Diego Magdaleno has come up short in his biggest fights, losing title bouts against Roman Martinez and Terry Flanagan and to Teofimo Lopez in a non-title bout in February of last year.
Lessons learned. He’s says he’s a smarter, better fighter after those experiences and under the guidance of new trainer Bones Adams, who was in his corner for the first time when he defeated Austin Dulay by a clear decision this past February.
Magdaleno (32-3, 13 KOs) faces Isaac Cruz in a lightweight title eliminator on the Gervonta Davis-Leo Santa Cruz pay-per-view card on Oct. 31.
“The biggest thing that I’ve learned is to stay calm,” Magdaleno said. “When I start thinking too far ahead, that’s when things go wrong. Coach Adams has a great way of keeping me grounded and composed.
“He knows how to simplify things for me and communicate exactly what I need to do, which makes it less stressful for me. And we’ve done some other things, like correcting my footwork and the angles that I use.”
He went on: “I’ve always taken pride in being a professional, but I learned that I can be very dangerous with the right team around me. I went into [the Dulay] fight kind of being considered a steppingstone for Dulay, but I showed that I’m still a strong fighter. People counted me out and they made a mistake.
“I’m just super happy that I found Coach Adams and got a proper team organized around me. I was able to change people’s minds with just one fight. Now I’m in a title eliminator, and with a win on October 31, I’ll have my third shot at a world title.”
Of course, Cruz (19-1-1, 14 KOs) is no pushover. The 22-year-old Mexican has gone undefeated since losing an eight-round decision to Luis Miguel Montano in 2016, including a majority-decision victory over Thomas Mattice this past February.
“Cruz is something I’ve seen before,” Magdaleno said. “I’ve fought lots of Mexican-style fighters like him who don’t have a lot of technical skill but possess a come-forward style. So I think I’ll be able to go back to what I know.
“I’ll just have to stay fluid and pick Cruz apart. He’s a guy who likes to fight on the inside and throw lots of overhand punches and hooks. I’ll break him down like I did my last opponent.”
Magdaleno is motivated by those who might perceive him as the guy who falls short.
The 33-year-old brother of Jessie Magdaleno plans to beat Cruz and then make the most of his next opportunity to fight for a world title, which could come next year. Cruz is ranked No. 6 by the IBF, Magdaleno No. 10. Lopez, who fights Vasiliy Lomachenko on Oct. 17, is the IBF champ.
“What I know is that when everyone counts you out, you just have to believe in yourself,” he said. “When I decide to hang up the gloves, it’ll be because I want to, not because others say I should.
“I have my confidence back now and I’m very happy with where I’m going.”