Boxing in Las Vegas: Mayorga speaks out.htm

Ricardo ‘El Matador’ Mayorga was joined by his promoter Don King on an international conference call Tuesday to discuss his May 6 bout against “The Golden Boy” Oscar de la Hoya. The reigning WBC super welterweight champion Ricardo Mayorga (28-5-1, 23 KOs), from Nicaragua, will defend his crown against eight-time world champion Oscar De La Hoya (37-4, 29 KOs), from Los Angeles, when they meet at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 6. This world championship match is being promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Don King Productions and will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

ALAN HOPPER, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, DON KING PRODUCTIONS: Thanks, operator. Hello everyone and welcome to today's conference call with World Boxing Association's Super Welterweight Champion Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga. We'll be joined in just a few moments, by the always colorful “El Matador,” but first I want to let everyone know that Danger Zone, featuring the “Golden Boy” Oscar de la Hoya versus Mayorga will take place on Saturday May 6th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The event is being promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Don King Productions and will be broadcast domestically live on HBO Pay-Per-View. Available to more than 56 million Pay-Per-View homes beginning at nine p.m. Eastern time six p.m. Pacific time with a suggested retail price of $49.95. Telecasts will be available in high definition television for those viewers who are HDTV capable. Tickets to see the event live and in person are priced from $1,250 to $150 and are available at the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office, can be charged by phone by calling Ticket Master or online www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

After concluding a cross-country media promotional tour during the first week in March, “El Matador” set up his training camp in earnest in Miami, mostly at the Fight Club Gym. He is now in Las Vegas making his final preparations. Ricardo is joined on this call by his lawyer, Tony Gonzalez, who will also act as his translator today.

One last reminder before we welcome “El Matador,” Oscar de la Hoya will participate in his international conference call on Thursday at the same number as you called in on today. But at one p.m. Eastern time and ten a.m. Pacific time.

ALAN HOPPER: Before we turn it over to questions, I'll ask an initial question. OK. Much has been made of your pre-fight training habits. You mentioned at your media day in Miami last week that you're tailing off the cigarette smoking and beer drinking for this fight. Is this true and please tell the media how hard you are training for this fight, Ricardo.

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Absolutely, I'm taking this fight very seriously. I want to beat de la Hoya and I think this is the best formula for me to be able to beat him.

ALAN HOPPER: OK, operator, let's take questions from the media.

OPERATOR: OK. Your first questions comes from Peter Palmiere of “Boxing Inside TV.”

PETER PALMIERE, CORRESPONDENT, “BOXING INSIDE TV”: Hola, Ricardo. Two part question. First off, you said you've been training hard for this fight. What are – what kind of Oscar de la Hoya are you expecting May 6th? He hasn't fought for two years. Do you think ring rust will be a factor?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Hopefully I expect to see the best out of him. I don't expect for him to be like he was 10 years ago, but you know, I take that in stride. At the same time, I do expect him to come out and start boxing me, but I'm well prepared for that.

PETER PALMIERE: And my last question is during the promotional tour, you said a lot of things about Oscar that many people might consider to be insulting to Oscar as a professional athlete and as a person and regarding his family. Do you take into regard how hurtful your remarks might offend and hurt his family?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Because I remember when we were trading barbs and insults, you know, and I know I recognize I did say a couple things, but by the same token, he said a couple things to offend me and my family. So, you know what, I'm going to make him pay on May 6th.

PETER PALMIERE: What did he say to you?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: When we were doing the HBO shoot, I remember him saying that he want – he was going to take that belt away from me. I go, the only way you're going to take this belt away from is when I said – mentioned something about his wife, that you know, let me have your wife for a night and I'll let you have the belt for a night. At the same time, he responded to me, he goes, no that's not what's going to happen, I'm going to take your mom for a night and then that's when I went off on him.

PETER PALMIERE: Alright thank you.

ALAN HOPPER: Alright, next question, operator.

OPERATOR: Thank you. Next question comes from Karl Freitag of “Fightnews.” You may begin your question, sir.

KARL FREITAG, PUBLISHER &
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, “FIGHTNEWS”: Hello Ricardo. You – during the promotional tour, you and Oscar were getting into it. It was very emotional. Do you still carry that emotion and that anger toward Oscar now? Now that you haven't seen him for a while?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: I think even more so.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Even more so now, you know being away from my family for so long. Away from them for my birthday, I wasn't able to celebrate. I was here for my birthday by myself. I wasn't able to have my Easter dinner with them like I usually do and I attribute it all to him. So, even more so now. I have a lot more fury now than I did before.

