Are you going to watch Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Oscar De La Hoya? Oh, yeah it’s on big time and by the looks of things, well, let’s just say it may not be a walk in the park for Mayweather Jr. Here is why.
When Oscar De La Hoya goes knuckles up with Floyd Mayweather Jr. for the WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) title on May 5, the highly anticipated bout will be the fight of the young century – and for good reason.
De la Hoya, the only boxer who has won championship belts in six separate weight classes, is a 2:1 underdog against a man affectionately known as “Pretty Boy” and widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound pug in the Cauliflower Industry.
But Floyd and the oddsmakers should take note: Oscar has taken his training new school and, at 34, is in the best shape of his life.
How have you changed the way you train?
Before I started working with [strength and conditioning coach] Robert Garcia, I wasn’t really focusing on boxing-specific strength. With Rob, every exercise he comes up with is boxing-related.
Whether it’s medicine-ball throws or something else, he’s always incorporating my boxing movements into the weight training.
So it’s safe to say he’s modernized your training?
Exactly. Boxing is such a dinosaur sport. Everyone thinks you have to do the Rocky training – chopping the wood and stuff like that. It’s nice to know that there are trainers like Rob who really get it.
Most boxers try to keep their diets simple. Does your team take a more scientific approach?
Yes. They plan everything according to a blood scan, so it’s very exact. Shari Mellman, my nutritionist, has been instrumental in getting my diet in order.
I’ve had to cut and add certain foods due to my blood work, and it’s amazing how energetic I’ve been as a result. I can notice results after two weeks of starting this diet – it’s incredible.
What might fans not appreciate about how hard it is to train for a fight like this?
It’s like building a machine. People will tell me after a fight that it looked easy or that it didn’t look like I had to work that hard, but I absolutely do. The training is, of course, more difficult than the actual fight – it’s a whole-day process.
The recuperation factor is just as important, too. I do a lot of stretching and massage and try to get 8-9 hours of sleep so that my body recovers and stays fresh throughout camp. It’s a long, tough, grueling job to prepare for one night.
Do you find that it’s easier or harder to get ready for fights in your 30s?
I’ve actually found it much easier to prepare with the team that I have in place. Before, it was a different story. I was noticing that I was getting older, and it wasn’t the same as it was when I was younger. But with the way Rob has me training and the way my diet is dialed in, I feel like I’m 25 again.
You have a reputation for always wanting to fight the best fighters out there. Do you think Floyd is the best out there right now?
Absolutely. He’s been the pound-for-pound champion for a few years now, and it’s well deserved. He has the best overall package. I understand that it’s gonna be a very difficult fight, but I wouldn’t have taken it unless I thought I had a chance.
I think I’ve seen a few things that I can take advantage of in the ring. It’ll be tough, but being the underdog motivates me.
The oddsmakers have you as a pretty heavy underdog. Does that bother you?
It doesn’t get under my skin at all. It just makes me want to prove myself that much more to the critics and doubters. I have to win this fight for myself. I understand that it’s a difficult fight.
To be successful, I’ll have to be smart. He knows how to neutralize fighters, so my approach has to be very calculated. I’ll have to have a perfect fight on May 5. [via]