Juan Diaz Returns to Friday Night Fights on July 29

by Scott Christ on May 25, 2011 8:59 PM EDT in Boxing News Analysis

Juan Diaz will start his comeback on the July 29 edition of Friday Night Fights. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Former lightweight titleholder Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz will return to the ring on July 29, main eventing ESPN2's Friday Night Fights against David Torres, according to Dan Rafael.

Diaz (35-4, 17 KO) hasn't fought since July 2010, when he lost a rematch to Juan Manuel Marquez in what was a fairly listless performance on HBO pay-per-view. The two had engaged in the consensus Fight of the Year in February 2009, but Diaz was coming off of back-to-back mediocre performances against Paul Malignaggi for the rematch, and seemed far less interested in engaging in a real dust-up the second time around against Marquez.

Overall, the 27-year-old from Houston has lost four of his last six dating back to 2008. He's fought nothing but legitimate fighters in those bouts, but to say the bloom came off the rose with Diaz starting with his loss to Nate Campbell would be an understatement. He went from top lightweight to lightweight contender to current afterthought in what seemed like quite a hurry.

His comeback opponent will be David Torres (21-2-2, 13 KO), a 33-year-old veteran from Washington state, who has fought mostly at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma. He's a natural junior welterweight, and while Diaz has indicated he intends to return to the lightweight division, a quick tune-up stop at 140 (or some catchweight thereabouts) is understandable.

Rafael also reports that the card will feature former lightweight champion Joel Casamayor, who turns 40 a couple of weeks before the fight date and has looked rotten since dropping the lightweight crown to Marquez in September 2008. No opponent has been named.

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Glad to see my former hero, but dude doesnt have a chin anymore. JMM was dazing him constantly with jabs, and paulie fuckin malignaggi made him do the judah-chicken-dance. If he ever fought a top lightweigjt/jr welterweight he’ll get creamed or stink it up like in july 2010

I hate the Texans

by battle axe of doom on May 25, 2011 9:12 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

I wonder why

he’s returning. He’s surely got enough money to pay for law school, if he can get in. And if he can’t get in, there’s always paralegal for a start while you keep trying to get in. Plus, there’s always a law school somewhere he can get into. Why does he fight? What’s the future in fighting for him?

There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else--James Thurber, 1939

by BoxAnne on May 25, 2011 10:00 PM EDT reply actions

Doing what he wants? It’s something he enjoys. He’s got however long he lives to be a lawyer. He’s only going to be able to give boxing one more run, probably.

Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."

by Scott Christ on May 25, 2011 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions

That’s a point. I worry about returns to the ring with anybody, though. Don’t seem to me to usually work out well, maybe a misperception. For sure there are times it does work out well.

There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else--James Thurber, 1939

by BoxAnne on May 26, 2011 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions

If Diaz is really serious about being a lawyer, he needs to stop boxing NOW. Just stop. It’s obvious that he doesn’t have the talent to be a million dollar+ payday type of boxer, and he can make a pretty decent living as a Latino lawyer with a boxing background in Houston.

"In war, as in prostitution, the amateur is often better than the professional". Napoleon.

by FrankinDallas on May 25, 2011 10:16 PM EDT reply actions

yes

There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else--James Thurber, 1939

by BoxAnne on May 25, 2011 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Well the lightweight division is pretty um, light

So if he wants to fight on, he better stay there…

Or he could always go to law school and accept he’s not a top-level fighter anymore…

"You won't be alive long enough to remember my name"
1816, The Year Without A Summer
Barca Blaugranes

by Paul Udani on May 25, 2011 10:26 PM EDT reply actions

There was a time when Diaz seemed like he had so much potential. Even after losing to Campbell, he was a guy who got cut bad and had a pretty amateur corner working on it, and I though he cold rally and make a big comeback. Now, I think he’s already over the top money-making part of his career, and really might want to consider retiring and maybe concentrate on law school and parlay his education into something boxing-related.

After all, everyone knows that Boxing is run by bleeping lawyers. :)

Bad Left Hook
"My God, kids today think that the laces are for tying up the gloves."
-- Fritzie Zivic

by jrok on May 25, 2011 11:19 PM EDT reply actions

Kind of how I feel. If he loves boxing still, OK, do it—but it didn’t seem like he did as much anymore, so much, when and after vs. JMM 2.

There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else--James Thurber, 1939

by BoxAnne on May 26, 2011 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions

I thought Casamayor looked some what decent in his last fight. I thought it should of been a UD win for him instead of SD. But it’s obvious he’s no longer an elite fighter. The Guerrero fight was proof enough. He’s always been a favorite. And I would like to see him call it quits. But it doesn’t look like he will. Despite his many battles, he’s never really token a bad beating. At least were he wasn’t at least competitive. The Guerrero fight could of been his first but Guerrero seemed to ease of him a bit

by Eugene Banks on May 25, 2011 11:40 PM EDT reply actions

I disagree, I think Casa looks badly shot, and has looked worse in every fight since he got gifted against Santa Cruz. Katsidis is one thing since you could see his chin from outer space, but that was three years ago. Leyva is nobody and Casa is gonna get hurt at this point fighting top fighters from this point on. I think this would be a great time for him to retire if he’s got his finances in order.

Bad Left Hook
"My God, kids today think that the laces are for tying up the gloves."
-- Fritzie Zivic

by jrok on May 26, 2011 1:47 AM EDT up reply actions

He struggled with Jason Davis, too. I only had him winning that mess 77-75.

Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."

by Scott Christ on May 26, 2011 2:47 AM EDT up reply actions

and for whatever it's worth

if he’s got his finances in order.

Rumor is, no.

Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."

by Scott Christ on May 26, 2011 2:47 AM EDT up reply actions

A professional boxer not having his finances in order? I refuse to believe that.

As far as Diaz, I think the first Marquez fight took alot out of him. Diaz looked pretty sharp against Katsidis, but hasn’t looked nowhere near the same after JMM 1.

by DPlainview on May 26, 2011 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions

If prime Juan Diaz come back to life, I could see it. Otherwise the risk seems high—he’s got time to spare some in his life, but time travels fast, and then you’re the way oldest guy in the class, and graduating, and starting your next life. Danger lurks, and time’s awasting.

There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else--James Thurber, 1939

by BoxAnne on May 26, 2011 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions