Don’t Tell Coachella’s Diaz He’s a Tuneup for Mosley

It reads like a low-budget film script.

The new champion grows so weary of waiting for the old champ to sift through promoters and trainers, while embarking on a singing career, that plans for the much-awaited rematch are scrapped and the magnanimous new champion gives a fighter devoid of marquee value a shot at his title. And, oh yes, although all three characters are from Southern California, the fight will take place on the East Coast.

Cast “Sugar� Shane Mosley, Oscar De La Hoya and Antonio Diaz in the respective roles and you have Mosley’s first defense of the World Boxing Council’s welterweight title, which he took from De La Hoya in June, on Saturday against Diaz at the Theater of Madison Square Garden in New York.

From a mega-payday rematch with the Golden Boy to what many are calling a tuneup bout against the nationally unknown pride of the Coachella Valley?

With apologies to one-time vice presidential candidate James Stockdale, who is Antonio Diaz and what is he doing here?

On boxing’s sliding talent scale, Diaz is far from being a star, yet he is no sacrificial lamb either.

“I’m just going to go in there, prove people wrong and do what I always do--win,� Diaz said last week during a break in training at his compound in Big Bear. “I get motivated when people see me as a tuneup, when they say [my opponent] is too fast, that he’s too this, he’s too that.

“It’s an opportunity, since not everybody gets to fight at the Garden.�

Diaz, 24, is the International Boxing Assn. junior-welterweight champion, has a record of 33-2 with 22 knockouts, and will be fighting for the first time in a weight class other than 140 pounds against Mosley, recently proclaimed the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world by Ring magazine.

Still, Diaz’s manager and trainer, Lee Espinoza, said his fighter is not in over his head, that he has been looking forward to a coming-out party.

“He’s been waiting for two years for this, fighting the top fighters,� Espinoza said. “Too bad it’s against Shane; we like that guy. If we didn’t know this guy [Mosley], maybe we would be a little intimidated.�

Espinoza said he has known Mosley and his father-trainer-manager Jack since the fighter was “a little guy� and, thus, knows the champion’s weaknesses.

“Antonio is not well known,� Espinoza said. “Some people have that superstar thing going for them. Antonio, he does everything, beats up everybody. Being overlooked, it gets him motivated.�

Diaz, who fought most of his early bouts in bingo halls and ballrooms, won his fringe title on Dec. 20, 1997 with a 12-round unanimous decision over Ahmed Santos at Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella and has successfully defended the belt 11 times. Diaz’s two losses, a four-rounder to Ruben Alvarado and a six-rounder to Juan Lazcano, were both by decision--in his first 10 bouts.

Diaz since has gained a reputation among his fans as an exciting and power-punching fighter.

In the last two years, he has knocked out Hector Quiroz, Mauro Lucero and Ivan Robinson while grinding out decisions over Cory Spinks, Emanuel Burton and Mickey Ward, his most recent victim Aug. 19.

Diaz has never fought anyone like Mosley (35-0, 32 knockouts).

The 5-foot-10 1/2 Diaz is an inch and a half taller than Mosley, but the only other tale-of-the-tape categories in which the challenger enjoys an advantage are a thicker wrist and calf.

That doesn’t matter to Diaz, who’s as much as a 20-1 underdog in Las Vegas.

“The only thing he has [over me] is that he’s a quick fighter, he’s fast with his hands,� Diaz said. “He’s not fast with his legs.�

What else is there? Well, Diaz said Robinson and Spinks were both shiftier than Mosley. Plus, it will be only the fourth fight for Mosley at 147 pounds since he jumped up two weight classes, from 135, late last year.

“I don’t think Shane is a full-grown welterweight . . . yet,� Diaz said. “I don’t think he has welterweight power . . . yet.

“I always considered myself a welterweight. I just pushed it [to get down to 140] so that I was stronger there. There were days when I wouldn’t eat. I have no problem making this weight.�

Diaz said he weighed 168 when he began training for this fight six weeks ago.

Even Mosley admits there is risk in facing Diaz, giving the unknown challenger “a puncher’s chance.�

“I’ve worked so many years to get where I am now,� Mosley said. “There were some low times, but I knew I’d make it. And now that I’m here, I’m not giving it up. Antonio Diaz is a great fighter and I respect him. But I’m not letting him get what I’ve fought so hard for.�

Espinoza hopes Mosley will brawl and exchange power punches with Diaz, as he did in his welterweight debut against Wilfredo Rivera last year.

“I’m hoping that Shane will make a mistake and try to knock out Antonio like he did Rivera,� Espinoza said. “If he tries that, he’ll be in a lot of trouble. Antonio is much stronger than Shane.�

While he would never admit to dismissing Diaz, there has been talk of Mosley, coming off the longest period of inactivity in his career, having last fought June 16 against De La Hoya at Staples Center, meeting Arturo Gatti in February before facing De La Hoya in the rematch in May.

And although he insists that his goal is to beat Mosley, a more realistic scenario has Diaz putting on a good show in a losing effort Saturday, thus earning a long-awaited title shot at the WBC’s 140-pound champion, Kostya Tszyu.

“I’ve always dreamed of fighting the big fight, for the WBC belt,� Diaz said. “But I always thought it would be fighting Kostya Tszyu.�

Against Mosley, though, Diaz insists his strategy will be simple.

“Pressure, pressure, and more pressure with a lot of head movement and a lot of waist movement,� Diaz said. “A lot of countering.

“Basically, I’m just going to take advantage of the opportunity.�

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Welterweight Garden Party

Shane Mosley fights Antonio Diaz for Mosley’s World Boxing Council welterweight title:

* Records: Mosley 35-0 (32 knockouts), Diaz 33-2 (22 knockouts).

* Where: The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

* When: Saturday.

* TV: HBO (6:45 p.m.)