Trainer Joel Diaz is familiar with boxing legend Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao having worked the corner for Timothy Bradley and Lucas Matthysse when they went up against the Filipino 8-division champion.
Diaz holds one win over Pacquiao when he cornered Tim Bradley in 2012 and the duo won a controversial decision in a shocking upset heard around the world.
Diaz and Bradley rematched Pacquiao and lost a unanimous decision. Bradley would eventually fire Diaz and hire trainer Teddy Atlas to help work his corner for the rubbermatch with Pacquiao which he also lost. Diaz was in the corner of Argentinean knockout artist Lucas Matthysse when he was eventually stopped in seven rounds by Pacquiao.
In an interview with Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV, the Indio, California, based trainer gave his take on a possible match-up between Manny Pacquiao and former two-division world champion Danny Garcia, and who he thinks can beat the Filipino Senator.
“I think Manny Pacquiao would destroy Danny Garcia,” Diaz told Fight Hub TV.”Stylistically, Danny Garcia is slow, flat-footed. Danny Garcia is a flat-footed fighter. Strong, young, but flat-footed. He focuses a lot on his left hook. I mean when have you seen anybody catch Manny Pacquiao with a left hook?”
Diaz who has fought and trained in boxing for many years believes four-division world champion Mikey Garcia has a much better chance at beating Manny Pacquiao than Danny Garcia due to his ability to time the right hand.
“Stylistically, I think the right hand does a lot of damage to Manny Pacquiao and this guy Mikey Garcia has a great right hand,” said Diaz on who would have a better chance against Pacquiao. “I mean he sets up the jab and when he throws a right hand he throws it with bad intentions and I think that sooner or later in a fight, Mikey Garcia will eventually catch Manny Pacquiao because Manny is a risk taker he goes for it. Manny is not going to be one of those guys who is going to be right there just feeling you out. He goes out there, he is a go getter and like I said those guys they risk and they get caught.
Diaz still insisted that he doesn’t believe Danny Garcia would beat Pacquiao simply because he is too slow and Pacquiao’s speed would be too much.
“Yeah, Danny has good timing, but comparing speeds, I think honestly that Manny Pacquiao would destroy Danny Garcia,” said Diaz.
