By Mark Vester

After Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. made weight for their showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, they both traded some final verbal jabs.

Mayweather, tired of not receiving the proper respect from the press, wants no excuses if he beats De La Hoya in dominating fashion.

"I beat the best that they put in front of me in my era," Mayweather (37-0, 24 KOs) said. "Every time I make an A-class fighter look like D-class fighter, (the media) doesn't want to give me the props I really deserve. I didn't live in the Muhammad Ali era. I didn't live in Sugar Ray Robinson's era. This is Floyd Mayweather's era. I can only beat the guys they put in front of me."

"I got respect for Ali, he's a legend. Sugar Ray Robinson, he's a legend. Sugar Ray Leonard, he's a legend. But this is my time. De La Hoya can't bring his name into the ring," Mayweather said. "Names don't win fights. Popularity doesn't win fights. When I beat him, I already know what they're going to say: 'But he's old; he's over the hill.' Well, we're both in our 30s — he's 34, I'm 30. How is that such a big difference? I'm going to dominate. Don't be surprised if I stop him. Don't be surprised."

De La Hoya says that he is in the best shape of his life, and does not want Mayweather or the fans to be surprised when he matches Floyd's speed in the ring.

"I feel great, I feel very comfortable as always," De La Hoya said. "As always, I come in, in great shape. The thing people don't know about me is that I think when you have somebody that has those fast-twitch (muscle) movements like Mayweather, I kind of convert myself into that too. So don't be surprised if I'm faster than Mayweather. I think a lot of people are going to be extremely surprised when they see an Oscar up there that is going to match his speed or surpass it. I'm not afraid of him. I don't think I'm afraid of anybody."