Diaz the Lionheart

"600 Words" by Esther J. Cepeda

You haven't seen the true heart of a fighter until you've seen a man – a heavily unfavored hometown underdog matched against a legend – still jabbing in the 12th round, still counting points, still believing he could win even though half his world has gone red from blood squirting out of the shiny eggplant of an eye that's getting pounded.

You haven't seen a man really fight until you've seen him forget the paycheck, forget the stats, and fight for something more important than his life: his honor.

After David Diaz "won" the WBC Lightweight Title in August of 2006, he didn't shout it from the rooftops. His victory came after he beat a guy in a come-from-behind tenth round TKO, was set to fight the reigning champ, then was handed the belt after a cheating scandal. Not exactly bragging rights material.

Diaz, a Chicago native, three-time Golden Gloves champ and 1996 Olympic boxing team fighter, was welcomed into August 2007's cham-peen-chip "War for Four" bout against Mexican boxing legend Erik "El Terrible" Morales as a minor obstacle in Morales' quest to become the first Mexican boxer to win four world championships in four different weight classes.

The snickers about David's 2006 "victory" didn't get whispered behind his back so much as they were aired out in public. No one was snickering, though, when David won the 2007 fight – in Chicago, in front of a crowd roaring Morales' name – by a unanimous decision, forcing Morales to retire on the spot, grumbling he "was robbed" as he slinked back to Mexico. Of course, it took only moments for the new whisper to become that Diaz only won because Morales was over the hill.

It's now a year later and 32-year-old Diaz (34-1-1, 17 KOs), is still the underdog (4-1) and scheduled to take on Manny "The Mexicutioner" Pacquiao (46-3-2, 34 KOs), a 29-year-old Filipino with a penchant for beating down Mexicans, this Saturday night, June 28, at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

So I had to know: what's going to keep Diaz on his feet through what promises to be a brutal meat grinding between two lefties this time?

"This is the one where I get the recognition," he told me over the phone after a Wednesday afternoon presser in Las Vegas. "I'm fighting a guy who's in his prime – he's pound for pound the greatest boxer in the world. This is the moment I gotta get my star, this is it right here and I've got to go for it."

And, props aside, the money's not too shabby, either. Diaz is looking at an $800,000 payday and the opportunity to make way more in subsequent match-ups. "Winning this fight, with this purse, I’m going to set up my kids for college no ifs, ands, or buts about it," said the guy who's told every cash-mentioning reporter that he is, in fact, currently tooling around the northwest side of Chicago in a '91 Honda with no air-conditioning. "If I capitalize on this, I can set up a bigger purse and for me my family, for my parents, this is a big deal."

It is a big deal – this one's for bragging rights. "The good thing about it is me, Mike (Jabb Gym trainer Miguel Garcia), and Jim Strickland (the ace cut man who kept David's eyeball from popping like a tick last year) and the coaches, we’re together cracking jokes hanging out and just enjoying the companionship," he said. "I'll keep it loose for the next few days, we can start getting all uptight and fussy the night of the fight."

It's an HBO pay-per-view bout but I'll be giving you the proverbial blow-by-blow on this site in real time starting after the pizza arrives but before the intros start at about 10 pm central standard time.

I asked David what pre-fight ritual I can look for to report as he steps into the ring Saturday, he said: "I always, every time I step into the ring, I just pray and put myself in the Lord's hands and that’s pretty much it."

Esther J. Cepeda writes the "600 Words" & "Pregunta del Dia" columns, and is also a Director at the Chicago-based United Neighborhood Organization. Her reporting and opinions do not necessarily reflect those of UNO. "600 words" is a registered trademark of EeJayCee, Inc., Copyright 2008. May be reprinted with permission, contact

eejaycee@600words.com

Comments

[Esther J Cepeda]

Cool beans, Wilson, thanks for writing and check in on Saturday night!

Esther

[Ralph Wilson]

Ester,

You are the best. I am a huge boxing fan and will be glued to the TV on Saturday watching David Diaz.