Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz is set to fight.
A seemingly routine practice has not always been the case for the former IBF junior lightweight titlist, who has struggled at the scales in recent times.
There were no such issues on Wednesday, when both Diaz and Jesus ‘Ricky’ Perez were within the contracted 139-pound weight limit for their scheduled ten-round bout. Diaz weighed 137.6 pounds, while Tijuana’s Perez was 138.2 for their Golden Boy Fight Night on DAZN main event this Thursday from Commerce Casino in Commerce, California.
Diaz (33-4-1, 15KOs) ended a three-fight losing streak with a ten-round decision victory over Jerry Perez (no relation to Jesus) last July 8 in San Antonio, Texas. The 1-year-old southpaw from South El Monte, California previously dropped decisions to then-WBC lightweight titlist Devin Haney in December 2021, unbeaten William Zepeda in their October 2022 twelve-round clash and former title challenger Mercito Gesta in a stunning upset last March 18 in Long Beach, California.
The win over Perez was sold as a means to get Diaz on track to an eventual clash with rising lightweight prospect Floyd Schofield, Jr., who prevailed in the main event that evening. Diaz was due to return to the ring last October 20 but was forced to withdraw, citing Covid-like symptoms late in training camp ahead of their planned clash on the Giovanni Santillan-Alexis Rocha undercard in Inglewood, California.
Weight issues have plagued Diaz dating back to his loss to Zepeda, which came at a modified contracted limit of 138 pounds. He was 137 ½ pounds, the lightest he has been over his last three starts which included a career-heaviest 141 ½ pounds in his win over Jerry Perez last summer.
Perez (24-5, 18KOs) aims to snap a two-fight skid. Both setbacks came at welterweight, including a competitive eight-round, unanimous decision in favor of unbeaten Brian Norman Jr. last May 13 in Stockton, California.
Perez also dropped a decision to Rocha in their October 2022 meeting in San Diego. The granite-chinned 26-year-old trialhorse has never been stopped in 29 pro bouts.
DAZN Undercard, 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Ricardo Sandoval (23-2, 16KOs), Rialto, California, 110.8 pounds vs. Jayson Mama (19-1, 10KOs), General Santos City, Philippines, 112.4 pounds—10 rounds, flyweight
Eric Tudor (9-1, 6KOs), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 153.2 pounds vs. Luis Ramos (7-2-1, 7KOs), Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, 153.8 pounds—8 rounds, junior middleweight
Jorge Chavez (9-0, 7KOs), San Diego, California, 123.6 pounds vs. Diuhl Olguin (16-34-7, 10KOs), Guadalajara, Mexico, 124 pounds—6 rounds, junior lightweight
Non-televised undercard, 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.
Joshua Garcia (6-0, 3KOs), Moreno Valley, California, 131.2 pounds vs. Eric David Argueta Lozada (1-0, 1KO), Mexico City, 130.8 pounds—4 rounds, featherweight
Sasha Tudor (pro debut), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 159 pounds vs. Josias Gonzalez (2-2, 0KOs), Whittier, California, 153.8 pounds—4 rounds, middleweight
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. X (formerly Twitter): @JakeNDaBox