Robert Morales,
LA Daily News : Yesterday on Oscar’s conference call in one breath he said, anybody thinking that I’m looking past seeing Forbes is wrong, I already did that with Felix Stern. In another breath he says, I kind feel like I’m already training for Floyd Mayweather. How focused do you think Oscar really just on you and not looking past Floyd.
Steve Forbes: Well, I think he’s, a little more focused on me than people might think just because the simple fact of who he is training with. Like I said, I’ve trained with the Mayweather’s pretty much my whole career and actually I never lost a fight with him either. So I’m sure, I’m more than sure that Big Floyd has put it in his head to be ready for Steve, so I think, I would say it’s a little natural for him to kind of look at the super fight, but I don’t think he’s overlooking me as people may think. But I saw those comments yesterday myself, but I thought, Floyd is drilling in his head that, first things first, so I think is more a little more talk than what’s really going at camp.
Morales: Looking at your record, you’ve had a fight or so with a nine count. So the count is no big deal for you. Are you ready to fight many rounds with Oscar?
Steve Forbes: Absolutely, I’m a decision fighter. If you watch my fights, I get stronger down the stretch, you know, I’m not a sprinter, I’m a marathon guy, I’m prepared to go twelve hard rounds. If there was some miracle knockout that I was able to lay, hey I would take it. But of course that’s not my game, my game is being smart at boxing. So, I’m not going to say hey I’m going to try to knock Oscar out because that’s stupid. I’m going to use my skills and try to get the points.
Lance Pugmire,
LA Times: Building off that point, how do you see the fight transpiring? I mean what should we expect to see if you have a dream scenario in the fight, a knockout?
Steve Forbes: I see this is the fight that Oscar really trying to force the issue early on. I’d say the first few rounds to try to make me believe that I shouldn’t be in there with him. And I’ve already had this over and over in my mind and dreamed about it, he’s going to really try to press the issue by trying to make me believe that maybe I shouldn’t be in there. It’s a mental fight, and then I see me overcoming that and being smart. People are going to see a lot of things that they haven’t seen a fighter do in a very long time and I’m very confident on that and I just see me winning a fight. It may get a little boring at times during the fight, but I think for the most part it’s going to be really, really exciting because I know Oscar wants to excite the crowd. I do too, I would hate to come into a fight like this, especially being the underdog and not be exciting. I want fans to remember me. I think it’s going to be a good, action packed fight and you’ll definitely see that I’m not intimidated whatsoever.
Lance Pugmire: To Stevie or Jeff – how much pressure, following the Gomez outing against Miguel Cotto, is there to uphold the reputation of The Contender brand?
Jeff Wald: Each of these guys, fight for themselves. I don’t think Golden Boy or Top Rank or any of them feel they have to pull the brand. I think that we’re the only company that gets that question because of coming off the TV show and people talk about reality. The one thing with Gomez is he never stopped fighting, the doctor stopped that fight. You know, he was out matched, no question about that in that fight, and he’ll come back and he’ll fight some others. Remember, when Cotto got beaten just as badly, he came back and beat Foley for the championship. But I think Steve Forbes stands on his own. His records stands on its own, his accomplishments before The Contender as a world champion stand on its own, and are we proud of him being a Contender fighter? The answer is yes. Would it be a thrill for us and for our brand to have him win? The answer is yes. But at the end of the day, Stevie Forbes fights for Stevie Forbes, he fights for Valerie Forbes, he fights for his baby, he fights for the same reason all of these kids fight, they fight for themselves and their family. We’re pleased to have a great relationship with our fighters and it would be great for us too. But the whole thing about us being embarrassed, were not embarrassed or any of that, it’s really in the press’s head, not the public’s. The public looks at each of these fights to see if they’re competitive, fun to watch, entertaining, and whether they get their money’s worth. And I will say this, Oscar didn’t become the draw he is becoming, he’s the largest draw in boxing by far, by being stupid in what his choice for opponents, for the most part throughout his career, he’s picked opponents that give him a good fight. Sometimes even through his detriment where he might have lost. Is he expected to win this? Of course he is. All fighters expect to win.
But I think that Oscar knows because he knows boxing and as Stevie said, Floyd Mayweather, Sr. knows that it’s a competitive fight, period. There is no easy Stevie Forbes and Oscar wants to prove something to move on before he retires, and this is Stevie Forbes’ opportunity to put his place in history as well. And say that guy’s really, really motivated, really professional, been in front of big audiences before, they’re fighting for themselves. I don’t think, The Contender is what it’s about to Stevie. It’s about Stevie.
