INSIDE CAMP DE LA HOYA – AN INTERVIEW WITH MAYWEATHER
By Ron Brashear
Inside Boxing Writer/Columnist

Big Bear, CA (IB – August 27, 2004) – Considering we are now only 22 days away from the historic showdown between “Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya (37-3, 29 KOs) and Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins (42-2-1, 1 NC, 31KOs) for the undisputed Middleweight Championship of the World, Insideboxing.com wanted to know how does Floyd Mayweather Sr. prepare Oscar for this challenge? I went straight to the source to find out and here is what Floyd had to say:

RB: Floyd, I see the outcome of this fight as being very dependent on Oscar’s conditioning. Given this, what do you have to do to prepare Oscar physically to make sure he doesn’t run out of gas against Hopkins?

FM: “The method I got for Oscar in preparation for this fight is something new we are trying. During his 4-5 mile runs, there will be spurts where I will have him sprint for a quarter mile, then slow down to jogging speed, then sprint again for another quarter of a mile.”

RB: What are you hoping to accomplish by utilizing this method?

FM: “I am trying to find out if this is the way to get his lungs to open all the way up. Oscar will be in different shape this time around compared to the Sturm fight.”

RB: In preparation for the Felix Sturm fight, team De La Hoya spent a large portion of the training camp in Vero Beach, Florida. For this fight, I see that the bulk of the training is being spent in Big Bear, CA.

FM: “For this fight, the whole training camp is being spent here in Big Bear until we head to Vegas the Wednesday of the fight week.”

RB: Are there any changes in the duration of the training camp for the Hopkins fight vs. the Sturm fight?

FM: “Yes, for the Sturm fight, we trained for about six weeks. This fight we are training for about two months.”

RB: In regards to the making of the weight, do you feel that Oscar has to actually come in at 160 lbs or is it best for him to even get his weight down to 158lbs or so?

FM: “Let me tell you this right here. First of all, the weight class of this fight De La Hoya said Bernard can come in at 160lbs if he wants to but they got it on paper that both of them suppose to weigh 158lbs. I don’t care if De La Hoya comes at 155, 156, or 157. Go with where you are best at, where you feel good. It doesn’t have anything to do with his punching power, etc. We just need Oscar to come in at the weight he feels most comfortable. Most likely, he will weigh-in around 156lbs or 157lbs.”

RB: So do you envision Oscar coming out and gaining an early lead in the fight and forcing Hopkins into a come-from-behind position as the fight comes down the stretch in the late rounds?

FM: “With me in Oscar’s corner, I can’t see how Hopkins can come back. Once we get him in the red, we are going to keep him there. I got the right strategy to defeat Hopkins and all De La Hoya has to do is follow the game plan.”

RB: Are you noticing a different level of focus in this training camp from De La Hoya? I would assume he felt somewhat embarrassed about his conditioning in the Sturm fight even though he was victorious.

FM: “I think it was an embarrassment. Then again it was Oscar’s first time at that weight and the other guy was about 8 years younger. In this fight, Oscar is about 8 years younger, so this will be on the flip side this time. The things that De La Hoya will have over Hopkins are faster hands, faster feet, and he is more of a scientific fighter than Hopkins. Bernard has only truly fought two good fighters. One was Roy Jones and the other one was Felix Trinidad. He is 1-1 against them. He beat Trinidad because Felix is methodical and comes straight in without head movement. He is like a robot. Hopkins will not get that type of fight from Oscar.”

RB: Do you see a point in this fight where Hopkins’ stamina will be tested?

FM: “One thing about Hopkins. He is not an old man, but he is physically an old man. In this fight, he will have to step up the pace. When Oscar gets to popping him with them jabs up & down, Hopkins will have to become more aggressive and more defined in what he is doing, he will have to come on with it – he will be confused.”

RB: So Floyd, if you had to go on record with a prediction, do you see Oscar having enough power to stop Hopkins or do you see Oscar putting on a boxing clinic and winning a decision?

FM: “I see Oscar putting on a boxing clinic and winning the fight by decision. Bernard has fought guys much stronger than Oscar and De La Hoya is not really a full-fledged middleweight. To tell you the honest truth, I could make 147lbs weight with Oscar if I wanted to – I really could. However, that is neither here or there, the fight is signed to go now so we have to go with this as it is. Expect to see Oscar look great in this fight and he will be the winner.”

RB: Thanks for this interview Floyd and good luck on Saturday September the 18th in Vegas.

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Ron Brashear can be contacted at brashear@insideboxing.com, ron@brasheargear.com