PROSPECT WATCH: CARLOS IVAN VELASQUEZ - ** He beat gamboa in the amateurs.

BT PROSPECT WATCH: CARLOS IVAN VELASQUEZ by Ryan Burton Super feather says Andres Ledezma is his next foe Puerto Rican super featherweight prospect: Carlos Ivan Velasquez speaks to **********'s Ryan Burton. Vasquez fights May 8th on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. **********: What is new with you? Carlos Velasquez: I am just relaxing. I have been out for a while but I feel that I have progressed a lot as a professional these last couple months. I am going to show that on Friday. I feel that I have really progressed. BT: When did you get hurt? CV: I got hurt sparring and that is why I haven't fought since September (Marquez-Casamayor undercard). BT: Has your opponent been named yet for Friday? CV: I think its Andres Ledezma. BT: What are the keys to victory? CV: The keys are I will study my opponent and see his errors. When I see him make a mistake I am going to make him pay for it. I having been training hard and I will be ready for the fight. I am a very technical boxer. I like to out scheme my opponent. When I step into the ring I always have bad intentions. BT: You are 9-0 with 8 knockouts so is it safe to say you will be looking for a knockout? CV: I go into every fight with the frame of mind that I am just going to let my hands go. If I knock him out I knock him out. I am not the type of guy that goes in looking for a knockout. BT: Tell us about your amateur experience. CV: The amateurs were a great experience. I had a lot of tough fights. I had to solve a lot of difficult fights and I have been able to cross over to a pro style and that amateur experience has really helped me get to where I am. I had a great amateur career. BT: You beat 2004 Olympic Gold medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa in the amateurs. Tell us about that fight. CV: I thought the fight was going to be a little tougher actually. There was a lot of hype around Gamboa. It was a little easier than I thought. I was able to control the distance. It helped my confidence to get the ring with such a great fighter and beat him. It shows if I can beat Gamboa I can beat any world champion. BT: What boxer did you look up to when you were growing up? CV: Tito Trinidad was my favorite. BT: What are your goals in the sport of boxing? CV: I want to become world champion. I want to get the belt and I want to make money. I have a big family to support. I love boxing but of course I want to get paid too. Hopefully I can become successful and help out my family. BT: When do you think you will be ready for a title shot? CV: I think after 3 or 4 more fights. I need to get the right guys in front of me. I need to get past these 8 rounders and get a 3 or 4 ten rounders and I will be ready to go. Hopefully by January of next year. BT: What did you think of the Pacquiao-Hatton fight? CV: I knew it was going to happen. I just didn't think it would happen that fast. Hatton can't defend himself against southpaws. Pacquiao is a great fighter and him being left handed made it that much easier for him. BT: Do you have message for the fans? CV: I just want to let the fans know that I am back. Not only me but my brother (Juan Carlos Velasquez) too. We have been out a while but we are training hard and we are going to come back ready to go. I hope the fans watch our fights and by the end of the year or early next year hopefully we both have world titles.