KARL FREITAG: Saying that he's going to make you pay for your comments, that he's never hated anyone as much as he's hated you, I guess, is that – is that feeling mutual?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: It's nice to hear that he says he has so much hate for me, you know, we'll see when it comes to May 6th, if he, you know, if he demonstrates how much hate he has towards me by standing in the middle of the ring fighting with me.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: The result's going to be the same whether he chooses to box or stand in front of me, the results going to be the same. I'm going to stop him.

KARL FREITAG: OK, well, (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ALAN HOPPER: Operator, we got …

OPERATOR: You have a question – is from Keith Idec of “Herald News,” New Jersey. Sir, you may begin your question.

KEITH IDEC, SPORTS WRITER, “HERALD NEWS NEW JERSEY”: I was just wondering, I know – you know that you try the same tactics with Trinidad in terms of trying to get under his skin and it didn't really work in terms of getting him off his game plan during the fight. Do you think that you've actually gotten under Oscar's skin where you might be able to make him fight a fight that's not wise for him?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Because I believe honestly that, you know, despite everything I told him and despite all the insults that we traded, I still don't think he's man enough to stand in front of me, honestly. You know, regardless, it's still going to be the same result, like I said before, I'm going to knock him out.

Hello?

ALAN HOPPER: Hey, operator, got another – Keith, is there a follow-up or is there another question operator?

OPERATOR: Yes, their next question comes from Miguel Cruz of “Spanish New York Paper.”

MIGUEL CRUZ, “SPANISH NEW YORK PAPER”: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ALAN HOPPER: Tony, can you reverse translate from Spanish to English?

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MIGUEL CRUZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MIGUEL CRUZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MIGUEL CRUZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MIGUEL CRUZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ALAN HOPPER: Hey Tony?

TONY GONZALEZ: Yes, sir.

ALAN HOPPER: Tony, can you translate that in English for the English speaking journalists on the call?

TONY GONZALEZ: Not a problem. Basically, I'll just give you the gist, you know, I was unsure whether to translate or not.

ALAN HOPPER: Understood.

TONY GONZALEZ: He was asking him, you know, that Oscar made some comments regarding the night of the fight, where he's going to leave him in worse shape than he was when he fought Trinidad and that he's going to basically send him to the hospital right after the fight.

Ricardo replies, saying that Oscar doesn't have sufficient balls to stand there and even try and do that and that it's not going to be the same result. Trinidad is a way better fighter than Oscar is and he's going to prove that on May 6th.

ALAN HOPPER: He said something about Sirbasos (ph), what was that all about?

TONY GONZALEZ: And asking him, you know, same question that we had prior …

ALAN HOPPER: About the drinking?

TONY GONZALEZ: Yes, about the drinking and the smoking, how he's tailed off on that. Right now he's smoking about three to four cigarettes per day as opposed to two or three packs a day when he's not training. And no beer in this camp so far.

ALAN HOPPER: Wow. OK. Next question operator.

OPERATOR: The next question comes from Ace Freeman of FightFan.com.

ACE FREEMAN, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, FIGHTFAN.COM: Hey Ricardo?

RICARDO MAYORGA: Yes.

ACE FREEMAN: Why do you think de la Hoya is taking this fight? I mean, you know, he's coming back from a long layoff. Do you think he's scared of you or do you think – he thinks this is going to be an easy fight for him? And do you feel 154 is your best weight?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: He knows, you know, no one's perfect especially human beings, we're not perfect so, I would say that this is one of the areas that human beings commit especially for Oscar.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Absolutely, 154 is my best weight.

OPERATOR: Your next question comes from Carlos Gonzalez of “Primera Hora.”

CARLOS GONZALES, “PRIMERA HORA”: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: First question I'll translate. Obviously you got to see that Oscar's going to come into this fight trying to use distance in boxing you. How are you going to counter that?

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: It doesn't matter to be if he wants to come out in boxing use distance. I've been working on cutting the distance short, keeping close and basically I'm going to prove my general ringmanship that night. He goes, I'm going to be the one dictating the pace of the fight. I'm going to be the one dictating how many blows he's going to throw, how many blows I'm going to throw. So, it doesn't bother me at all. It's going to be the same result.

The second question is are you going to test his punching power by sticking your chin out like you did against Trinidad?

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Oscar doesn't deserve me sticking my chin out like I did against Trinidad. Trinidad, that's a real man. He deserved for me to try and do that and he's a great warrior, that's why I did that. Oscar doesn't deserve that and I'm going to knock him out.

CARLOS GONZALES: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

OPERATOR: Your next question comes from John Whisler of the “San Antonio Express.”

JOHN WHISLER, “SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS”: Yes, ask Ricardo exactly what he has against Oscar. What is it that he doesn't like about Oscar de la Hoya?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Simply put, I really just don't like him. Personally I just don't like him on a personal level. Least on a professional level and I've always said that. You know, I've always had a disdain towards him and especially now that he's going to fight with me. So, you know, just to prove that and I'll repeat what I said before in prior interviews and in the press tour is I want to stop his heart – I not only want to stop him, I want to stop his heart or detach his retina, one of the two. I really want to do damage to him.

