Oscar De La Hoya: Thank you, thank you very much Richard. Well I’ll tell you a bit about my training. Just before I start about my training I just want to say that I don’t know what I would have done without Mayweather Sr. back on my team. I really thought it was over. I really thought I was, you know, getting close to hanging up the gloves but Mayweather Sr. just brings out the best in me and, you know, this training camp has been no exception.
Stevie Forbes mentioned that, you know, I’m probably looking past him because a showdown with Mayweather in September but that’s not the case. I’ve been training since January for this fight and, you know, we’ve been taking the necessary steps to be ready and ready I am. I’m – Mayweather has just taken it to another level, the way he always does in all my fights.
You know, I want to obviously say that Freddie Roach is a tremendous trainer and he is by far the, you know, one of the top two or three best trainers out there in the world. But I just think that me and Floyd have this connection that we just work so well together that it just makes me want to elevate my game. So, you know, for anyone who thinks that I’m overlooking Stevie Forbes that’s not the case whatsoever. So now I’ll go ahead and answer some questions for the media.
Dan Rafael: Oscar, can you just describe just a little bit about when, you know, obviously you had the break with Floyd Sr. to take care of the Floyd Jr. fight last year. Can you talk about what it was like to actually go back into camp with him and at any time in camp you guys ever – I know I’m sure you went over the fight a little bit and whatever, but have you talked about the situation leading up and the split and then the back together? Because it was a little messy there for a minute or two and I’m wondering how that worked out in the beginning of camp.
Oscar De La Hoya: Well when I called Floyd Sr. after the Mayweather Jr. fight, it was a couple of months after the fight actually after the Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight, it was like if nothing happened. I called Floyd Sr. and told him so are you ready now Floyd Sr.? And he says absolutely, I’m ready to get back in there and just, you know, work on a few things that, you know, are going to get you right back to the top. And so it was a conversation that just, you know, like if nothing happened.
And, you know, we’ve been talking about my performance, my last performance almost every day. We go through it every single day. And, you know, I’m training for Floyd Mayweather now and, you know, my focus is obviously Stevie Forbes and but the main goal is to beat Floyd Jr. and so, you know, with having that in mind, with having that mindset, you know, I’m going to be in tremendous, tremendous shape.
I mean, I’m struggling – I’m really, you know, starving myself to make 150. I mean, it’s – I have to work to make the weight and I’ve already been on weight for a couple of weeks so it’s – we’re getting down to, you know, hard, tough training and that’s what Floyd Sr. does for me. And, you know, but our relationship, it’s always a good one. You know, we just had that little snitch in the last fight which is understandable and now it’s just back to business.
Dan Rafael: Oscar one other question. You’ve been down this road before with the “(Tuno) fight.” I remember in particular most recently the Felix Sturm fight to get ready for what was a big fight with Bernard Hopkins that followed that. You know, obviously you didn’t come in the best shape in that fight. A lot of people thought you lost that fight. I wonder how do you prevent yourself – I know you’re saying all the right things right now but how do you in your mind prevent yourself from thinking ahead to Floyd Jr. in a rematch I know you really want bad?
Oscar De La Hoya: Well the goal is to fight these three fights this year and leave on top because there is not going to be a 2009 or there’s not going to be no other fight after December. So my body can still do this. My mind still wants to do it.
I mean, you know, my cut man (Joe Chavez) who’s over 70 years of age who has been in this business forever tells me you know what, if you’re tired of training, if your mind doesn’t want to train, that’s when you should retire. Well I’m not there yet. You know, I want these three fights and go out like a champion. Because I for sure know it’s going to be the last time I step inside that ring in December.
So, you know, there’s no looking past Stevie Forbes. I mean, we’ve been – I’ve been training so hard for this fight just like if it was a – the most important fight of my life. And it is. It is because I don’t feel like a champion, I’m not a champion, I feel like a contender. And, you know, that’s how we’re going to fight — like a contender inside that ring. And so it’s been a lot of hard work but we’re definitely ready.
And, you know, with the Felix Sturm fight I did look past him. I did, you know, not train for him and was sluggish and slow. I didn’t feel like a winner in that fight, you know, I felt like a loser. And so it’s a hard lesson to learn but, you know, I’m glad it happened back then instead of now because I’m ready to have a big year this year.
Operator: Our next question is coming from Diego Martinez, a reformer from Mexico.
Diego Martinez: ((Spanish Spoken)).
Oscar De La Hoya: ((Spanish Spoken)).
Kelly Swanson: Oscar can you interpret that for us please?
Oscar De La Hoya: Yes, how it’s going to feel to fight in front of more than 30,000 people. You know, it’s going to be a great experience. You know, being in front of so many people and they’re watching you perform just elevates your performance.
You know, I was fortunate enough to fight in front of more than 50,000 people in Texas, you know, but I believe this is going to be an event where you have your hometown fans, you have your family watching. It’s going to be some pressure which obviously every fight is but, you know, at the same time it’s going to help you elevate your performance because you just want to go out there and perform well in front of your hometown fans.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question is coming from Lance Pugmire of Los Angeles Times.
Lance Pugmire: Good to talk to you. Hey I wanted to ask you, you know, with your homecoming fight, how do you – this may be the same answer but how do you hope and how do you think you’re perceived by LA’s Latino community?
