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This is the oldest recap we have of a Juan Diaz match:

HBO Boxing After Dark Recap

April 28, 2007

Foxwoods Resort and Casino-Mashantucket, Connecticut

This is the 100th boxing event hosted by what is currently the largest casino in the world, Foxwoods Casino.

WBO and WBA Lightweight (135 pounds) Championship 12 Round Unification Match:

WBO Lightweight Champion Acelino Freitas (38-1, 32 KO's, 135 pounds) vs. WBA Lightweight Champion Juan Diaz (31-0, 15 KO's, 135 pounds)

Freitas is a native of Brazil, and at the age of 31, a ring veteran.  In his most recent matches, Freitas, has seemed unwilling to engage in slugfests.  Earlier in his career he had exhibited that brawling style and it made him a star.  The goal of this match is for Diaz to bring back the "old Freitas".  Diaz is scripted to throw lots of punches at the established star, while coming straight at Freitas; presenting an easy target to hit and showcase the veteran.  Freitas has a one inch height and reach advantage at 5' 7" tall and 23" arm length.  The WBO Champion has not been in the ring for an official match in one day shy of a full year.  He retired in October and was relieved of his WBO Lightweight Championship.  After three weeks, he unretired and was re-instated as championship.  Freitas' only loss came via verbal submission, TKO to Diego Corrales in the same building that is hosting this match, in August of 2004.  Freitas was winning the early portion of his match with Corrales, but in the midst of taking a very damaging offensive onslaught in round 10, Freitas told the referee he quit in the middle of the round and walked back to his corner, ending the fight to the bewilderment of almost everyone.  In that match, Freitas lost the WBO Lightweight Championship.  He has since, regained the title and puts it on the line in this match.  Freitas regained the championship defeating Zahir Raheem, in a controversial split decision match to determine a new champion, for the title Corrales had freshly vacated.  That was Freitas' last match, 364 days ago, and he did not look impressive in that effort.  Freitas is trying to regain a lot of the respect he lost in the Corrales match, and in his other recent lackluster showings.  Freitas said he is coming back was to pursue his dream, unify the titles, and support his wife, child, and family members (the last part is completely untrue, he has plenty of money).  The Brazilian says he is in it for the long haul, to unify the belts and once again prove to people around the world that he is the best.  Freitas grew up very poor in Brazil, sleeping on a dirt floor as a child.  His current home has its own soccer field in the backyard.  His marriage was televised in Brazil and watched by millions of people.  Freitas' popularity rivals some of the larger soccer stars in the country.  His financial outlook is bright outside boxing with several major endorsement deals in Brazil and he is promoting, on average, eleven boxing events a year around Brazil.  This is Freitas' first defense of the title, since regaining it last year.

Diaz is only 23-years-old, and a native of Houston, Texas.  Freitas is the best boxer Diaz's has opposed, so far in his career.  Diaz does not have much punching power, but wins his matches based on aggression and a  high workrate, that he will maintain throughout the contest.  The Houstonian tried to make the 2000 Athens Olympic Summer Games in boxing for the United States, but both the United States and Puerto Rico protested his attempt to make the national team.  The protests came because Diaz was not 17-years-old, which is the mandatory minimum age to compete in Olympic boxing.  Diaz then went to Mexico, where his parents are from, and tried to win their national championships which would put him on their Olympic team.  Amazingly, at the age of 16-years-old he won the Mexican National Championship in his weight class and qualified for the Olympics.  The United States and Puerto Rico, again protested Diaz being allowed to compete at the games because of his age and their protests were upheld barring Diaz from competing at the games.  Barred from competing in the Olympics, Diaz decided to instead, begin his professional career at the age of 16, since that was legal.  He actually, had to have his first three matches in Mexico, because it was only legal there. Once he turned 17-years-old he was free to box professionally in his home country and several days after he was eligible Diaz boxed professionally for the first time in America.  He started learning to box at the age of 8-years-old.  Even while being a professional boxer, Diaz stayed in school, finishing high school and going on to college.  The Houston native is currently enrolled in college as a political science major and has plans to eventually enroll in law school.  This is Diaz's sixth defense of his title.

This match will take place under the unified rules of boxing: No 3 knockdown rule.  No standing 8 count.  Only the referee can stop the match.  A boxer cannot be saved from a knockout by the bell in any round.  In the case of a cut caused by an accidental clash of heads forcing a premature stoppage, the match will be determined by the scorecards after 4 rounds, earlier than that and the match will be ruled a no contest.  The judges scoring this contest are from New York and the other two are from Connecticut.

