Punch enough guys, you can buy your folks a house

Olympic Games boxer Joseph Diaz Junior believes a gold medal in London will pave the way to a bright future as a professional and help drag his parents out of poverty.

The lively 19-year-old, two-time American champion, may be the youngest member of the US team, but he shows maturity beyond his years when he acknowledges the debt he owes his mother and father.

"My family means a lot to me and to see them in the crowd here is an overwhelming experience," he said after his impressive opening bantamweight round win, which set up a bout with Cuban top seed Lazaro Alvarez.