Oscar De La Hoya: Well I mean, LA in general, I mean, that’s my home. I grew up in LA all my life and, you know, it’s going to be incredible. I can’t wait to be in front of more than 30,000 people there at the Home Depot Center. Knowing that they’re there to support, you know, this fight, you know, knowing that they’re going to get a great performance, you know, because Stevie Forbes is coming to fight obviously.
He’s – like he says this is his dream, you know, this is his dream fight and he said he had a dream the other night that his hands were raised. And so in order for him to beat me it’s going to take something special because I’m in tremendous shape and ready to give the hometown fans a spectacular, spectacular show.
You know, I kid around with Floyd and with my team saying, you know, I was fighting only once a year so I can save the best for last for the tail end of my career. Well this is it. You know, this is it. Three fights and I’m gone and I’m definitely going to give it my all.
And I truly feel with what we’ve been doing in the gym with Floyd Sr. I truly feel until this day people haven’t seen the best of me. People still haven’t seen me on my toes dancing around in the ring and popping my jab, you know, 40, 50, 60 times around. People have not seen that and I sure hope and I’m waiting for that moment to happen and I feel it’s going to happen come May 3.
Lance Pugmire: But how do you feel, you know, the basic, you know, every man of LA looks at Oscar De La Hoya? I mean, do they look at him as like this shining beacon of this is how, you know, to make your, you know, something out of yourself? Can you elaborate on that point, I mean, what the hope and inspiration you think that you may provide to people who will be coming to this fight?
Oscar De La Hoya: Absolutely, I mean, just the fact that I grew up in East Los Angeles where people perceive East Los Angeles as this tough and rough neighborhood which I’m sure it is but to a certain extent you have people like myself who want to succeed, who want to work hard and, you know, become successful and live that American Dream the way I’m living it. You know, you’ll be very surprised of how many people think like that in LA.
And, you know, I’ve been an inspiration, I’ve been hope for many people especially in my community because I made it. I struggled and, you know, I came from humble beginnings and I made it. And so a lot of people, you know, see themselves doing it and a lot of people tell their kids look, Oscar grew up here and he went to Garfield High School, he went to (Port Bolivar) Elementary School, he went to Griffiths Junior High School, so why can’t you do it? If he did it you can do it.
So, you know, it’s an honor to be perceived that way and I’m going to continue to fight and make sure that message is out there, you know, the message of working hard and always keeping your head up no matter what.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question is coming from Robert Morales of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Robert Morales: Nice to talk to you man. Hey listen, just two quick questions man. This is obviously the biggest fight of Stevie Forbes’ career, his biggest opportunity, not even close. Put yourself in his place for just a second. What would you be thinking right about now?
Oscar De La Hoya: Well I would be thinking upset. I would be thinking upset because he’s probably thinking oh Oscar’s not training for me. He’s already thinking about Floyd Jr., he’s already thinking about, you know, he’s been in big fights and why should he train hard for me, I’m just Stevie Forbes.
Robert Morales: Right, exactly, okay. And the other question would be Oscar is – and don’t take this the wrong way. I’m just – rumors, you know, that I heard. But is there any truth to the rumor that the reason you rehired Floyd Sr. is because you knew how much publicity would be created once you fought his son again which of course would, you know, amount to more pay-per-view buys, that whole thing?
Oscar De La Hoya: Not at all, not at all. I’m still fighting because I want to be on top again. I’m still fighting because I want to be champion again. And, you know, the competitive side in me chose this fight, you know, the champion side of me chose this fight, chose the trainer. You know, I’m doing what’s best for me inside that ring. You know, it doesn’t matter what publicity is going to stir up or, you know, and me and Sr. already talked about this.
You know, he’s already mentioned it to me saying oh well, you know, in my interviews they’re always trying to play me and my son together and this and that and I go you know what? Then don’t do anything. You don’t have to say nothing. You know, just all we have to do is work, train, and make sure we beat whoever we have to beat up in that ring. And so, you know, it’s a matter of having the right trainer and the right trainer for me is Floyd Sr.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question is coming from Pablo Socorro of Agencia France Paris.
Pablo Socorro: ((Spanish Spoken)).
Oscar De La Hoya: ((Spanish Spoken)).
Kelly Swanson: Oscar can you translate that for me please?
Oscar De La Hoya: Yes he asked why do I keep on fighting or what motivates me, what keeps me going. You know, I’ve solidified my history and my boxing career and, you know, what keeps me going. And I go well it’s the passion and the love I have for boxing. This is what I do. This is what I do and I love fighting. I love training. I still love training. I mean, I am always looking for something that I haven’t done my last fight. I’m always looking for something new.
You know, I mean, just in this training camp which people are going to be very surprised, just in this training camp after so many years I found out how to relax in the ring instead of just fighting tense which obviously is going to allow me to fight 12 rounds with no problem. I mean, when you fight tense you get tired and that’s – and I just found that out, you know, in this training camp.
So, I mean, little things like that is, you know, things like that just keep you going and you can always do better. You know, I mean, Mayweather has been telling me for years you’ve got to relax, you have to relax, you know. Throw your combinations but then after just relax. And I tried, couldn’t do it, but just this training camp this just came up so now, you know, now maybe it’s going to keep me around for another five years, who knows?