BWAA prexy Joseph Santoliquito leaned heavily on Thomas Hausers critique of Coles performance in The Sweet Science. 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. Hence the watch list, which is designed to call attention to egregious errors in scoring by judges and unacceptable conduct by referees.. Kenshiro Teraji TKOs Late Sub Anthony Olascuaga; Inoue Wins Too, Avila Perspective, Chap. And, like Manny, he did and he also pursued a career in politics. INDIO, Calif.-Deep in the Coachella desert tiny scorpions come out at night so its best not to walk in sandals. 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. Hes home. "What's going on?" "Every time I went to a show or to a tournament, Lee would take five, six of us. Located about 128 miles east of Los Angeles and 95 miles north of the Mexican border, the Indio Boys and Girls club gym is roughly in the middle of nowhere unless you like golf. In a couple of months, the heat will be so unbearable those who can buy their way out will. Bad Bunny, as the most streamed artist on Spotify for three consecutive years and who might be the biggest musical act in the world, will be headlining. The Swanson brothers were trained by Diaz Training Camp and make several cameos in the documentary. "You're going to lose your eye," the doctor warned. Dedication was never a problem for Joel. 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. He trusts him with his gym and with his boxers' lives. The small Palm Springs Airport will get so crowded it'll be difficult to walk through. He dabs away the blood and looks at everyone. The Coachella Valley has long been an area where the center inflatable garden slide of activity is Palm Springs. event bout wiki. "It's just a nick.". Mucio walks beside him. Live. He returns to the dressing room that not even an hour before had been so full of excitement. Maybe that would help show how much they sacrificed. In January 2010 he was involved in a hit and runaccident in which a 20-year-old pregnant woman was killed. Mucio has a fight sometime in June or July, so in a few weeks, they'll return to train again in the Coachella Valley. It's this story of survival that explains why people in Coachella Valley's east side are drawn to him. It reminded me of George Foremans obliteration of Joe Frazier back in the 1970s. Joel Diaz said that he is working with his attorney to make the gym a non-profit that will be open to the community and offer programs for kids to provide activities, fitnessand self-defense training. The best known is Dmitry Bivol. "His speed, his power and his footwork!" they say. "But he kept hitting me behind the head.". "Even when he's dead, he's still fighting.". "Things happened for a reason," he says. That side is where most of the Coachella Valley's tourist industry is centered. Indio Councilman Glenn Miller volunteered his help. This is where the Diaz brothers learned to fight. He's wrapping hands and tying gloves. He built his camp from the ground up, starting with a twice-burned-down building he bought ten years ago for $230,000 dollars. 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. To sacrifice, doing backbreaking work, while being apart from the ones they loved. 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. On the western side, it's greener and bluer because of the golf courses, pools and artificial lakes. Because of the two dozen elite fighters working in the Indio gym, it always seems to be prepping for an upcoming fight card. When the announcer reads the judges' scores, the crowd boos. This energy, this level of commitment, is also one of the things that draws fighters to Indio. Flores wins his fight in the first minute. And in the cruel world of boxing, as he sits there and his team stands near, they can hear the voice of the man who just beat them. And it sometimes translates to the actual, literal fight that is presented to us when we grow up in places like Coachella.". Yet, against Barrios, he had proven without a doubt that he possessed the heart of a warrior. If hotel rooms are even available, some will double their usual price. He said he thinks about that often when hes pushing a broom and putting work into the gym that before last year he never really thought about building. A lot of people want to help, Diaz said. These later wins, though against lower level opposition, somewhat softened the memories of the Corrales and Diaz fights, both of which this writer attended at the Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut. They then cleared out five trailers full of junk and reframed the space, secured the roof and began bringing new material. Heavy bags, speed bags, weights, chin-up bars and two boxing rings are all used simultaneously by the different boxers. Indio Joel Diaz Boxing Academy. So he made the best of it, and built a life with his wife and four kids. Everyone else, including Mucio -- whose voice is hoarse from yelling throughout the fight -- stands around, trying to process the loss. When the anger got too much, he'd drive to the mountains, as if trying to find answers. Diaz is back in the dressing room and back to joking with Gracia. Right now we have Maricela Cornejo and Vergil Ortiz getting ready to fight in Cancun, Mexico on Nov. 16.. Kids come after school to hit the bag and spar, too. Controversy has dogged Laurence Cole for well over a decade. Beginning in 1999, it has showcased acts as diverse as Guns N' Roses, Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com. He won. On Saturday, June 18th, NBC Palm Springs had an exclusive first look at a documentary on the life of local boxing trainer, Joel Diaz. "This is a bad area." Joel Diaz "I told him when he came to the gym [last week], 'The problem is not you. The bags of ice to help ease the swelling between rounds. They've been married for two years, splitting their time between Mexico, where she's from, and Puerto Rico, where he's from. The documentary is co-produced by Joel Diaz, his son, Joel Diaz Jr., along with former UFC fighter & Coachella Valley native, Cub Swanson and his brother, Steve Swanson. 