He would fight one more time before retiring as a fighter and continuing as a trainer. To sacrifice, doing backbreaking work, while being apart from the ones they loved. Let us know. "This is all I know how to do.". Hed sit, often by himself, in the early stages of the project drawing designs from his ideas for the space. Joel Diaz will be in the opposite corner as his friend Randy Caballero And because boxing is everywhere here, he still follows it, especially when there are ties to this place. A post shared by Jorge Newman (@jorgenewman13). Everything happens for a reason.. "You're going to lose your eye," the doctor warned. 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. Diaz, the eldest brother in a boxing family that produced two world champions in brothers Antonio and Julio, worked out of the Indio Boys & Girls Club for close to 18 years. "A lot of the people are just like me. 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. With nothing else to do, Diaz stops singing and helps Flores warm up. Claim this business. The building, which boasts 10-foot ceilings, is around three timesthe space the Diaz brothers had at the Boys & Girls Club. Mucio comes into the locker room to say a prayer and Diaz gives him some last-minute advice. 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. Car share apps charge $40 for a two-minute ride to the festival grounds. As one of the more well-respected and well-known members of the Coachella Valley, because of his success in boxing and his friendly yet direct nature, many in the neighborhood already knew of Joel and also have offered to help. 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. "This is a bad area." The Coachella Valley has long been an area where the center inflatable garden slide of activity is Palm Springs. That his young boxer was able to have the kind of homecoming fight that he. What time is the Joel Diaz Jr vs. Mercito Gesta fight tonight After eight months of work, the building remains a work in progress. While hes had some help, Diaz has done the majority of the work himself. Contreras and Sinnett, residents of Omaha, were singled out for their scorecards in the match between lightweights Thomas Mattice and Zhora Hamazaryan, an eight round contest staged at the WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa on July 20. Flores is 18 and has boxed since he was 7 years old. "They're putting all their ideas together and creating their dream gym.". "These guys" were the coyote and his family -- his wife, mother and kids -- who drove them for over a day from their rancho in the mountains of Michoacan, Mexico to an unincorporated part of eastern Coachella Valley. The place looked so brittle, everyone worried that if an earthquake hit, it all would collapse. The community, in turn, has helped Diaz make this project a reality. DAZN will show Joel Diaz Jr. vs Mercito Gesta tonight exclusively around the world.. More: The pandemic shut down his boxing club. Since they understood the discipline and sacrifices required to make a living from fighting, they became fast friends. Joel was close to delivering on the promise he made to his mother, who didn't want him fighting. But here my son can just focus on boxing and only boxing and sharpen his skills.. Another donated an ice machine. Joel Diaz: Yildirim going to shock the world - Fightnews.com Kenshiro Teraji TKOs Late Sub Anthony Olascuaga; Inoue Wins Too, Avila Perspective, Chap. They aren't sure yet whether they'll go to Mexico or Puerto Rico first. where the gym will be located. In a couple of months, the heat will be so unbearable those who can buy their way out will. He says he will because next time he just might cut off Acosta's finger. Home. More than anything, he looks relieved. Thank you head trainer Joel Diaz of the Indio, Ca.. 29 views, 2 likes, 0 loves, 1 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Chiropractor Indio, Ca. Joel Diaz helping put Indio front - Indio Senior Center | Facebook Click below for an exclusive look at the first trailer for Joel Diaz: A Hard Knock-Life by Newman Studios. 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. What changed? "You'll see." Coles agency is purportedly in the top two nationally in writing these policies. Even the transients who I asked to leave, when they see me, they ask, Hey Coach, hows the gym coming along?. More have arrived recently including the first female prizefighter to step in the gym full time in middleweight contender Maricela Cornejo. 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. Freitas went down early from a straight right. Joel trains WBO champion Timothy Bradley and Timothy Bradley Sr. also helps train the amateur kids at their Indio gym. Ive seen my dad train fighters my whole life, Joel Diaz Jr. said, but I havent seen that happiness, that comfort, that peace, that look in his eyes until now. He dabs away the blood and looks at everyone. 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. The documentary will be available very soon on a streaming platform, no date for release has been specified at this time. As Gracia wraps Acosta's left hand, and Flores shadow boxes, Diaz returns to the dressing room. Professional boxing trainer Joel Diaz has recently opened his boxing gym in Indio, Calif., on July 23, 2021. The list goes on. "This is where I work," the father told his sons. Joel Diaz Boxing | Indio CA. How a gym in California's Coachella Valley became an international 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 where the snowbirds live in million-dollar homes and car dealerships sell Rolls-Royces and Lamborghinis that glisten in the sun. His neighbor owns Indian Wells Glass and Mirror and provided mirrors for the gym. The small Palm Springs Airport will get so crowded it'll be difficult to walk through. The Diaz coaching staff suddenly became world famous too and their gym began filling up with more boxers from not just the Coachella Valley region but from other parts of the country as well. 