Joe Diaz

Joe Diaz Manager & Trainer born June,1940, The following is from Joe Diaz himself. Joe was born in Vigo, Spain, in the Celtic Province of Galicia. The population of Spain consisted of 42 million Spaniards and 8.5 million Gallegos. The Gallegos are the Bagpipers of Spain. Approx 6,000 years ago the Gallegos took our bagpipes to what is now Ireland & Scotland. Celts settled in Ireland and Kelts in Scotland. To the Gallegos bagpipe they added the Third Drone, which differentiates our bagpipe from theirs. This invasion was called the Malusion Intrusion of the Ilse. The Gallegos have a 15,000 year old civilization. The original Galacia was in the area of modern Turkey. The 2nd Galacia was in what is now Poland.

I was born right after the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Shortly after I was born we moved to 134 West 66th Street, New York City, New York. In 1960 they tore down the apartments I lived in and built Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.This is also known as the The Kennedy Center. On Friday Nights my Uncle Manny or my Grandfather Antonio would take me across Broadway to the St. Nicks Arena to watch boxing matches. I was underage but since my Uncle had connections I always got in. The matches would last until 11 pm or midnight. Since I got home so late my mother was usually upset.

At St. Nicks one night, in 1947, I witnessed the death of a great fighter, Benny Leonard. Benny had retired from boxing and became a referee. One night he was refereeing several matches and during one fight he happened to take a blow to the chest when "breaking" the two fighters apart. At the end of the match he collapsed in the ring and died. After that the boxing commissions decided that at least two referees would work the fight card alternating fights so each could have a breather. The St. Nicks Arena is now the site of the CBS Studios. Across the street from the CBS Studios is the underground garage where the horse stables are that house the horses you see in Central Park. Much of the buildings have changed but the boxing lore from that area is still alive in me today.

In 1944 I started in boxing by joining the Police Athletic League in New York City. They built a platform that they referred to as the "highchair" for me so I could reach the speed bag. In 1945 Mayor O'Dyer of New York City made a visit to our gym. I carried it with me when I moved to Jersey City. I became a member of the A.A.U. and in 1948 started boxing in amateur boxing matches. That same year Dominick Amoroso became my trainer. Many of those matches were held in Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Sorrows, The YMCA, The C.Y.O., Holy Rosary, St. Michaels Union City, and Sunny Side Garden's in Long Island.

In 1964 I was a professional boxer. During this period I met Charley Goldman & Oscar Bonevena. I was training at Harry Wiley's Gym at 136th St & Broadway. Danny "Bang Bang" Wama became my personal trainer. I sparred with middleweight Henry Roundtree, from Teaneck, New Jersey and Joe Vela from Cliffside Park, New Jersey was my manager.

Boxing, as they say, "is in my blood" and I love the purity of the sport. I have always maintained a high level of integrity as a Gym owner, trainer and manager. There are people who have attacked that integrity and at this time I would like to expose the lies they have written and spoken about me.

Tom Gaffney said he introduced me to professional boxing. That is a lie. My first association with Tom Gaffney was as a professional boxing manager. He was promoting a boxing match at Gramm Central Station. He and I agreed to have 5 of my fighters on the card and a dollar amount that the fighters would receive was set. Before the last fight he snuck out with the money. My 5 fighters did not get the money they were promised by him. Their opponents were all paid in full. The next day I filed charges against him with the Boxing Commission Of Arizona and the Attorney Generals Office. He was found guilty. He had to pay them in full, which he did, and his boxing promoter's license for Arizona was suspended. It is public record.

The next association with Tom Gaffney was when I took over and signed a new lease on the boxing gym building which Tom Gaffney had leased. The gym was failing and when the lease was up I signed a new one with the property owner Mike Pollock. The gym under my ownership was a success. It was so successful that in May 1997 Arizona's Consumer Advantage wrote an article in which they stated "Joe Diaz's Top Level Boxing Gym at 13075 North Cave Creek Rd. draws members of all ages. Since 1964 Joe Diaz trained over 8,000 fighters, both professional and amateur, in his gyms." Top Rank boxing even took notice of Joe's gym. In 2003, Bob Arum, President of Top Rank, Bruce Trampler, matchmaker, and Peter McKinn III, promoter, presented the gym with a plaque. The brass & wood plaque read "In Appreciation for his Outstanding Efforts in the Sport of Boxing we recognize Joe Diaz."

Shortly after this plaque I received I found out just what Arum, Trampler and McKinn were doing. To find out more about the truth of the dealings of promoter Peter McKinn III go to RingTalk.com, Sonorannews.com or Examiner.com.

Other References

Channel 15 Arizona, Sept, Oct, Nov 2009 Reporter, Josh Bernstein & Director, Daniel Segal. Arizona Capitol Times, Articles by Bill Coates spanning 2005 through 2011 The Arizona Republic, stories found in Sports- 2004-2005

I will be adding to this page information about- The Real Top Rank Story. The involvement and association of Peter McKinn III, Mary Rose (Gurrido) Wilcox, Earl Wilcox, Bruce Trampler, Bob Arum, Cameron Duncan, Pete Susans, Sean Gibbons, John Montaño, and ex Arizona Gov Janet L Napalitano, Secretary of Homeland Security.

Check here from time to time as I reveal the acquaintances I have had with people in boxing over the years. The "Real Men of Honor" (gangsters) and the "Pipsqueak gangsters" of today. I will list the champions who I trained and managed and the champions who trained in my gyms in Colorado, Arizona, Kansas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.