Survival of the Fittest
Juan Diaz has to prioritize. The 24-year-old's life is a constant balancing act between what he calls his job – taking classes full-time at the University of Houston in pursuit of a political science degree and eventually law school – and his hobby: holding the title of lightweight boxing champion of the world.
Juan Diaz has to prioritize. The 24-year-old's life is a constant balancing act between what he calls his job – taking classes full-time at the University of Houston in pursuit of a political science degree and eventually law school – and his hobby: holding the title of lightweight boxing champion of the world.
At the time he was interviewed for this story, Diaz (33-0, 17 KO's) was immersed in six-days-a-week training for a March 8 title defense against Nate Campbell in Mexico, and subsequently inundated with schoolwork due to his taking a larger class load this semester than usual.
It gets a little hard sometimes, you know. I question myself, like, 'Why do I take classes during training?' Diaz says. But then I realize that boxing is not everything. I'm at the peak of what I do, but boxing can end tomorrow. With school, nobody can take that away from me.
Trainer/manager Willie Savannah reiterates that Juan's scholastic work take precedence over his in-ring work.
We’ve always worked boxing around his school; never the other way around, says Savannah, who's been running the Savannah Boxing Club in Houston for almost 30 years. What sets Juan apart from most fighters – and it's the same thing with the Klitschko brothers – is education. He goes into the ring understanding that he's gonna get a college degree and be a lawyer whether he wins the fight or not. Having something to fall back on gives him a sense of relaxation. He doesn't go in there thinking, 'If I lose I'm going to have to sleep in the street.'
That said, the ferocity and dedication with which Diaz attacks his training makes it tough to believe that Juan sees boxing as his second-most important responsibility. Universally considered to be
It gets a little hard sometimes, you know. I question myself, like, 'Why do I take classes during training?' Diaz says. But then I realize that boxing is not everything. I'm at the peak of what I do, but boxing can end tomorrow. With school, nobody can take that away from me.
Trainer/manager Willie Savannah reiterates that Juan's scholastic work take precedence over his in-ring work.
We’ve always worked boxing around his school; never the other way around, says Savannah, who's been running the Savannah Boxing Club in Houston for almost 30 years. What sets Juan apart from most fighters – and it's the same thing with the Klitschko brothers – is education. He goes into the ring understanding that he's gonna get a college degree and be a lawyer whether he wins the fight or not. Having something to fall back on gives him a sense of relaxation. He doesn't go in there thinking, 'If I lose I'm going to have to sleep in the street.'
That said, the ferocity and dedication with which Diaz attacks his training makes it tough to believe that Juan sees boxing as his second-most important responsibility. Universally considered to be
one of the hardest-working and best-conditioned athletes in the sport, Diaz has come a long way from the 110-pound eight-year-old who first walked into the Savannah's gym years ago. Today, Savannah and Juan's strength and conditioning coach, Brian Caldwell, have helped turn their fighter into one of the sport’s elite athletes.
By the time Juan was 15 he was getting up at five o'clock every morning, working out and then going to school, and coming back to the gym when he was out of school, Savannah says. One day I asked him, 'How many kids in the world do you think are doing what you're doing? You've gotta do something that they don't do if you want to be the best in the world.'
The aggressive, volume-punching style that Baby Bull has used to become the best is totally dependent on superior physical conditioning. The most unique aspect of his training is that he doesn't run: instead, Diaz utilizes alternative cardio techniques like swimming and the Stairmaster to ease pressure on his joints while strengthening his legs.
I know I don't have that natural ability, that one-punch knockout power, so I make up for it by training as hard as I do, Diaz says. It helps me a lot in the later rounds of a fight. A lot of guys can't stand the pressure that I apply on them, and being in shape helps me win a lot of fights.
By the time Juan was 15 he was getting up at five o'clock every morning, working out and then going to school, and coming back to the gym when he was out of school, Savannah says. One day I asked him, 'How many kids in the world do you think are doing what you're doing? You've gotta do something that they don't do if you want to be the best in the world.'
The aggressive, volume-punching style that Baby Bull has used to become the best is totally dependent on superior physical conditioning. The most unique aspect of his training is that he doesn't run: instead, Diaz utilizes alternative cardio techniques like swimming and the Stairmaster to ease pressure on his joints while strengthening his legs.
I know I don't have that natural ability, that one-punch knockout power, so I make up for it by training as hard as I do, Diaz says. It helps me a lot in the later rounds of a fight. A lot of guys can't stand the pressure that I apply on them, and being in shape helps me win a lot of fights.