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. She has to do the same work as the guys. Other fighters like Argentinas Matthysse have arrived too and will be living and training in the remote desert gym. He's showing fighters how to pivot their feet to maximize their leverage. His opponent hung on for dear life. Hes just waiting for his time.. If he wins tonight, against Angelino Cordova, who has never lost and is five years younger, they want to fight for the world championship next. No matter what obstacles get in the way, you have to find a way to get through the hard times and keep fighting to overcome those obstacles., CONGRESSMAN RAUL RUIZ AWARDS JOEL DIAZ WITH CONGRESSIONAL HONOR. Until he finds out Acosta's bleeding. 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. More recently, Cole worked the 2014 fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Orlando Salido at the San Antonio Alamodome. They're kids with parents who are agricultural, construction or service workers. After seeing those fields, the man drove them home where the Diaz brothers met their mother, sister and another brother. That amount shocked him, considering $5,000 was the most he'd been paid until then. Shows. Im excited to give this building life, Diaz added. Find him on Twitter: @Andrew_L_John. Inside the Special Events Center's dressing room, in the Fantasy Springs Casino Resort, a boxer is bleeding. From all the rage he'd pass out in his car during the middle of night. And one could site numerous other incidents where Coles performance came under scrutiny. And because there was nothing left to do, they all exit the ring and return behind the thick black curtain. The brothers plan to bring over a mass of memorabilia at the Boys & Girls Club to the new gym and use the facility as an opportunity to revitalize the area. He doesn't go. 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. Monday Morning Cornermen (Nov. 6 edition), The Hauser Report: Wilder-Stiverne and More from Barclays Center, In an unprecedented development, the Boxing Writers Association of America has started a watch list to lift the curtain on ring officials who have screwed up. Veteran Texas referee Laurence Cole and Nebraska judges Mike Contreras and Jeff Sinnett have the unwelcome distinction of being the first honorees., Boxing is a sport where judges and referees are rarely held accountable for poor performances that unfairly change the course of a fighters career and, in some instances, endanger lives, says the BWAA in a preamble to the new feature. Maybe a couple miles more of running and a few rounds more of sparring. Too fought too, even though he wanted to go to college, but that wasn't financially possible. He sings a Chalino Snchez song called "Recordando A Armando" that was playing earlier and must have gotten stuck in his head. As was his career overall, maybe not well enough where he could quit his construction job, but things were getting better. He said that he expects the gym to live on long after he one day retires. Monroe St Indio CA 92201. Who has the edge? 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. Until then, hes going to enjoy living his dream in the space that he created. Diaz has trained professional fighters for more than a decade out of his gym at Indio Boys & Girls Club. 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. This is what Diaz does throughout the day. Adjoining states in the west host a number of boxing cards including a world title contest that features a newcomer who, before knocking out a world champion, was erroneously categorized by a Nevada official as unworthy of a title challenge. Fantasy Springs Casino has a continuous schedule of boxing cards. They aren't sure yet whether they'll go to Mexico or Puerto Rico first. 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. Diaz, 48, said he plansto open the gym up to the community for a grand opening in September. In two rings beside each other, there are two fights going on at the same time. Speaking of casinos, it was the arrival of casinos that opened the door for professional boxing cards in the Coachella desert area. How good will the promotion be? But at the end of round seven he was a thoroughly beaten fighter.. 234: Once-in-a-Generation Mega Fight: Tank Davis vs King Ry Garcia, Cordina-Rakhimov Might Steal the Show this Saturday, Avila Perspective, Chap. While still yelling instructions, Diaz is organizing who'll fight next. Let us know. His neighbor owns Indian Wells Glass and Mirror and provided mirrors for the gym. Though Joel's brother, Antonio, remains employed by the Indio Boys & Girls Club and works with about 20 kids now that the facility has re-opened, an era of professional boxing at the club came to a close whereboxing history runs deep. He's nonetheless working to finish the entryway and his workplace contained in the gymnasium, off Indio Boulevard, however the remainder of the 6,250-square foot area has . HBO will televise. "They come from nothing," Diaz says. event bout wiki. 