I actually really like both guys. Stevie's skills were legit, but his tendency to coast through rounds led to close fights, with the judges voting against him, as against Cesar Bazan and later against JLC twice. Even though I'm a huge fan of JLC, I feel like Stevie could have been 4-0 in those fights, instead of 1-2-1 if he brought more consistent intensity with his game. Although he wasn't feather fisted, a lack of serious punching power didn't help either. He also had bad luck outside the ring. Overall his career was a bit of a disapointment, given how talented he was. I also liked Diaz. His early career was hurt for a long time when he was dropped by Ubaldo Hernandez en route to scrapping by with a split verdict. When Diaz had a bit of an emotional meltdown, crying profusely after the decision was read, it created an enduring impression that Diaz was a pampered prospect and that he was mentally weak. Obviously, anyone who paid attention in the ensuing years found out Diaz was anything but mentally weak. Still, when Diaz beat Lakva Sim to lift an alphabet strap, the perception was that he was the weakest of the titlists/top contenders in a formidable group that included: Julio Diaz, JLC, Chico Corrales, Freitas, Jesus Chavez etc. Although he had some soft ball defenses (Billy Irwin. Randy Suico) Diaz eventually proved he was world class.