Lance Pugmire: And I want to add to that I think the Contender, what they have really done, they given fighters an opportunity to expose themselves and really build themselves. You know, you have some of them winning, some of them losing, you see Alfonso Gomez when he beat Arturo Gotti stopped him more than you have Brian Vera beating Andy Lee. So it really is if you put fighters in good fights, obviously everybody wants to win, but win or lose, that doesn’t mean that this the end of a fighter. It basically if they are an exciting fight, it’s really often it’s just the beginning.
Jeff Wald: Yeah, nobody cared who won with Gotti. They’re just great fights and, you know, and Richard’s right, our business, all of our business if to provide – we’re entertainment, we’re entertainment. The television, we’re entertainment for the people who pay a lot money to come to the events and at the end of the day, you know, the public roots, they have their favorites, but all they care about when they leave, did they see a great exciting fight, did they have fun, did they get their money’s worth? You know, it’s like going to a good movie or a bad movie. And, you know, I think where Golden Boy has done very successfully, especially in the past couple of years is, put on good competitive entertaining fights. And that’s why the public is growing. That’s why we might do 10 million on HBO, that’s why the countdown to the fight with Forbes and De La Hoya was one of the highest rated programs ever for HBO. Because the public has gotten use to a certain standard and same thing with The Contender, we put on entertaining matches in five rounds and give these guys exposure. And then it’s up to them how they take it to the next level.
We love to see our guys win just the way Richard does, and I thank Richard, we have given guys exposure. But at the end of the day when they get in the ring, Oscar is thinking of nothing but what’s in front of him, not thinking of his company or his businesses and Stevie Forbes isn’t thinking about me, I hope.
Ramon Miranda,
411mania.com: First of all, I just want to say congratulations on your performance in The Contender, given you’re last couple of fights, you’ve looked very good especially against Cotto. Now tell me a little bit about you’re game now you’ve been fighting pretty often, you’ve had – this will be like your third fight within the last 14, 15 months and Oscar will be his first in the last year.
So obviously he’s going to be a little bit rusty, like most fighters are, so are you looking to advantage of that? Trying to get some points early?
Steve Forbes: Yeah, I think so. Oscar is very strong, can punch very good. So any advantages that I have I’m going to take them I’ll try to push the pace. But I’ve got to be careful because Oscar is a I don’t want to say, oh he’s actually younger than a lot of these fighters that are legends. But he’s an old legend so I kind of want to push the pace, but be very careful because Oscar is one of the smartest fighters that I’ve ever seen. So it’ll be fun to match wits with a guy like that, as far as boxing intelligence. I think it’s a thinking man’s fight but I will definitely will try to push the pace a little bit being that I believe he’ll be a little bit rusty for the first few rounds or so, but I think he’ll be fine after that.
Jeff Wald: And I want to say one thing about the laid off factor. Foreman laid off for almost 10 years before he came back and Sugar Ray Leonard fought Hagler after a five year layoff. So I think what Stevie said is absolutely right, Oscar’s ring rust is going to last about one half of the first round.
Elias Cepeda,
Inside Fighting: The show on HBO talked about how you’ve been studying footage ever since you were a young child and I’m assuming that you’ve been studying Oscar’s fights in this group very carefully. Many people have been talking about ways in which you supposedly don’t match up with him. But do you feel that in your study that found some weaknesses in him that you can exploit?
Steve Forbes: Absolutely, I have. Will I divulge that information? No. But no, I’ve seen little, I mean it’s not really weaknesses it’s just kind of a little lapses as far as in concentration at moments in a fight You don’t become a legend like Oscar by having too many weaknesses. So I wouldn’t say that, I would say little lapses in focus, which a lot of fighters have, which I have, which 99% of each fighter has. So I’ve found little cases that I think will work for me.
Elias Cepeda: Would you see a win over De La Hoya as simply a great punctuation on what has already been in championship career or do you plan to use it when to go on and accomplish a lot more? Do you see yourself pushing forward for a while longer with your career and using that repel it?
Steve Forbes: Oh absolutely, I would see a win to keep pushing. I’m only 31 years old, it seems like I’ve been around a long time. But I’m 31 years old, I would love to fight, to continue to fight great fighters. You got heavy weights that want to come down and fight Oscar De La Hoya, that’s how much he’s been to boxing. So absolutely I would want to capitalize off it.
