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De La Hoya says willpower matters most
BOXING: De La Hoya says willpower matters most
By Robert Morales, Staff Writer
Created: 08/28/2009 09:02:56 PM PDT
Oscar De La Hoya found out the hard way when he fought Manny Pacquiao last December that it isn't always the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
De La Hoya, who was stopped after eight rounds and never fought again, is hopeful that old adage will ring true when Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico steps into the ring with Floyd Mayweather Jr., by far Marquez's largest opponent.
They will tangle Sept.19 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It be televised on HBO pay-per-view. De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions - co-promoter along with Mayweather Promotions - also announced the event will be available in 170 movie theaters across the country.
"We're coming into a new era in boxing where weight doesn't matter anymore," De La Hoya said this week. "It's all about who wants to fight, who has the better skill, who really wants it. I think in past fights, including mine with Manny Pacquiao, it doesn't matter how big you are. It doesn't matter how small you are.
"It matters how much you want it because inside the ring, if you fight until the end, you're going to win the fight."
When Pacquiao fought De La Hoya, they signed to fight at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.
Pacquiao had not fought higher than 135 and De La Hoya had not fought at 147 in more than 71/2 years after topping out at 160 pounds.
Marquez never has weighed more than 135 for a fight while
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Mayweather has fought four times at 147 and once at 150 (against De La Hoya).
This may seem like an automatic advantage for Mayweather, but De La Hoya doesn't see it that way.
De La Hoya was drained the night he fought Pacquiao because he seemed to go too far in making sure he made the 147-pound contractual limit - and weighed in at 145. Pacquiao weighed in at 142.
Promoters for Marquez- Mayweather refuse to say for sure for reasons unknown, but sources said the stipulated weight for this fight is 143. The lowest weight at which Mayweather has competed the past four years is 146.
"I think it's going to be a huge advantage for Marquez going up a few pounds and Mayweather having to come down, just the way it was with Pacquiao and myself," De La Hoya said. "I feel that people know Mayweather is in for one tough fight on Sept. 19."
Marquez (50-4-1, 37 knockouts) also spoke with confidence this week from his training camp in Mexico City. Asked how he is doing with the added weight, he reminded us this fight originally was scheduled for July but postponed when Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) sustained a training camp injury.
"It actually helped us, you know, to continue working on building muscle," Marquez said. "But right now I'm approximately 65 kilos. And I'm very happy. I mean, it's all muscle and I feel good. I feel strong."
Sixty-five kilos just happens to be 143 pounds.
What about speed, Marquez was asked. Pumping up often slows the hands of a fighter, but Marquez said that is not the case. He said he starts his sparring sessions with big gloves and finishes them with smaller gloves to help him retain his hand speed.
It also was suggested to Marquez's trainer, Nacho Beristain, that Marquez may be slower afoot because of his added weight. Against someone like Mayweather - who is known for tremendous hand and foot speed - this could be a big detriment to Marquez.
"There's always a concern when you're bulking up in weight and working and training that you're going to lose some speed," Beristain said. "But, no, on the contrary, I'm very happy to say that Juan at this point in training has been acquiring much more speed than in fights in the past."
Marquez is 36, so it's difficult to believe he could be faster than ever. One thing that is certain is Marquez has nothing to lose. And since this fight is on Mexican Independence Day weekend, there very well could be many more Marquez supporters in the stands.
Add to that Mayweather, 32, hasn't fought for a year and eightmonths, and the pressure is on the man who has nicknamed himself "Money" Mayweather.
"Marquez will have the whole nation of Mexico behind him ... and having that pressure on Mayweather is a lot of pressure because he has to perform," De La Hoya said. "He has been away for almost two years and he has to perform, so I think it's going to be one tremendous fight where you can never, ever count out the smaller guy."
De La Hoya should know.
HBO's award-winning 24/7 documentary series on this fight debuts tonight at 10:15. The second and third episodes will be shown the next two Saturdays at 10 p.m. with the final episode to air on Sept. 18 at 9:30. Each episode will have multiple replays during the week.