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. At its worst, a yell of desperation. Led by the Diaz brothers Joel (in the white shorts) and Antonio, the roster of professional boxers can match any other gym in the world in terms of talent. "A lot of the people are just like me. "WE STARTED WITH THIS," says trainer Librado "Lee" Espinoza, pointing at a yellowed newspaper article taped to the wall of his gym. The thermostat says the gym is 75 degrees, but it feels hotter. How a trainer in California's Coachella Valley built one of the most important boxing gyms in the world - ESPN Skip to main content Skip to navigation Search You have come to the Philippines Edition, for other ESPN editions, click here. So he did what his brother did, he even won a minor world title. The inference was that Marquez was free to quit right then without tarnishing his record. We dont treat her any differently than we do the men, said Joel Diaz. It's where the snowbirds live in million-dollar homes and car dealerships sell Rolls-Royces and Lamborghinis that glisten in the sun. Fighters who, for a variety of reasons, reached their level here, among the desert's drab colors, instead of the bright lights of places like Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York. Diaz sings again, only stopping to tell Gracia to visit an optometrist. We always have a lot of things going on, said Joel Diaz. A member of Ring 10, and Ring 4s Boxing Hall of Fame, he was recently cited by Hannibal Boxing as one of three Must-Read boxing writers. Team Diaz is a big part of the Coachella Valley boxing community. That his young boxer was able to have the kind of homecoming fight that he. I was a little upset when they told us we had to leave the Boys & Girls Club. You are overpowered. 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. He's worked with his younger brothers, Antonio and Julio, as they captured world titles. Indio boxing trainer Joel Diaz is 2-0 last week after Tito Acosta's first-round knockout win over Janiel Rivera & Dmitry Bivol Retains WBA light heavyweight title against Canelo Alvarez. As the fists and shoulders of fighters brush by him, it looks as if their violence might spill over. Honestly, it makes me happy because at one point, you know, life is short. "Those types of values and principles are instilled in the kids many times. 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. The gym is clattering with noise from the various boxers working in the different stations. Joel worked in construction for years before he became a trainer, and they have a contractor who has helped. Even the fancy gas stations get their share of the dangerous little creatures. World champions are not supposed get battered like that but when someone packs that kind of power those can be the terrifying results. In the nearly two years that followed, Diaz walked through nihilism's dark desert as a man angry at God. Theres some freedom from that and there can be a lot of good energy from that.. Joel Diaz worked for a while with Lee Espinoza at the Coachella Boxing Club before opening up his own gym. Raise your punches a little higher.. 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. In Joel Diaz gym Indio CA | esnews ESNEWS 749K subscribers. Every second is used by the prizefighters. Joel Diaz worked for a while with Lee Espinoza at the Coachella Boxing Club before opening up his own gym. Sincetheir typically rigorous training schedule has been a little slower over the last year because of how the pandemic has reduced the number of fights in the sport, the Diaz brothers have had time to spend preparing the new gym, doing much of the work themselves. He's on the main ring, next to the banner with his logo on it, a gamecock wearing boxing gloves, circled by the gym's name: Joel Diaz Training Camp. But also, you can see up close what devotion looks like and learn how to overcome obstacles that would break less hearty souls. Find Related Places. What happens when a boxer kills his opponent? 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. That, along with intelligence, is how he trains everyone here to fight. Mexican migration increased. Boxing Techniques; Boxing Gym; Latest Fight Replays. Acosta laughs along. It's the old gym that's now a restaurant, the place where every day he and his fighters swept away plaster and pieces of concrete that fell from the walls. Waiting for his time just like a scorpion in the desert heat. 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. Thirsty for liquid, the burning desert absorbed each drop of blood. ET. How Indio Boxing Trainer Joel Diaz Helped Dmitry Bivol Secure Victory over Canelo Alvarez. "This is where I work," the father told his sons. Diaz says, then immediately corrects himself. Ukraines Usyk, 31, made his American debut in late 2016 on a Golden Boy Promotions card that staged boxing great Bernard Hopkins final prizefight. Representative Ruiz and Diaz grew up in the same neighborhood in Coachella and were only a couple of years apart at Coachella Valley High School. Other talents have learned from Joel's assertive style of fighting. Step it up Vergil, he shouts to one of the fighters Vergil Ortiz Jr., a welterweight from Dallas, Texas. "It hasn't stopped bleeding," Ervin adds. Divisional rankings: Where do Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia land after their megafight? Of those fading photographs on the gym wall, a lot of them are of the fighters he trained. He's sitting in a foldable metallic chair, getting his post-fight medical examination. "GET UP, I want to meet you guys," a man told Joel and his brother, Too, then aged 11 and 5. He's on the main ring, next to the banner with his logo on it, a gamecock wearing boxing gloves, circled by the gym's name: Joel Diaz Training Camp. "Nobody pushed me, I pushed myself," he says, remembering how he'd wake up to run hours before school. Diaz knows it was an accident. Now its Gassiev versus Usyk and four world titles are at stake. Even if they share just a few words of a common language, they understand each other. 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.