JOHN WHISLER: So, I mean, what does he like about his personality? Is he just – is he, you know, too soft, is he not macho enough, is he not Mexican enough? What is it?

ALAN HOPPER: Yes, Tony, ask him if he can expand on that?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Like I said – like I said before, just like when you go back to the school yard, you know, there's a kid that you never met once in your life. You see him, you know, you've never spoken to the kid, but you just don't like him. That's the best analogy I can use, I just don't like him. You know, simply put, I just don't like him. There's really no explanation behind it.

JOHN WHISLER: OK. Thank you.

DON KING, BOXING PROMOTER, DON KING PRODUCTIONS: Don King on the line now too.

ALAN HOPPER: Hi, Don.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (INAUDIBLE)

ALAN HOPPER: So, any of the reporters that have questions for Don, Don King has joined us.

OPERATOR: Your next question comes from Keith – I'm sorry from Sal Acevedo from Fightbeat.com.

SAL ACEVEDO, FIGHTBEAT.COM: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

SAL ACEVEDO: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: The question is that – you said before that, you know, basically you stuck your chin out there, especially with Trinidad to challenge, you know, for him to hit you on the chin. How come you're not willing to do that this time against Oscar de la Hoya? Are you respecting him way too much? Is that some form of respect?

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: He goes, I have absolutely no respect for his punching power, even if he hits me below the belt, it's not – it's not going to be sufficient for me to even wince.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: I don't like him, you know, and we have traded a lot of insults on that press tour and more than anything, he pretty much did the greatest wrong that I've ever seen done to one of my boxing allies, which is Chavez and I'm going to make him pay for that.

SAL ACEVEDO: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: The question is, you said that before in one of the interviews that you want to avenge Chavez's loss against Oscar. Can you elaborate a little bit on that?

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: You know, it's like I said before, Chavez was one of my great idols. When he faced Oscar and that's a perfect example of why I don't like him – Oscar was pretty much in his prime and Chavez was well past his prime and at that point when I remember seeing him beat Chavez up, I remember saying to myself that I was going to avenge his loss and make him pay for what he did to one these great idols, his own Mexican idol and I will – I will make sure that I'm going to detach his retina or stop his heart.

SAL ACEVEDO: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Question, Ricardo, you saw the fight against Oscar de la Hoya and Felix Trinidad. Who do you think won that fight?

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: I definitely see Trinidad winning that fight. I think Trinidad was the aggressor in that fight. Oscar in his usual punk style, he was backing off most of the time using his jab and then he pretty much folded in the later rounds and that's what cost him the fight, so absolutely I think Trinidad won that fight.

SAL ACEVEDO: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

OPERATOR: Your next question comes from Patrick Kehoe of SecondsOut.com.

PATRICK KEHOE, COLUMNIST, SECONDSOUT.COM: Hi guys. Question for Ricardo is, do you consider yourself a fighter who your trainers can teach or do you see yourself as somebody who has his own ideas about how to win his fights?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: This is absolutely – I think that, you know, one has to let themselves be guided. In life you really much, pretty much transcends everything. In life you can't just do it by yourself. You need a – you need people to help you guide yourself and the trainer serves many purposes, one of them being to correct my wrong doings in the ring. You know, and adapt my style to whatever we're trying to accomplish.

DON KING: Bravo, bravo.

PATRICK KEHOE: To follow up on that, does he feel – if he compares himself as he looks as himself technically as a fighter, where he was when he fought Vernon Forest and then now. What does he see as the difference?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: I absolutely think I've become a lot better. You know, I've become faster, I've become stronger, I've closed my punches a lot, so I think I've become a better overall fighter than I was when I fought Forest.

PATRICK KEHOE: Last thing. Then if he feels that he's improved, why haven't his results been as good as he would have wanted?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Simply said, I mean, in life the only invincible one is God and I'm not God.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: And I'm in a sport and in sport you either win or lose.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: And I had a bad night against Trinidad, but that was in the past.

PATRICK KEHOE: Well, tell him good luck.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: And in fact, just to elaborate on that, he goes, my fight against Trinidad was one bad night that I had and it's one bad night that I never had in my career to be honest with you and it won't repeat itself. I'm making sure that it's not going to repeat itself.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: And like I said before – like I said before in all the prior press conferences, I am going to beat de la Hoya and I'm going to demolish him.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

DON KING: (INAUDIBLE) I'm on a conference call right now.

TONY GONZALEZ: And for Oscar, just a message to Oscar, have him not even come think about coming to greet me or salute me after the fight, because I'm going to kick him out of the ring.

