Fansided

Preview and prediction: Jesus Rojas defends title against Joseph Diaz Jr.

By Jeremy Herriges

OXON HILL, MD - MAY 19: Joseph Diaz Jr. reacts after the second round against Gary Russell Jr. during the WBC featherweight title bout at MGM National Harbor on May 19, 2018 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Russell won by unanimous decision. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
OXON HILL, MD - MAY 19: Joseph Diaz Jr. reacts after the second round against Gary Russell Jr. during the WBC featherweight title bout at MGM National Harbor on May 19, 2018 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Russell won by unanimous decision. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Jesus Rojas and Joseph Diaz Jr. meet in a WBA “regular” featherweight championship bout. Can Diaz go from challenger to champion?

On Saturday, Aug. 11, Jesus Rojas defends his WBA “regular” featherweight title against Joseph Diaz Jr. In a weekend when boxing activity is light, Rojas vs. Diaz Jr. has the potential to be an action-packed fight.

Rojas (26-1-2, 19 KOs) became the interim WBA featherweight champion in 2017 by knocking out Claudio Marrero in the seventh round. His title defense against Diaz (26-1,14 KOs) will be his first fight in precisely one year. Rojas’s inactivity could pose a significant problem.

Diaz, on the other hand, unsuccessfully contended for the WBC featherweight title in May against Gary Russell Jr. Diaz put up a stiff challenge, but he lost the bout by unanimous decision.

Even though Diaz lost to Russell, he made a lot of fans with his performance. According to CompuBox (via BoxingScene.com), Russell only out-landed Diaz by seven total punches. Diaz had the edge over Russell in power punch connects by 13 punches. Two judges scored the bout 117-111 for Russell, but punch stats suggest that the bout was much closer than that.

Judge Dave Braslow scored the bout 115-113 for Russell. His score seems to be the most accurate.

Rojas and Diaz are evenly matched regarding their records and level of opposition, but Diaz is the betting favorite according to Oddsshark.com. Rojas is almost a three to one underdog. The champion is usually the odds-on favorite to win, but Diaz’s spirited performance against Russell probably swayed the numbers in his favor.

Rojas and Diaz should put on a good fight for fans. Their styles are very similar. Both men like to press the action and fight at close quarters. They typically pin their opponents against the ropes and brawl.

Diaz moves his shoulders a bit more than Rojas to avoid punches, but he was a stationary target against Russell. Rojas shells up in a high guard and absorbs punishment. Diaz has better defensive skills than Rojas but by a slight margin.

Rojas and Diaz are similar in height, but Rojas has a four-inch reach advantage over Diaz. Unfortunately, Rojas doesn’t know how to utilize this resource. He likes to throw looping, wild punches. Rojas rarely throws straight punches.

When the final bell rings, look for Diaz to be the new WBA featherweight champion. His southpaw style will give Rojas a lot of problems. Both men are tough, but Diaz has too many advantages. At 25 years old, he’s six years younger than Rojas.

Diaz is more athletic than Rojas and has faster hands. This fight will go the distance. Rojas and Diaz take punches well. Rojas is more of a power puncher than Diaz, but he’ll be overwhelmed by Diaz’s speed and energy.

Next. Eleider Alvarez shocks boxing world, KOs Kovalev. dark

On a boxing weekend where fights are sparse, Rojas vs. Diaz is the fight to watch. You can stream the bout on Golden Boy’s Fight Night Facebook page.

Home/Boxing