17.04.07 – By Quenton Marselles: Everybody wants to know the real reason why Floyd Mayweather Sr. is not training Oscar De La Hoya for “The World Awaits.” I had a chance to sit down with him for a brief moment to ask him what’s the deal. Without speculations, I will let you hear it from the horses mouth. There’s no hard feeling from Floyd Sr., he claims that they are still “cooler than a fan.” But why isn’t he coaching him for the fight is what everybody wants to know.
QM: Who’s choice do you think it was to fight, Floyd or De La Hoya?
FM: It was my sons choice to fight. He makes his own decisions. Whether he wins or lose, it’s his decision and he’s got to deal with it.
QM: How do you feel about your son fighting De La Hoya?
FM: It’s not a fight, part of me, wants to see because I trained my son and De La Hoya. You have a boy that the dad trained and now the fighter I train wants to fight him. It’s like challenging the daddy.
QM: Who do you think the media favors in the fight?
FM: It don’t make a difference who the media favors. What’s gonna determine the end of the fight is what matters. I don’t want to comment too much on that, it’s not in my best interest.
QM: How do you think the fight will turn out?
FM: I look for it to be an exciting fight. De La Hoya is a bigger man and have a punchers chance. Floyd got overall skills so the fight could go either way. Floyd trained with me since he was a baby. I lean more towards my son. On the other hand, if my son fights like he has in the past it could go either way. Maybe Lil Floyd don’t want to win, I don’t know, I let him do his own thing.
QM: Is the real reason you are not training De La Hoya for the fight because he don’t want to pay you your fair cut?
FM: First of all, there’s no way in the world you can give me money to play against my own kid, it’s not gonna work. De La Hoya used money as an issue to keep me out of his corner. That’s not it. He told me he will compensate me, how? The only way is to give me what I asked for or more. He can’t give me under what I asked for. De La Hoya just said “I will compensate you well,” how?
QM: How do you feel about Freddy Roach training De La Hoya?
FM: (Poem) Can’t get no one better than me…Freddy Joke Roach Coach wouldn’t dare approach…Former fighter, poetic writer…Man of the hour, too sweet to be sour…
QM: (Laugh) I heard Freddy Roach was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.
FM: What did he do? Man I don’t want to talk about him. Take him and put him over a guy like me. I trained both of them (Floyd and Oscar), I know what to do to make him win.
QM: Have you ever been nominated for Trainer of the Year?
FM: No I aint seen nothing, they only nominate mother fuckers that can’t change, they aint gonna nominate me.
QM: Do you think it’s going to be a fair fight?
FM: Is it going to be a fair fight? What the world got to know and should know is at the end, it’s De La Hoya’s show. Lil Floyd gotta do better things. You are in the show but you are not the show. De La Hoya is promoting his show.
Only time can tell now what the outcome will be, but one thing is for sure, there can only be one winner. May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the world will see if speed overcomes the reach. Tickets for the super fight is sold out but viewers worldwide can see the fight live on HBO-Pay-Per-View. Will Floyd retire or see Mosley later this year? We all have to wait and see. Log on to www.hbo.com for the latest reports and broadcasting information on the fight of the century presented by Golden Boy Promotions.