PATRICK KEHOE: Well, tell him I think he's a great entertainer and good luck.

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: Gracias.

OPERATOR: Your next follow up question is from Keith Idec of “Herald News, New Jersey.”

KEITH IDEC: Tony, I was just wondering if you could ask Ricardo, other than the amount of cigarettes he's – you know, the less amount of cigarettes he's smoking and the amount of time that he's spent in camp. Can he point to anything that leads him to believe that he's much more prepared for this fight than he was for Trinidad, besides those things?

TONY GONZALEZ: Can you repeat that, I’m sorry. It sounds really faded.

KEITH IDEC: I'm sorry. Other than the smoking and the amount of time he's spent in camp, can you get Ricardo to talk about what he thinks leads him to believe he's more prepared for this fight then he was for the Trinidad fight?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: There's several factors involved. More importantly that, you know, I've been running five to six miles every day since the first day of camp. I've also done my two and a half hours of gym work, which, you know, before I hadn't done that. Usually would reduce that or cut that off and at the same time, I've pretty much committed myself to this camp. I've been away from my family all this time. Before I would come in a lot later with fewer weeks leading up to the fight and at the same time, sex, you know, I've pretty much abstained from that and haven't been even near that since I've been here. So, you know, all those factors put together is the formula that I've had before when I once became the World Champion for the first time and that's what's going to lead me to my victory.

ALAN HOPPER: Tony, can you ask him if that's just maturity on his part or is this because he's fighting Oscar and he knows that he's going to be on a large stage and really wants to perform well.

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: I think it's two-fold. I think it's, you know, me as a person and as a professional athlete, I've matured a lot and at the same time, the great despise that I have towards Oscar, led me to prepare a lot better for this fight.

KEITH IDEC: Hey, Tony, how long has he actually spent in camp as opposed to the 28 days or so he spent in camp for the Trinidad fight?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: He goes, I started training or running rather, in Nicaragua for about two weeks prior to me coming here and I've already been here for about two months and a couple weeks.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Practically a 12-week training camp.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: More or less between nine and 12 weeks I would say that I've started training for this fight and been training for this fight.

KEITH IDEC: He's in Miami, right Tony?

ALAN HOPPER: No, he's in Las Vegas now.

TONY GONZALEZ: He pretty much, his whole training camp was in Miami, yes.

ALAN HOPPER: And I can tell you this, Keith, they're saying he started running in Nicaragua on February 15th. When we were on the media tour, we got into Houston at like two in the morning. He got a couple hours sleep and got up and went to the gym before the press conference that day. And that was the first time I'd ever seen him do anything like that.

KEITH IDEC: Things have changed a little bit right?

ALAN HOPPER: Well, it just said something to me that he was taking this very seriously and if you saw that, you know, HBO countdown show that they're running now after the Byrd-Klitschko fight and it's still running. I think it's indicative of his training regiment and just the way he looks. He looks like he's been training very hard. And I saw him in Miami, he looked well.

KEITH IDEC: Thanks Alan. Is Don still on the line?

DON KING: Yes, I'm on the line.

ALAN HOPPER: Yes, he is.

KEITH IDEC: Don, I was just wondering, I know, obviously, you want Oscar to lose this fight, but I'm just wondering if you could talk a little bit about what he's meant to the sport. You know, being the biggest non-heavy weight draw probably in this sport's history and how difficult it's going to be or has been to find another Oscar de la Hoya in terms of cross-over appeal?

DON KING: Well, I think that Oscar has been a tremendous advocate of the sport. You know, he's – he worked with Bob Araman (ph), they collectively really put together a good team of making things happen for him and he was fed the right opponents in the right style, so he's been a tremendous asset. You know, and I think Oscar's a wonderful guy. It's a sad commentary that he get knocked out on May 6th, but that's the way the sport goes. I predict that Ricardo Mayorga will knock out Oscar de la Hoya and I think the transition will be made and it'll be a little more earthy, when he becomes, you know, the undisputed champion of the public because Oscar's held as the champion of the public and when he wins the public appeal, you know, too, it'll be more crunchy, but he's going to be an exciting ride as you can see in the way that he comes up creatively to express himself. So, it's going to be – he's going to be a super attraction if he can – if he can, you know, get himself together and we're going to try to help him to do that, but just like what you see is what you get with Ricardo Mayorga and he's a great fighter and he's a great entertainer as one of the reporters said. And he's a great guy that people can relate and identify with and he has awesome, devastating punching power and he comes to fight. So, this is what the public really comes to see. They have a love affair with Oscar, but they have a more love affair with him because he's like the Nicaraguan Tyson. You know, he's that guy that will bring out the people no matter some to see him lose, some to see him win, but they all come out – that's the main thing and they pay to see him.

