Fans label Joseph Diaz a duck for sidestepping Devin Haney fight
When former super featherweight boxer Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz (32-1-1, 15 KO’s) broached the lightweight division, he did so successfully. In that premiere bout at 135-pounds, Diaz effectively out-boxed Javier Fortuna to claim a unanimous decision victory. Along with the conquest, Jo Jo became the interim WBC lightweight champion and the mandatory challenger to WBC 135-pound champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (26-0, 15 KO’s). Instead of pursuing the title fight with the Dream however, Diaz has put far more interest in a showdown with Ryan “King Ry” Garcia (21-0, 18 KO’s).
Even now, Diaz is very active on his social media making it plain and clear that he is dashing after the Garcia bout. This has become a vexing and rather quizzical phenomenon. When Vasiliy Lomachenko was the WBC lightweight champion, and Haney became his mandatory challenger, Loma dropped the belt. Rather than retain the strap, Loma and his team decided to acquire the laughable “WBC Franchise titlist” distinction. It was directly due to that action that led to Haney becoming the full WBC lightweight champion.
After Loma, Ryan Garcia was also in a mandatory position to face Haney but chose evasion instead. Unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez and former world champion Richard Commey both have threatened to face the Dream only to make abrupt detours.
TALK IS CHEAP!!!
Given this history of tough talk supported by no substance, it’s not shocking to see that Diaz is being lambasted in his own comment sections. The fans are simply not allowing him to get away with his hypocrisy. In one breath, he insists that the Dream would be easy work. Then, in the next breath, Diaz talks about chasing a less meaningful prizefight. Angered by this, the boxing public is showing him little mercy.
What makes this even worse is Garcia is quickly becoming the official ‘boy who cried wolf’ in the division. King Ry has insisted that he was going to face Devin Haney, Manny Pacquiao and Gervonta Davis. None of those fights came anywhere near being signed. There are a number of instances where fighters are needlessly raked across the coals of public opinion. This is not one of them. Hell, even Diaz himself has expressed concern about Garcia seeing the fight through to completion!
For as much trash as the elite 135-pounders are talking, none of them have shown any real stomach for testing their skills with the WBC champion. So, while it’s clear that the belt and a substantial payday are not enough to motivate Diaz, let’s hope that some good ole fashion public shaming will do the trick! Regardless of how this melodrama plays out, 3kingsboxing will be there to report the news.
By: Bakari Simpson
