"I want to fight somebody who thinks he can beat me, and who will prepare himself 100 % to fight me."

BoxingTalk:  Julio, what’s the latest?

Julio Diaz:  We were working on a fight with Casamayor for April 15th, but that didn’t work out because he didn’t want the fight. Now it looks like I’ll be fighting April 5th in Albuquerque, but I have no idea who that might be against.  Everybody is already tied up and whoever isn’t doesn’t want to fight me.

BoxingTalk:  I know you helped out Castillo prepare for his fight against Reyes.  How was it getting in the ring with him again?

Julio Diaz:  It was good.  Castillo is good at beating you down but he’s not a strong fighter.  He has a lot of experience, and he just puts a lot of pressure on you.  I know I gave him too much respect in our fight.

BoxingTalk:  Do you feel you are a better lightweight since squaring off with Castillo recently?

Julio Diaz:  I think it taught me not to be pushed around anymore.  I’m a bigger guy now.  I’m walking around at 160, but I’ will still be able to fight at lightweight.  I won’t have problem losing the weight.

BoxingTalk:  It’s been six months since you have been in the ring last.  Now you are talking about fight in April.  That will be an 8 month layoff for you.  Are you concerned at all about ring rust?

Julio Diaz:  Yeah, I know it’s been a while since I fought.  I feel my best years are going by, but there is nothing I can do.

BoxingTalk:  You would like to be seeing a lot more action then you are.

Julio Diaz:  Definitely.  Especially right now.  It’s the time.  Here I am.  I’m 100% dedicated.

BoxingTalk:  Are you happy with the way Sycuan Ringside has been promoting you?

Julio Diaz:  I don’t know if it’s them.  I don’t want to point anyone out.  All I know is that I should be fighting.  I don’t know who is to blame.

BoxingTalk:  WBA champ Juan Diaz keeps getting postponed.  Are you ready to step in there and finally have that Diaz-Diaz fight?

Julio Diaz:  I was ready a long time ago, but he doesn’t want to fight me.  He just wants to make a little change.  The only thing that makes him who he is is that belt.


BoxingTalk:  Even though you have knocked out the two opponents you have faced since your loss to Castillo, they have been against softer opposition.  Do you see yourself taking a step up in your next fight or will you continue to take tune up bouts?

Julio Diaz:  I want big fights.  It makes me look bad not fighting the big fights right now.  When I was a prospect I was fighting undefeated fighters.  I’m not a bout to regress.  I want to fight somebody who thinks he can beat me, and who will prepare himself 100 % to fight me.  Not a sloppy guy who makes me look bad.  Look at the last fight Castillo had.  The whole arena went crazy because of how bad it was, and they were booing him.  I don’t feel it was Castillo’s fault, Reyes wasn’t fighting him.

BoxingTalk:  We are a month and a half into 2006, how would you like the rest of the year to go for you?

Julio Diaz:  I want to have big fights with big names and beat all of them.  I don’t want people to say, ‘Who’s that?’ about the guys I’m fighting; and by the end of the year I want a title.

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