Diaz Jr. signs, wins with Golden Boy

Junior featherweight prospect Joseph "Jo Jo" Diaz Jr., a 20-year-old from South El Monte, Calif., and a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, signed a promotional agreement with Golden Boy Promotions before his four-round unanimous decision over Vicente Alfaro in at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena on Saturday.

Diaz's professional debut took place against Alfaro (5-3, 1 KO), of Northfield, Minn., on the undercard of the CBS-televised Leo Santa Cruz-Alberto Guevara fight.

According to ESPN.com, the Santa Cruz-Guevara telecast rated 1.3 and retained 90 percent of the audiece from the NBA basketball game which preceded it.

"We've all watched Joseph grow up as an athlete and a young man over the years in the amateurs, and all the Southern California fight fans are proud of his success thus far. He looked like a veteran this weekend in earning his first professional win and now we're looking forward to taking him to a world championship," said Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy.

"Golden Boy Promotions is extremely proud to add 'Jo Jo' to our star-studded roster and know he has the right attitude in and out of the ring to make it in this great sport. I guarantee that once you see this humble and talented young man, you will see the same potential we do."

Diaz expressed similar enthusiasm.

"I've always been a fan of Oscar De La Hoya, and he's been a great example for young fighters like myself. So to work with him and the Golden Boy Promotions team is an honor," said Diaz.

"I was a little nervous before my first professional fight on Saturday night, but now that it is under my belt, I can't wait to get back into the ring as soon as possible and continue to show what I can do."

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com