By Ian S Palmer
Former IBF Junior Lightweight Champion Joseph Diaz Jr of Downey, California takes on fellow southpaw Javier Fortuna of the Dominican Republic this Friday, July 9th for the interim WBC Lightweight Title. The 12-rounder can be seen live in many nations on DAZN. Diaz lost the title on the weigh scales the last time out in February during his first defence against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimovday. The fight went ahead though and ended in an entertaining 12-round draw. Diaz originally won the title via unanimous decision over Tevin Farmer in January, 2020. Fortuna, a former last fought in November when he stopped Antonio Torres in the sixth round.
The 28-year-old Diaz Jr. lost his first world title shot when he dropped a unanimous decision to WBC Featherweight Champion Gary Russell Jr. in May, 2018. He then beat WBA titleholder Jesus Rojas by unanimous decision three months later but he came in overweight for the fight and wasn’t able to win the belt. So it was third time lucky for him when he beat Farmer. Diaz will climb through the ropes with a mark of 31-1-1with 15 Kos.
He was a member of the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team at the 2012 Games in London, England where he went 1-1 as a bantamweight. He also reached the quarterfinals of the 2011 World Amateur Championships. Diaz turned pro in December, 2012 and has fought 239 rounds since and has average power in his fists with a current knockout ratio of 45.5 per cent. Diaz stands 5-feet-6-inches tall with a 64-inch reach and moving up to lightweight appears to be the right move as he’s had problems making weight in the past.
Since turning pro he’s captured the NABF and WBO-NABO Featherweight Titles and the WBA Gold Super Featherweight Crown. Along with meeting Russell, Rojas and Farmer his toughest opponents have been Jesus Cuadro, Freddy Fonseca, Victor Terrazas, Rafael Rivera, Manuel Avila, Horacio Garcia, Jayson Velez, Hugo Partida, Rene Alvarado, Roberto Castaneda and Ruben Tamayo.
The 32-year-old Fortuna is a former WBA Super Featherweight Champion and interim WBA Featherweight champ and owns a mark of 36-2-1 with 25 Kos. His first loss came via an 11th-round stoppage at the hands of Jason Sosa in June, 2016 to lose his Super Featherweight Belt. He dropped a split decision to Robert Easter Jr in 2018 in a shot at Easter’s IBF Lightweight Title but he came in overweight anyway so had no chance of winning the belt.
His very next fight came against Adrian Granados and it was ruled a no-contest after Fortuna was injured when he fell out of the ring in the fourth round and the bout was halted. His draw was a 10-round split-decision affair with Luis Franco back in August of 2013. Fortuna, who fights out the U.S., turned pro in 2009 and has boxed 201 rounds since.
Fortuna captured the WBA Interim Featherweight Title in 2012 via a unanimous decision over Patrick Hyland and won the vacant WBA World Title in May, 2015 by beating Bryan Vasquez via unanimous decision. He stands just over 5-feet-6-inches tall with a wingspan of 68.5 inches and enters the ring with a 4.5-inch reach edge over Diaz. Fortuna has pretty good power with a current knockout ratio of 61. However, his chin’s questionable as he’s been dropped a few times as a pro. He’s also beaten Abner Cotto, Cristobal Cruz and Miguel Roman.
Prediction…
Diaz Jr. Likes to throw a lot of punches behind a solid jab. He mixes things up and has a good body attack too. Fortuna has the edge in power but sometimes doesn’t let his hands go enough. Diaz is an entertaining and workmanlike boxer who should be able to outwork Fortuna as long as his chin holds up.