Elias Cepeda: One quick follow up there, what was your reaction and what was kind of like for you and your family, and your wife’s kind of initial conversation in talk when you were offered this fight? I know you’ve been talking about it’s a great opportunity, but I’m wondering if you could take fans of yours into that moment there and what was going through you’re guys’ heads and in terms of possibilities and what might lay ahead.
Steve Forbes: I got the call and when I knew it was a serious call I was in a little shock. Because I was like, things like this don’t happen for me. So of course you kind of get the unreal attitude like this is not serious, you know. But I think after maybe an hour or so, it’s like okay, now, we got to get to work. This is serious. Of course this is a huge opportunity, but best believe Oscar’s going to come to knock my head off. So now it’s time to get ready for a fight and start getting your camp and everything set together because it’s a great opportunity and I’m excited, but at the same time you got a man that you got to be prepared for and make sure that you’ve earned everything you get in the ring. So from that point I was excited and happy, the next point I was like wow man, I got a little worried and said, okay I better make sure I dot the I’s and cross the T’s and get myself ready to fight. So that’s what we had a conversation about.
Chris Cozzone,
FightNews.com: Win or lose with Oscar, do you have any plans at all to go down in weight because there’s been a whole lot of talk about you coming up and have you ever thought about going back down to say 135 to fight, try to challenge (Diaz or Nate or someone?
Steve Forbes: I don’t know, I would have to talk to Jeff Wald about that and possibility, I’m sure we’ll be doing some stuff with Golden Boy and Richard Schaefer. But, actually probably the most comfortable I feel is 140 lbs. You never know, win or lose if I’ll come down in weight. I’m sure I could make 140 pretty easy, but I’ll see how I feel after the fight- win or lose, about how I feel about the weight.
David Avila,
Riverside Press: Steve when Roger Mayweather left the camp, how did you feel, did you get pissed at Floyd Jr?
Steve Forbes: Well knowing Floyd since we were kids, I was more disappointed in Floyd that he picked that time to do that, I mean we were already in camp three weeks. It was no secret that Roger was going to train me for the fight, It was announced at the press conference. I just thought he could have did that a different way. And so I wasn’t pissed at Roger, me and Roger talked about it – I actually talk to him at least once week. We still have a great relationship. It’s not a problem, I went to go visit him last week, no problem with Roger. I just felt like Floyd could have did it a little different.
David Avila: Who do you spar with to prepare for a guy like Oscar?
Steve Forbes: Well there’s a lot of big guys, Nobody quite fights like Oscar. So you get some big guys and some could be some strong guys and just work on what you need to work on to get ready for a fight like that.
Franklin McNeal,
Newark Star Ledger: Steve, I’m kind of following up on David’s question. But it has to do with the changing of the trainers. Not so much how it transpired, but the fact that normally when people think of changing a trainer especially at the timing of it that happened with you, but there would be a kind of a disruption. But the fact that it was going from Roger to Jeff, has the transition been relatively smooth for you?
Steve Forbes: Yeah, it’s been real smooth, like I stated I’ve been knowing the Mayweather’s’ since I was 17 years old and I’ve trained with all of them.Even in the time I trained with Roger, Roger would have to leave out of town and so I work with Jeff. With Floyd – when I worked with Big Floyd, he’d have to go with another fighter and Jeff would come in or I would work with Roger. So it’s not a problem at all it was, it was handled in maybe like three minutes. Not a problem at all. It would have been a different trainer, let’s say another style, type of trainer, it would been really, really crucial I think, really tough to adjust. But the fact that it was Jeff Mayweather, it was easy.
Franklin McNeal: So the fights are pretty much is the same.
Steve Forbes: Yes, it’s the absolute same.
“Homecoming” — On Saturday, May 3, De La Hoya will face former world champion Steve Forbes, in what will be the first-ever boxing event at The Home Depot Center’s soccer stadium. The bout will also mark De La Hoya’s return home to fight for the first time in Los Angeles since 2000 as well as his return to HBO’s World Championship Boxing for the first time since 2001. Homecoming” is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Tournament of Contenders, AEG and The Home Depot Center and is sponsored by Cazadores, Tecate, Rockstar Energy Drink, Southwest Airlines and Affliction Clothing. The match up will be televised live by HBO’s World Championship Boxing beginning at 10pm ET / 7pm PT.
Tickets priced starting at $25.00 may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 213-480-3232 or by visiting ticketsmaster.com. Group tickets, VIP packages and Hospitality packages are available by calling 1-877-AEG-TICKETS (1-877-234-8425) or by visiting www.aegtickets.com.