By Robert Morales, Staff Writer
Created: 08/28/2009 09:02:56 PM PDT
Oscar De La Hoya found out the hard way when he fought Manny Pacquiao last December that it isn't always the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
De La Hoya, who was stopped after eight rounds and never fought again, is hopeful that old adage will ring true when Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico steps into the ring with Floyd Mayweather Jr., by far Marquez's largest opponent.
They will tangle Sept.19 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It be televised on HBO pay-per-view. De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions - co-promoter along with Mayweather Promotions - also announced the event will be available in 170 movie theaters across the country.
"We're coming into a new era in boxing where weight doesn't matter anymore," De La Hoya said this week. "It's all about who wants to fight, who has the better skill, who really wants it. I think in past fights, including mine with Manny Pacquiao, it doesn't matter how big you are. It doesn't matter how small you are.
"It matters how much you want it because inside the ring, if you fight until the end, you're going to win the fight."
When Pacquiao fought De La Hoya, they signed to fight at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.
Pacquiao had not fought higher than 135 and De La Hoya had not fought at 147 in more than 7
Marquez never has weighed more than 135 for a fight while
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mayweather has fought four times at 147 and once at 150 (against De La Hoya).
This may seem like an automatic advantage for Mayweather, but De La Hoya doesn't see it that way.
De La Hoya was drained the night he fought Pacquiao because he seemed to go too far in making sure he made the 147-pound contractual limit - and weighed in at 145. Pacquiao weighed in at 142.
Promoters for Marquez- Mayweather refuse to say for sure for reasons unknown, but sources said the stipulated weight for this fight is 143. The lowest weight at which Mayweather has competed the past four years is 146.
"I think it's going to be a huge advantage for Marquez going up a few pounds and Mayweather having to come down, just the way it was with Pacquiao and myself," De La Hoya said. "I feel that people know Mayweather is in for one tough fight on Sept. 19."
Marquez (50-4-1, 37 knockouts) also spoke with confidence this week from his training camp in Mexico City. Asked how he is doing with the added weight, he reminded us this fight originally was scheduled for July but postponed when Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) sustained a training camp injury.
"It actually helped us, you know, to continue working on building muscle," Marquez said. "But right now I'm approximately 65 kilos. And I'm very happy. I mean, it's all muscle and I feel good. I feel strong."
Sixty-five kilos just happens to be 143 pounds.
What about speed, Marquez was asked. Pumping up often slows the hands of a fighter, but Marquez said that is not the case. He said he starts his sparring sessions with big gloves and finishes them with smaller gloves to help him retain his hand speed.
It also was suggested to Marquez's trainer, Nacho Beristain, that Marquez may be slower afoot because of his added weight. Against someone like Mayweather - who is known for tremendous hand and foot speed - this could be a big detriment to Marquez.
"There's always a concern when you're bulking up in weight and working and training that you're going to lose some speed," Beristain said. "But, no, on the contrary, I'm very happy to say that Juan at this point in training has been acquiring much more speed than in fights in the past."
Marquez is 36, so it's difficult to believe he could be faster than ever. One thing that is certain is Marquez has nothing to lose. And since this fight is on Mexican Independence Day weekend, there very well could be many more Marquez supporters in the stands.
Add to that Mayweather, 32, hasn't fought for a year and eightmonths, and the pressure is on the man who has nicknamed himself "Money" Mayweather.
"Marquez will have the whole nation of Mexico behind him ... and having that pressure on Mayweather is a lot of pressure because he has to perform," De La Hoya said. "He has been away for almost two years and he has to perform, so I think it's going to be one tremendous fight where you can never, ever count out the smaller guy."
De La Hoya should know.
HBO's award-winning 24/7 documentary series on this fight debuts tonight at 10:15. The second and third episodes will be shown the next two Saturdays at 10 p.m. with the final episode to air on Sept. 18 at 9:30. Each episode will have multiple replays during the week.
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