In just over a week’s time Manny Pacquiao will meet Shane Mosley in the much talked about Welterweight clash. The night before Top Rank will put on another show from The Mandalay Bay the headliner will be Las Vegas native Diego Magdaleno 18-0(6), he meets tough Mexican Gilberto Sanchez Leon. Last time out he impressively stopped Marcos Jimenez to win the NABF Super Featherweight title to claim the biggest win of his career. It was also his third stoppage in a row; he’ll have a tough time repeating that against Leon who’s only been stopped once in over 40 previous bouts. Here’s what the 24 year old Magdaleno had to say ahead of the clash.
Hello Diego, welcome to 15rounds.com
Firstly thank you for having me for this Interview
Anson Wainwright – You’re scheduled to fight on 6 May in Las Vegas. You’ll be facing Gilberto Sanchez Leon, what are your thoughts on the fight and what do you know about him?
Diego Magdaleno – About the fight. I know that this guy, I’ve seen one of his last fights at the Palms (Hotel Casino in Las Vegas) when my younger brother was on the card, he fought a well known guy Robert Marroquin and I remember catching glimpses of that fight, he’s a tall fighter but doesn’t fight with his reach, he likes to fight on the inside. He’s got some things that I saw that I can adapt to and cut him down to size.
Anson Wainwright – In your last fight you beat Marcos Jimenez and won the NABF 130 title. Can you tell us about this fight?
Diego Magdaleno – Oh that fight was a tremendous fight. I’m still getting compliments on that one. It was something I’ve looked forward to my whole Boxing career, getting a title shot, hopefully that helps me get a world title shot. I took every possible thing that I can work on to achieve the victory on that fight. It was intense from the beginning. Marcos Jimenez was a good fighter, one of the best one’s out of Puerto Rico. I took that and brought it into the ring. We went in with a plan to basically not let him breath and things that I did like pressuring him from the beginning of rounds and eventually the outcome was I was overwhelming him with punches. That’s what the plan was and it worked.
Anson Wainwright – People would look at your record and say you don’t have a very high KO ratio, obviously the last 3 fights have been stoppages. Have you got any thoughts on that?
Diego Magdaleno – Umm (Laughs) Like I tell everybody else, I’m getting comfortable in the ring, you know it’s not that I wasn’t before but I’m starting to sit down on punches, putting everything together. The work outs have been marvellous. Every fight I have is a learning experience, I learn a lot off every fight. I go back and watch my tapes from the very first fight to the last; I review myself, more than I do my opponent before every fight. I think that’s what’s helping me out that way. That way I can see myself as a fighter and what I’m doing wrong in the ring. I really like to focus on myself and better myself.
Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team, who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym do you train at?
Diego Magdaleno – Top Rank is my promoter. My manager/trainer is Pat Barry & Dawn Barry (Pat’s Wife) is also my manager. Augie Sanchez (Former World title challenger) is there I wouldn’t call him an assistant coach, him and Pat work so well together. There’s no real head guy. It’s great cos we all work together on everything we do, it works out well. I train at Barry’s Boxing Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Anson Wainwright – What was it like growing up in Las Vegas. I believe there has never been a fighter born in Las Vegas who won a world title.
Diego Magdaleno – I wasn’t born in Las Vegas. I was actually born in Beverly Hills, California at the famous Cedar Sinai Hospital. I started Boxing out in East L.A I was there for about a year until I moved to where I now call home Las Vegas, I was about 8 years old when I moved here. I started my amateur career here in Las Vegas. This is home to me, but I was born in California. But it’s the capital of Boxing and Boxing has always taken place here. I see all the world title fights, they come to the MGM and Mandalay Bay and all the headliners and I just see how close it is and every fight just drives me to get up there. So everytime I go to the big fights I think I’m not far away. I just have to keep pushing and working hard. I’m trying to show my younger brother Jessie who’s 3-0 with 3 knock outs.
Anson Wainwright – You were a very good amateur, can you tell us about your amateur career and what tournaments you won? Also what was your final record?
Diego Magdaleno – Off the top of my head 130 something fights, like 116 and like 15 loses. I went to the Olympic trials twice, unfortunately the last time I went to the Olympic trails in 07 I lost I think in the Quarter Finals. I always made it to the finals of most tournaments and always came up short. I took Second in the Golden Gloves, I took second in the National PAL’s, and I went over to Canada and won there. I won the USA’s in 07 that was prior to the trials for the Olympics.
Anson Wainwright – Your younger brother Jessie turned pro in late last year. What can you tell us about him?
Diego Magdaleno – We have a good bond, we work hard together and I try to be the big brother and be an example to him, show him hard work can get you what you want . We want world titles. I think I can be a good role model to him. As far as work outs together, we run, we do everything together. We have the same relationship other brothers we bump heads and collide. I’m the more serious type of guy, as Jessie goes I would say he’s more of a character. He likes to joke around and have fun with everything and when I’m in the gym, it’s just a different environment, it’s work to me it’s serious and he likes to have fun and mess around with me and try to get into my head. It works out, we have fun.
Anson Wainwright – What do you think of the Super Featherweight division WBC Takahiro Aoh, WBA Takashi Uchiyama, IBF Mzonke Fana & WBO Ricky Burns? Are you targeting anyone and how far do you think you are from a title shot?
Diego Magdaleno – I’m targeting any of those guys. As far as upcoming fights. They say I’d be fighting for a world title at the end of this year. I’ve seen the guys and there quality guys. There not guys I can take lightly but I think that I have a good chance with the world champions. I work hard in the gym and think when Top Rank gives me the chance to be a world champion I’ll do everything to make it happen.
Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do away from Boxing to relax? What are your hobbies and Interests?
Diego Magdaleno – One thing I like is the outdoors, I like to stay active. I love hiking, spending time with my family because when it comes to being serious with Boxing I hide out, I go back into my tunnel and exclude everyone from my world. When I have a chance I love to help people and be with the family. One of my little hobbies I like to do is interior decorating, not many people know about that, like house projects.
Anson Wainwright – Who was your Boxing hero growing up? And who you enjoy watching today?
Diego Magdaleno – There’s a lot of great fighters out there. One of the last fights I watched was Victor Ortiz and Berto that was a tremendous fight. It brings Boxing back to life. I like Manny Pacquiao who’s an intense fighter. There a lot of guys who keep me on my toes and the Boxing game exciting. When I was growing up I liked Chavez he was an animal in his prime. De La Hoya’s another guy I liked.
Anson Wainwright – What are your goals in Boxing? If it wasn’t for Boxing what do you think you’d be doing for a living?
Diego Magdaleno – My plan in Boxing is definitely to win world titles, that’s the ultimate. If it wasn’t for Boxing, I’d always been Interested in Law Enforcement. So I’d probably be doing something like that.
Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for the Super Featherweight division?
Diego Magdaleno – I have a big message. It’s gonna be the guy out in the dark who’s gonna get them. So keep in mind Diego Magdaleno is out there.
Thanks for your time Diego.
Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com