KEITH IDEC: Don, you've probably come closer than anyone with Trinidad in terms of cross-over popularity especially within the Puerto Rican community, but why do you think it's been so difficult to find another Oscar in this age of sports where you know, boxing really hasn't penetrated the mainstream that much.

DON KING: Well, it's difficult to find him because you got to find somebody that has the passion for the sport, the hunger and like say fighting another Mohammed Ali, fighting another George Foreman. George Foreman, I think, one of the greatest fighters that we've had also, you know, and then you got Roberto Duran, “Manos de Piedra,” Hands of Stone. You've got these kind of guys that are going out there that you know, it ain't easy to find them. You know, when you get a jewel like this here, you have to be able to you know, bring his brilliance out, he's a diamond in the rough, you know what I mean, I'm a diamond polisher. It's very difficult, you know, to get that. That’s why if it was easy, everybody could do it, so I'm looking at Ricardo as the next brilliant star in the sport of boxing. And so, a couple weeks the rest of the world will believe that too. And then we got to just keep him going to make him stay training like he has been for this fight to continue to train like that for every fight and then when he's off, he's having the fun. But when he's in camp, stay in camp and stay dedicated and committed.

KEITH IDEC: Thanks Don.

ALAN HOPPER: Don, you've always urged Ricardo to train. Are you proud of him that – and do you believe that he's put in the necessary work for this fight?

DON KING: Yes, I'm very proud of him. I'm proud of him when he was getting – when he – when he wasn’t doing what he was, he's a good – he's mi hijo – like a son to me. He's a very good guy and – but – and he always gives respect and props. You know, so, he's a guy that I'm very proud of, but I got to see him win. I'll be more proud of him when he knocks out Oscar, you know, on May 6, because then the world will be proud, they will see a giant, you know, coming out to the floor to reclaim, you know, what he really been himself a fighter for the people. You know, he's a people's fighter, he's a people's champion and so he's going to be able to demonstrate that on May 6th when he comes into that ring at the MGM Grand and takes on Oscar de la Hoya. You know, and it's a real fight, you know, that's a real good piece by HBO. It shows both camps and the antipathy that is there – and I love Oscar, I think Oscar's a great, great guy, you know what I mean, but in this sport, things happen, knockouts come and knockouts go. I think this is the time that he will knock out this guy and don't be surprised when he knocks out Oscar, he'll have an opportunity to revenge himself with Tito Trinidad because Tito Trinidad is waiting in the wings to come back no sooner than – that he knocks out Oscar.

ALAN HOPPER: Really this is true?

DON KING: Yes.

ALAN HOPPER: Big news.

DON KING: So, you going to have – we got – this is – this has so much meaning to it. Bringing the glamour boy of boxing back. The boxing really misses Tito, because Tito fought much more often then Oscar did, you know, he didn't never gained the fame and acclaim and the affluence that Oscar had because of different things and whatever it was that was doing it, but Tito is one of the greatest fighters in the world and he certainly will give Mayorga an opportunity for revenge because he's so honorable. And so, this is something we're looking forward to with great anticipation so it has two-fold meanings here today. Mayorga knocks out Oscar, hello Trinidad.

ALAN HOPPER: Interesting. OK. Operator, next question. Thanks for those questions, Keith.

OPERATOR: Yes, your next follow up question's from Karl Freitag of Fight News. Sir you may begin your question.

KARL FREITAG: Thank you. Ricardo, Oscar has been off for a year and a half and he hasn't looked good in his two fights before that. Do you think he's going to be able to come back at a top level to fight you or do you think that he's faded and he's not what he once was?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Yes, he reminds me of my grandma, little chubby, you know, sitting on the rocking chair front porch of my house, you know. That's what I expect from him on May 6th.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: He wants to be back at the level that he was once before, but his body, his energy is not the same.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Obviously this is the biggest fight of my career and of my life. I'd like to thank Don for getting this fight for me. And with this fight, I pretty much guaranteed my future and my family's future and I'd like to thank Don for that.

KARL FREITAG: OK. Thank Ricardo. And Don, are you saying that the winner of this fight's going to get Tito even if Oscar wins and also the odds makers have Oscar a pretty heavy favorite and you're predicting that Mayorga's going to win. What are you seeing that the odds makers are missing?

DON KING: That'd be – that'd be …

TONY GONZALEZ: Actually, Don, the odds went down already. The odds – they were up to 400, plus 400 and of this morning her in Vegas, it's down to like plus 220, so I think they're starting to see if our way.

KARL FREITAG: Yes.

