NABF and NABO Featherweight Champion Joseph "JoJo" Diaz, Jr. (25-0, 13 KOs) and former world champion Victor "Vikingo" Terrazas (38-4-2, 21 KOs) hosted a media workout today at Azteca Boxing Club ahead of their 10-round main event fight on the Feb. 22 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.
Also participating in the workout was Christian "Chimpa" Gonzalez (18-1, 15 KOs) who will kick off the ESPN3 coverage facing Laguna, Philippines's Rey "Flash" Perez (21-9, 6 KOs). Manny "Chato" Robles III (14-0, 6 KOs), who is trained by his world-renowned father, Manny Robles, Jr., will participate in an eight-round featherweight affair facing Tucson, AZ's Martin Cardona (24-10, 16 KOs). Power punching prospect Edgar "Kid Neza" Valerio (12-0, 7 KOs) of Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl by way of South Central, Los Angeles, Calif. will participate in an eight-round battle against Victor Proa (28-5-2, 21 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico in the 126-pound division. San Diego's Genaro "El Conde" Gamez (6-0, 4 KOs) will participate in an eight-round lightweight fight, and Hector "El Finito" Tanajara, Jr. (11-0, 4 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas will open up the card in a scheduled eight-round super featherweight fight.
Here's what today's participants had to say at the media workout:
JOSEPH "JOJO" DIAZ, JR., NABF & NABO Featherweight Champion:
"I'm going to showcase my power, speed, experience and ring intelligence. I know [Victor] Terrazas is a former world champion, but my skill is the best at 126 pounds. I'm excited to headline this fight because I'll be kicking off the year for Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN. I'm going to take advantage of this and put all the champions at featherweight on notice. Hopefully after this fight, I'll finally get that world title shot."
VICTOR "VIKINGO" TERRAZAS, Former World Champion:
"I'm still in my prime. I feel I still have a lot to give. This is an important fight not just for me, but for Joseph Diaz as well. I've been training hard in Mexico with my coach, Alejandro "La Cobrita" Gonzalez, and I've been having really good sparring as well. I have a lot of experience dealing with world-class fighters and quick southpaws, so it will be a battle of youth vs. experience on February 22."
CHRISTIAN "CHIMPA" GONZALEZ, Lightweight Prospect:
"I'm going to be in a tough fight. I'm looking forward to the challenge because he's [Rey Perez] experienced. They call him 'Flash' for a reason because he's really quick, so we're expecting nothing easy on Feb 22. If everything comes out well, I'll be looking forward to 10-round fights on ESPN cards."
MANNY "CHATO" ROBLES, III, Featherweight Prospect:
"I've been working on sitting on my punches and working on the inside. In this camp, I've been working with former fighter Rudy Hernandez and getting great sparring as well. Fans can expect to see a different Manny Robles next Thursday. I'll be more aggressive and I'll be more affective on the inside. If I see the opportunity, I'll get the knockout."
EDGAR "KID NEZA" VALERIO, Featherweight Prospect:
"Would I be a 'Guru' if I told you that I'd start the year off sensationally? I'm not fighting the toughest opponent of my career, HE is. At the end of the day, we're all in the hurt business."
HECTOR "EL FINITO" TANAJARA, JR., Super Featherweight Prospect:
"I've been working really hard since my last fight. No matter who I fight, I'll be ready to knock him out. It's been great training with Robert Garcia. There are a lot of world champions in our training camp, and I learn a lot every day. I expect to be busy this year in exciting fights and fighting more rounds."
GENARO "EL CONDE" GAMEZ, Lightweight Prospect:
"Training camp has gone really well, and I'm really focused for this fight. I know my opponent has had tough fights and that he's a warrior. This year I hope to demonstrate to all who Genaro 'El Conde' Gamez is. The lightweight division is very tough, and every fight features with quick punchers. Don't go on a bathroom break during the fight because you might miss the knockout!"
Diaz, Jr. vs. Terrazas is a 10-round fight for the NABF and NABO Featherweight Titles presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, "THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING" and Hennessy, "Never Stop, Never Settle." The fights will take place on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Doors to the Special Events Center open and the first televised bout begin at 5:00 p.m. PT. ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will air the fights beginning at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT, and stream live on ESPN3 starting at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.
Tickets for the event start at $25 and are available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online atwww.fantasyspringsresort.com.