JULIO DIAZ vs FERNANDO TREJO

Former lightweight champ Julio Diaz, who looked good hammering David Torres in his last fight, meets sterner opposition when he takes on veteran Fernando Trejo in Telefutura’s 10-round main event at the Hard Rock hotel casino in Las Vegas on Friday.

Diaz looked as good as he has ever done in pounding Torres, but he was meeting a limited opponent who couldn’t hurt him and couldn’t come to close to matching him for boxing skill.

Trejo has been around a long time and his only inside-schedule loss in 48 fights came when he suffered an arm injury against Bobby Pacquiao. In his last fight he had no trouble going the full 12 rounds with the unbeaten lightweight Anthony Peterson.

At 34, Trejo seems to have slipped into the role of trial horse. He seemed content simply to go the rounds against Peterson, but perhaps he will show more fire in the all-Mexican match against Diaz.

It is difficult to see Diaz losing, though. He seems to have recovered his old zest after the demoralising defeat against namesake Juan Diaz and, at 28, could be poised to make another run at a world championship.

Friday’s fight will not be the walkover that Diaz enjoyed against Torres, but he should win convincingly although it would be quite an achievement if he could halt the durable Trejo.