DON KING: Yes, well not only that, but the antipathy, the will to win, the drive, the motivation that inspires Ricardo Mayorga is (INAUDIBLE). You know and so this man will be relentless in his pursuit of excellence and with Oscar. One thing every fight fan around the world will be able to know, it's going to be a fight. It ain't going to be a guy where he going to come in there and they going to pose and watch and try to figure each other out mentally, this is going to be a physical warfare and I just think that – I know that Ricardo is a more powerful warrior you know, than the technician, which will be – will be Oscar. And I love Oscar for giving us the opportunity to demonstrate this. He will bring Ricardo into his own. Up until now, you've seen Ricardo, you know, he's knocked out Vernon Forest, you've seen him go out there and he beat this – all the guys that he was fighting before, now you're going to see a Ricardo that's going to be more smooth, more tactical, you know what I mean, but nothing is going to be more relentless than this power pursuit for Oscar, so and Oscar will not be able to have a speed boat or a bicycle or a plane to run around to get away from him. So, and Oscar right now feels that he has to prove a point, which I think is very, very important. He's going improve and establish his manhood with this guy because this guy's insulted him to such a degree. That will right in there – that will the Waterloo. That will be Napoleon's Waterloo because that's what is going to happen in the battlefield with just those two guys in the combat. It's going to be one of the most provocative fights that ever been witnessed and I'm looking forward to with great anticipation as a fan, as a friend and as a father and a promoter of Ricardo Mayorga. He will knock out Oscar de la Hoya in a real war.

KARL FREITAG: Now as far as him fighting Tito again, would that mean that he'd have to move up to middle weight in his …

DON KING: No, no, no, no. Tito will come down to 154 or they just be a fight with a catch weight. Let's get the fight. We ain't worried about no weight. This ain't like you got to go with everybody jockeying for position, each one playing for this or that point. You know, we're talking about fighting the guy that beat him and that he stood up with this guy and fought this guy with two or three weeks training. Now, with a full force of 12 to 13 weeks training and to meet one of the greatest fighters that ever lived in Tito Trinidad, I think that will be a great fight for all the fans. If you speak (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

KARL FREITAG: OK, thanks Don.

OPERATOR: Your next follow up question is from Peter Palmiere of “Boxing Inside TV.” Sir, you may begin your question.

PETER PALMIERE: OK. Don, should de la Hoya beat Mayorga, are you open for a Trinidad-de la Hoya rematch?

DON KING: Well, de la Hoya wants to revenge his only – one of his losses to Tito – I wasn't going to say only because he did lose since then. But, that's definitely what he has in his plans and he's already looked past, that's what caused him all his consternation and all his problems is that he looked past Ricardo, trying to make the matches for all these other guys, you know, in trying to pull together fights that would be just as though Ricardo didn't mean anything. Now, he's got this fury and the wrath of Ricardo Mayorga on his hands. So, if he should be able to get through that wrath, which I think he's got two chances – slim and none and slim's out of town, then he naturally would want Tito as a grand finale to try to revenge the loss that he had in Las Vegas.

ALAN HOPPER: Avenge his first loss, yes.

DON KING: Yes, so he would try to avenge that loss and so therefore it would be great you know, but I don't think that's going to come to pass, so, if he does, I'll have Tito standing there ready hopefully and prayerfully that he will be ready to take on Oscar but he's dedicated and committed to fighting Mayorga and he said he would – you know we have to work on Oscar thing and but we'll work on that. But I'm – since he's willing to do that, I think we get either one.

PETER PALMIERE: Ricardo, you've said many times during the press tour and to anybody that would listen, you know, in interviews, that you felt that Oscar was not a man and that he had no balls. What has he done in and out of the ring to make – to make you fell that way?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: It's the truth, I mean, Oscar, when you look at his track record, all he's fought is has-beens.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: And the ones with the good names, you know, he's basically been able to beat …

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: … you know, but they've been well past their prime. And then the ones that are good and they're in their prime, (INAUDIBLE) and Trinidad, he hasn't been able to defeat. (INAUDIBLE)

PETER PALMIERE: Excuse me, one last thing. A lot of people felt that when Oscar got hit by the body punch by Hopkins, that he could have got up. You saw the fight, what did you think?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Absolutely, with no doubt. I mean the blunt to that blow was absorbed by his form and his shoulder area and then it grazed his side. It wasn't enough for him to stay on the canvas for 10 seconds. I mean, Hopkins who's already an old man, you know, was able to do that to him. Imagine myself now.

PETER PALMIERE: What's the one word that Ricardo has that best describes Oscar?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Failure.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: I'm going to leave him as a failure.

PETER PALMIERE: Thank you.

ALAN HOPPER: Tony, did Tito call in while we were on the media tour? Did I remember that correctly? When …

TONY GONZALEZ: Who?

DON KING: Yes, he was on the first call in – when we was in the hotel in New York. He was on the call with Oscar and Mayorga.

ALAN HOPPER: Oh.