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.. Live. Diaz teamed up with Yildirim (21-2 12 KOs) late in October 2019 but due to . To be fair, Bennett has seen many fighters in the past with undefeated records who were not up to challenges, especially against the likes of Golovkin. "It hasn't stopped bleeding," Ervin adds. EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK: "Joel Diaz: A Hard Knock-Life" Documentary by Until then the Diaz boys had been raised by their grandparents. Arely is Acosta's wife. 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. Gracia just raises his eyebrows and gives the slight shrug of "I don't know.". Even if they share just a few words of a common language, they understand each other. Hes enjoying everything right now, and he wants everyone who trains and visits there to have that same feeling.. The pandemic shut down his boxing club. You will not want to miss this class. There will, of course, be speed and heavy punching bags, treadmills, weight machines and free weights along withan area with a padded floor designated for wrestling, martial arts and other activities. He simply moves, resets and continues yelling. At the screening, were friends and family of Joel Diaz, along with important members of the community, like Congressman Raul Ruiz. 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. They'll run their daily miles and their feet will feel as if they're on fire. Another loss to Rosado, and the only thing to learn from it might be that his potential isn't as high as they all thought. Later, Freitas tarnished his image with a No Mas against Diego Corrales, but he had gone down three times and knew there was no way out. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Email How good will the promotion be? And so, it's back to yelling commands and instructions. "You should tell someone," Too told Joel. 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. His promoter told him he'd soon fight for millions but that didn't happen. Thirsty for liquid, the burning desert absorbed each drop of blood. When Joel built his gym, Flores' father, a carpenter, did the framing. While Diaz was reluctant to accept any offers, many have insisted. The Vaseline and the cotton swabs. Maybe a thousand other things and it would've been different. Located about 24 miles southwest of Indio, Palm Springs is still home to many celebrities. While wrapping his hands, Oscar Gracia, who helps train fighters at Diaz's gym, accidentally cut Angel "Tito" Acosta, their boxer on the main event. Cracks that looked like spider webs, spread across the cold floor in a place just big enough for a couple of heavy bags and a boxing ring where firetrucks once parked. THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON Diaz leaves for San Antonio where he'll join his brother. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com. Way too many distractions. ACOSTA LOST. The bout was televised live on ESPN. They were looking for new talent and Diaz brought forth some of his boxers, including Bradley. 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. In January 2010 he was involved in a hit and runaccident in which a 20-year-old pregnant woman was killed. Joel Diaz "I told him when he came to the gym [last week], 'The problem is not you. He'd scream and yell. Indio Councilman Glenn Miller volunteered his help. A couple of significant fights took place last weekend, but Manny Pacquiaos knockout win over Lucas Matthysse for the WBO welterweight world title heads the list. A painter offered to paint the inside for free and others offered to handle the plumbing at no charge. Indio's Diaz Brothers Have Built a Fight Club on the Coachella Desert Jorge Newman and Eduardo Salazar are from Cancun, Mexico, and first met Diaz while he was training a boxer for a fight in Mexico. 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. In the fifth round, Marquez sustained a cut on his forehead from an accidental head butt. 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. "They'll spend weeks and months here and a lot of money, which is good for our economy and our communities. 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. Seldom are cruiserweight matchups as enticing to watch as this one. Theres no wasting time. It's where Garcia once got punched in the face so hard he understood that boxing wasn't for him. Neither fighter looked good in their fight in Malaysia but when Pacquiao floored Matthysse several times during the fight, it raised some red flags. Yes, you can learn things here as a boxer that will help you win. 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. When Im not here, thats gonna be a legacy that is gonna stay behind because its the story of my life. Hell then head to Swansons gym for the day and go back to his facility about two miles down the road for a few more hours before heading home. So he made the best of it, and built a life with his wife and four kids. Of those fading photographs on the gym wall, a lot of them are of the fighters he trained. 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. Diaz has trained professional fighters for more than a decade out of his gym at Indio Boys & Girls Club.