Freitas wanted an opponent that would come straight towards him and force the action, and that is exactly what he got, in a very aggressive Diaz.  Really good action packed round 1. Freitas takes round 1, 10-9.   Another good action round, round 2 to Freitas 10-9.  Freitas had Diaz hurt at the end of round 2, forcing the Houston boxer to take his first steps backwards of the match with under 20 seconds to go in the round.  The crowd in the building is great, with a strong contingent of Brazilian-Americans from Boston making the short drive to Connecticut to make Freitas the overwhelming crowd favorite.  Great action packed round 3 that saw both men just trading blows at points and ignoring the precepts of defense.  The referee had to separate the two at the bell as both men were in the midst of throwing simultaneous combinations.  The exciting Freitas showed up for this match.  Round 3 goes to Freitas, 10-9.  It is unlikely that both men can keep up this furious pace for 12 rounds.  Harold Lederman, has the score after 3 rounds 29-28 Freitas, awarding round 3 to Diaz.  I thought the flurry in the last 30 seconds by Freitas was enough to steal the round back.

Freitas is complaining about headbutts already in the match, and this may end up distracting Freitas' from concentrating on the match.  The action slowed in round 4, but the last 30 seconds saw both boxers realize it could still go either way with a strong flurry and both boxers really started to go full speed then.  As Freitas started his barrage of punches, Diaz hit him with a better barrage of punches.  Round 4 goes to Diaz, 10-9.  Lederman gave round 4 to Freitas and has the bout now scored 39-37, so eventually our cards are the same.  With 1:49 to go in round 5, Freitas is hurt very badly and is forced to hold on to Diaz to avoid a possible trip to the canvas.  Once the clinch is broken there is 1:40 left in the round.  Freitas is still not out of danger, standing on wobbly legs.  Freitas again clinches to survive after throwing a few punches, but mostly eating several hard punches from Diaz who is looking to end the fight, now.  Freitas shows a lot of heart and toughness to stand up all the way through that round, but his punches no longer have much power in them.  This was almost, a 10-8 round, but it will likely go to Diaz, 10-9.  Freitas is in real trouble for the rest of the match now, because he appears completely spent.  Lederman also scored the last round for Diaz, 10-9.  That puts Diaz trailing on the cards, 38-37, but that lead appears only temporary at this point.  Round 6, easily to Diaz, 10-9.  Harold Lederman, also scored round 6 for Diaz, 10-9.  This contest is even.

Diaz wins round 7, 10-9.  This is a great match with a tremendous pace.  Lederman scored round 7 for Diaz, 10-9.  This is an action packed fun fight to watch.  Round 8 to Diaz, 10-9.  Freitas looks on the verge of quitting.  The crowd has been making noise from the moment the boxers were introduced all the way to this point, giving this match an electric feel.  The people in Freitas' corner are telling him that the fight is not over, it begins now.  Freitas just quit in the corner on his stool, after round 8.  Freitas looked frustrated and tired, like he wanted to quit towards the end of round 8.  For a second time, the formerly great champion Acelino Freitas has verbally submitted.  This does not speak well for the legacy of Freitas.  Freitas was likely only down two points on the scorecards, with four rounds to go and instead of trying to retain his title and fulfill his dream of winning another title, he decided not to continue fighting for it.  The Brazilian's career as a boxer should be over, his heart is not in the sport anymore.  He is no longer wiling to do what it takes to win, and a boxer in that position can put himself at a high risk for injury, or embarrassment.  Juan Diaz is the winner, having broken the will of Acelino Freitas.

The official decision is: at the end of round 8 the winner by TKO and new WBO Lightweight Champion and still WBA Lightweight Champion, Juan Diaz.    Diaz's trainer was going to close his gym three weeks before a talented eight-year-old showed up.  With a new star pupil the trainer kept the gym open and still together after 15 years it is further vindication of him and his star pupil as Diaz now holds two world championships.  Juan Diaz's mother is in the stands shown with tears of joy streaming down her face, as Diaz is presented with his two title belts.  The final punch numbers are that Freitas landed 159 of 627 punches thrown, good for a 25% connect percentage.  Juan Diaz landed 222 of 585 punches thrown, for a 38% connect percentage.  The majority of Freitas' punches both thrown and landed were earlier in the match, prior to when Diaz started to take over in round 5.

In the post match interview Juan Diaz is asked who he wants to face next and says he wants to unify more of the lightweight titles.  Diaz said the match of his dreams would Manny Pacquiao.  Diaz somewhat shied away from wanting to challenge Joel Casamayor.

Acelino Freitas declined to be interviewed after the match.  The interview could have at least helped explain why Freitas decided not to answer the bell to start round 9.  History will likely unkindly judge Freitas' actions during and immediately after this match.

Diaz is the winner and new champion, but the story is Freitas.