DON KING: Yes, and that's the one where he said, when – that if – when Mayorga knocks out Oscar, he will come back and fight him.

ALAN HOPPER: Am I mistaken or didn't Tito say on the record …

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ALAN HOPPER: … that he thought he was going to win.

(INAUDIBLE)

DON KING: He said, he said if Ricardo was going to win, he was going to come back and fight Ricardo.

ALAN HOPPER: OK.

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: For me it's going to be a great pleasure to …

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: And I invite Tito. I'll pay his ticket to come ringside …

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: … and for him to be firsthand observer as to how I'm going to knock out Oscar.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: And I'd like to ask Don to do me another favor, to bring Floyd Mayweather also. That'd be my next victim after Tito. That's what I want. I want both of those guys in the ringside so they can see the type of damage I'm going to cause Oscar and that way I know who the next two opponents I'm going to have – have them come over and study the way I fight. It's not going to do them any good.

DON KING: Well, Tito will be there, Tito is coming.

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

DON KING: Tito will be there and I'm pretty sure Floyd will come, too, but Tito is coming.

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

DON KING: And I want him to demonstrate …

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: Have him start making the bakery line because that's who I want. I want Tito and I want Floyd. Either one of the two's going to be good for me.

DON KING: Fantastical.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ALAN HOPPER: Operator, do we have any more calls?

OPERATOR: Yes, sir. Your next question comes from Dan Rafael of ESPN.

(INAUDIBLE)

DAN RAFAEL, ESPN: Hi, guys. Don, are you there?

DON KING: Yes.

DAN RAFAEL: Don, let me clarify with you …

RICARDO MAYORGA: Please (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

DAN RAFAEL: I'll let Ricardo get his say in there.

TONY GONZALEZ: I apologize. I got one more question to answer then I got to go to my gym.

ALAN HOPPER: OK, very good. Tell him to hang for us.

DAN RAFAEL: Don, real quick. Have you actually sat and talked with Papa Trinidad and with Tito about any sort of deal points or is this just …

DON KING: No, no deal points. Tito – Tito was on the phone, he said that when Mayorga wins, he will fight Mayorga. And he's already got his tickets for the fight. Coming in – he's coming into Las Vegas to see the fight.

DAN RAFAEL: Now, Don, nothing against Mayorga here, but from your point of view, as a promoter, isn't it a much bigger fight for the public at large to see a rematch between Oscar and Trinidad than it would be for – to see Mayorga …

DON KING: That is – that is not up to me. After he got to face Mayorga and in my estimation, I think Mayorga going to knock him out. So, you know, I'm predicting that he will be knocked out by Mayorga, so irregardless and irrespective of what may be big or small for the public, the fact is, a Mayorga will knock him out. And if Mayorga knocks him out, then a fight with Mayorga and Trinidad would be on the – on the plate.

DAN RAFAEL: And what would be the timeframe for that? End of this year maybe?

DON KING: Yes.

DAN RAFAEL: Now, your predictions haven't gone so well, Don. You did predict that (INAUDIBLE) knock out over Floyd Mayweather, didn't work out and so, I know you're a smart guy, you always try to make alternative plans, so have you had any sort of rough discussion with the Golden Boy folks about a rematch between Oscar and Tito?

DON KING: Well, me and the Golden Boy is always talking because I say Richard Shaffer's (ph) a giant guy. He's a tremendous pleasure to work with and as you know, Oscar's a nice guy. This has nothing to do with personal feelings and the respect and dignity that I hold them both in the stature and esteem. However, the prediction here is, is with my dear friend, Zeb Jeweler (ph), he don't throw punches, you know what I mean, you can't win if you don't throw punches. You know, so you got to be able to hit and if he hadn't did it, that he did it in the first four rounds of the fight with Mayweather, he had him totally discombobulated. And the left hands were finding their mark. But as it went on, he went back into that not throwing any punches and I don't think anyone – Houdini couldn't win without hitting. So, he going – so you won't have that in my estimation and my predictions with Ricardo Mayorga. You will not have a shortage of punches or throwing the punches – generally they hit their mark, then you – you and me both know, that it'll be lights out and curtains for Mayorga – I mean for Oscar de la Hoya. The only way that this guy can no get knocked out is by not getting hit by Mayorga. So, I'll stand behind this prediction because I do have a person that is going out there and is going to use the firepower that he's been blessed with. He's not going to be a reticent or never going to be discriminate you know, about throwing them punches. They going to go everywhere and I'm looking forward to that fight with great anticipation.

DAN RAFAEL: OK. Don, thank you. I'm looking forward to the fight as well and I'll see you out in Las Vegas.

DON KING: Thank you – Rafael.

OPERATOR: Your next follow up question is from Ace Freeman of Fightfan.com. Sir, you may begin your question.

