Boxing champ seeks the next KO
Houston boxer Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz graduated in 2009 with a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Houston-Downtown. As the son of Mexican immigrants, Diaz shares his dream and his future goals.
Q: When did you first say “this is what I want to do, this is my passion”? What led you to boxing?
JD: My father was a boxing fan, that’s how I started the sport of boxing. At the age of 12 I won my first match and title. After that I became talented in the sport. Once I realized that, I kept working harder and harder for my dream of becoming a world champion.
Q: What makes you wake up in the morning and head to the ring?
JD: It’s my dream and it’s something I love and enjoy doing.
Q: What does it take to prepare for a match?
JD: I prepare mentally and physically for a fight. I prepare physically by getting on a diet to meet the light weight limit which is 135 pounds. I prepare mentally to fight a champion and 12 hard rounds.
Q: How does this effect your pesonal life?
JD: Whenever I’m getting ready for a fight I don’t get to rest as much as I would like. I have to stay away from my family because of the time it takes to prepare for a championship fight. I don’t have the patience as I normally do for my family since it’s real hard to lose weight.
Q: When you win or lose a match, what goes through your mind?
JD: Winning a fight is very rewarding. I feel like I am on top of the world and nothing can bring me down. When I lose a fight, I think about what I am going to do and if am I still going to be considered a top fighter.
Q: How would you define boxing?
JD: Boxing is a sport; there’s a winner and a loser. There’s an opponent trying to take my victory away, which is preventing me from moving to other fights and preventing me from making a living economically.
Q: What are some obstacles you have had to overcome?
JD: A lot of people have doubted me; I want to prove to those people that I can be a world champion.
Q: How does boxing fit into your future?
JD: Boxing right now is paying the bills. For the future, I want to be a business man; possibly an attorney. In a year or two I feel I will be entering into a different part of my life.
Q: You took a break from the ring but came back to the sport. Why?
JD: I thought of not coming back because I had accomplished so much and I didn’t want to keep getting banged in the head. I’m returning because I still have the passion for it. I want to retire as a champion.
Q: What do you want to achieve in life?
JD: To establish a better future for myself and family and to have all my family members set for the rest of their lives.
Q: Is there any advice for students going through the motions of becoming boxers?
JD: It’s a hard sport. Dedicate a lot of time and effort if you want to be good at it. You have to really want it.
Q: Anything you would like to add?
JD: Thank all the students that are fans of mine and to look forward for me fighting again in the summer.
Diaz’s record to date:
35 Wins, 4 Losses, 17 Knockouts
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