Diaz's future looking good despite defeat

Highly-rated American bantamweight Joseph Diaz Junior lost to top-seeded Cuban world champion Lazaro Alvarez here on Wednesday at the Olympics but looks set for a top class professional career. In a bout that many thought would have been a dream final, Diaz gave as good as he got against a superb opponent in what was likely to be the American's last bout before turning professional. The 19-year-old from Los Angeles - who lost 21-15 - has vowed to support his poverty-stricken parents financially and his chances of succeeding in that aim took a positive turn here despite defeat. "It's an unfortunate defeat but I went out there to put on a show which I succeeded in doing," said Diaz, who has been strongly linked with the 1992 lightweight Olympic champion Oscar de la Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions. "Unfortunately I couldn' get the W (the win). "He is a great fighter. He's a really great counterpuncher, really smart and I hope he gets the gold medal." Diaz, whose father has devoted himself to being his coach since losing his truck driving job three years ago, admitted he felt the margin of defeat was a little surprising. "I thought it should have been closer but I'm not going to give him a downgrade," said Diaz, who has supported his parents financially through the stipend he receives from the US federation. Diaz, though, was positive about recovering from the defeat. "I'm going to start to plan and build myself back up," he said. Alvarez, 21, said he thought Diaz was a top class opponent but that once he (Alvarez) had recovered from a bout of nerves on making his entrance he felt comfortable in the ring "You always feel pressure on your debut. These are my first Olympic Games but I knew well how to resolve the difficult situations presented to me in the ring," he said. "He (Diaz) is a very strong fighter, always going forward, but my physical preparation helped win this first fight." Alvarez next fights Brazilian Jesus de Vieira in the quarter-finals with the winner of that fight guaranteed at least a bronze medal.