ACE FREEMAN: Hi, is Ricardo still on the line? Or is he gone now?

TONY GONZALEZ: No, he's …

DON KING: He's here yet.

TONY GONZALEZ: He's still on the line.

ACE FREEMAN: OK. I got a quick question for Ricardo and then I've got a couple questions for Don, but – Ricardo what would you do – I mean when you beat de la Hoya and you get your rematch with Trinidad, what are you going to do differently to make the fight differently – or to end differently – in your favor?

TONY GONZALEZ: Can you repeat that? It faded out.

ACE FREEMAN: Once Mayorga beats de la Hoya and he gets his rematch with Trinidad, what is he going to do differently in the Trinidad rematch so that it ends in his favor this time?

TONY GONZALEZ: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

TONY GONZALEZ: He goes, pretty much, I'm going to do exactly the same thing I did before, except a little bit more training.

ACE FREEMAN: OK. Tell him good luck with that and I got a couple questions for Don here. Don, is

(INAUDIBLE)

ACE FREEMAN: … Ricardo Mayorga the manliest fighter you've ever promoted?

DON KING: Pardon?

ACE FREEMAN: Is he the manliest fighter you've ever promoted?

DON KING: I'll tell you, he's at the top of the heap. He's a – he's a guy that is in a – is a joy to promote. You know what I mean? Not only does he talk the talk, he walks the walk. His only Achilles heel is, is that he don't train. Alright, and so he knows this, but he's dependent upon his power so much that he figured that he don't have to train because once he hit a guy, he going to put him to sleep. Once we can dissuade him and disabuse him of that, which he has done on this Oscar de la Hoya camp. If he continues to train like that, you'll have one of the most phenomenal fighters in history with Ricardo Mayorga. It's – he only beats himself because he feels that he just relies and depends upon his power. Now, most fighters do the same thing when they got a power punch. They figure they can take you out on one shot, so they hold out – hold out, got to get their one shot. The difference between Mayorga and Raymond Brewster (ph) and guys who really have the power to take a guy out, is that he throws punches in bunches. They rely on the punch. He got power in both hands, either hand can take you out. But he don't rely on that. He gives you both hands in the multiple. That means he throws punches in bunches and both of them be devastatingly dynamite on the guy's chin, head, body. That's why I say this guy could truly be phenomenal. If he's – his dedication commits himself to training and getting prepared, you prepare to succeed or you prepare to fail.

ACE FREEMAN: OK. And I got one more question for you. Aside from the main event on this card, what other fights do you think are standout are standout fights on this card and how many Pay-Per-View buys you think it's going to do.

DON KING: I think it's going to do tremendous you know and that's why I think we should really go out. They all love Oscar, so all the fans has got to go out there, but Ricardo's going to bring a lot of fans, too, because just of his bravado and they want to see if he can walk the walk as he done did the talk and the talk because he has certainly done that. And so, now, is it going to be a lot of anger and it's going to be a lot at stake here morally and ethically and emotionally and spiritually, so it's going to be a great, great evening of boxing and a lot of anticipation so we're looking for the fans to come out from everywhere. Those who like Ricardo and those who don't like Ricardo, those who love Oscar and those who have trepidations about Oscar. All of them, this should be a potpourri of all of the fans that's coming out that will be able to witness this fight, so we should have a tremendous, tremendous buy rate on this fight in excess of a million buys and for those who still believe in Oscar and so and then whatever he add to, then so it may be – it may break the record with him and Tito. And that's really far reaching, but that's the kind of a fire that's been built up in this fight whether it shares with the rest of the public or not, if it catches on and (INAUDIBLE) did is a good one, that's what remains the question. But this is going to be one hell of a fight that everybody's going to want to see, so I urge them all to go out and get their tickets to see it live if they can, if they can't see it live and in living color, check it out on the screen by calling their cable operators or their – whoever they distributors are because this is going to be a fight they will love to see.

ACE FREEMAN: OK. Thanks a lot Don, I'm looking forward to it and good luck with it.

DON KING: Hey, man, thanks (INAUDIBLE) and let the word go forth to friend and foe alike, carry the word. This is really something that's going to be remarkable.

OPERATOR: Thank you. Sir, there are no further questions at this time.

DON KING: OK.

TONY GONZALEZ: Alright, thank you.

ALAN HOPPER: Alright, tell Ricardo we said thank you very much …

DON KING: Thank you Ricardo (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

ALAN HOPPER: … and don't forget everybody, Oscar's conference call is coming up on Thursday …

TONY GONZALEZ: Alright guys, thank you.

RICARDO MAYORGA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE). OK. Bye-bye.

ALAN HOPPER: … at one p.m. Eastern time and 11 a.m. – or excuse me 10 a.m. Pacific time. OK. Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

Return to main page