OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:
Thanks so much to Frankie for joining us today on this international conference call with Mauricio Herrera versus Frankie Gomez (Indiscernible). Televised on May 7th at the new T?Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and live on HBO Pay Per View.
This is the second of our series of media conference calls with our fighters. So on Cinco de Mayo weekend as part of the televised undercard, top rated contender Mauricio Herrera will be squaring off against East L.A.’s very own Frankie Gomez. Additionally, we have opening up the pay?per?view telecast Patrick Teixeira with a record of 26?0 and 22 knockouts taking on Curtis “Showtime” Stevens. He has a record of 27?5 with 20 knockouts, and that will be a ten?round career defining middleweight bout.
These bouts in addition to the co?main events between David Lemieux and Glen Tapia will surely be thrilling and action?packed, thus giving the fight fans what they want to see and that’s action. Tickets are still available, but they are going extremely, extremely fast.
Lastly, I just want to thank our sponsors; all the national activations for Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold will start in the next few days, and you will be seeing a huge campaign like never before in English and Spanish featuring Canelo Alvarez and the fight on May 7 with Amir Khan.
Also, O’Reilly Auto Parts the activations that they’ll be doing on a national scale will be like no other. Also I want to thank Casa Mexico Tequila as the official sponsor of Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Alvarez versus Amir Khan. And “Doom”,- Fight Like Hell on May 13th out in theaters nationally.
Let me take this opportunity to say a few words. It always is a pleasure to work with such a professional and great promoter that we’ve had for many years in this sport to introduce the first participant, and that is my friend, Kathy Duva.
NICOLE DUVA, Vice President of Marketing and General Counsel for Main Events:
We have a slight change of plans. Kathy had to step out, this is Nicole Duva, I’m the vice president of marketing and general counsel for Main Events, and I’m here with Jolene Mizzone who is our matchmaker. So if anybody has questions for Main Events, we should be able to handle it.
We’d like to thank Oscar and Eric for including Curtis on this card. We’re really looking forward to this fight. We think it’s going to be great. We think Curtis is going to perform really well. That sums it up. Okay, and with that, I’ll introduce Curtis.
CURTIS STEVENS, Former World Title Challenger: Good afternoon, everyone.
NICOLE DUVA: Curtis, can you say a few words before we get into the question portion of the call?
CURTIS STEVENS: Excellent card to be on Canelo versus Khan. My camp and I are getting ready, and it should be an explosive night come May 7th.
OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you. I’m happy to introduce to you for the first time on this card, this fighter who hails from Brazil, he’s very impressive. He’s ready to make his mark as a fighter who is ready to make a huge statement on May 7th. This fight is surely going to be an exciting one for the fans.
Let me introduce to you with a record of it 26?0 and 22 knockouts, Patrick Teixeira.
PATRICK TEIXEIRA, Undefeated Middleweight Contender: First thing, I’d like to say is I’m very happy this fight is in Las Vegas. This is my first time there. I’m working very hard for this fight. I’m looking to have a great fight that day.
CECILIA ZUNIGA, Golden Boy Promotions: Thank you, Patrick. I think we’re ready to start the Q & A portion with Curtis Stevens and Patrick.
Q. Patrick, your two fights this last year in the United States have been fairly spectacular knockout TKO victories. Was that important for you to put on a good show to get this kind of opportunity you have now against Stevens?
PATRICK TEIXEIRA: Those two fights were very important. They were two fights in the United States. They were two by knockouts and as a result of that I’m fighting here in Las Vegas.
Q. Will you be pressing for the same kind of result in Las Vegas, not just a win, but a show?
PATRICK TEIXEIRA: I’m preparing for a good, long fight. If a knockout comes, it comes, but that’s the consequences of all my training. I’m not looking for it specifically.
Q. Curtis, the inevitable question is I’m sure the question of ring rust since you’ve been out of the ring for a little bit. How are you working on that and do you have any concerns about that layoff time?
CURTIS STEVENS: Well, we know I haven’t fought within about a year has already passed. But I’ve been training in general just in case something did come up spontaneously, so I’ve always been working. But I’m a fighter. You’ve got to be ready at all times, so I just plan to go in there and do what I do.
Q. Curtis, you have been out the ring for a while, but you’re coming in against a guy who is a big puncher, young guy, hasn’t fought at the level that you’ve competed at. Have you seen Teixeira fight? And if you have seen him fight, is there anything that concerns you about him?
CURTIS STEVENS: Well I’ve seen the footage that they have shown. He punches in numbers is what I can see. He has a very high work rate. But what I’ve seen actually, the opponents that he faced were on last?minute notice, two weeks, one week. But he did what he had to do. But taking nothing away from him, he has great output.
But I’ve just got to be ready. Sometimes I wasn’t mentally in the game. I was always physically ready for it, but I wasn’t mentally there for the past two years, but now I’m mentally back focused again. So this should be a heck of a Saturday night come May 7th.
Q. You’ve been a contender for a while and you’ve been in with some good names in the sport. If you lose to Teixeira, are you willing to take that step back and become an opponent, gatekeeper type opponent, or do you view this as a do or die fight?
CURTIS STEVENS: To tell you the truth, I don’t have that on my mind of me losing, so I can’t even answer that question, to tell you the truth. I’m going in there to win. So whatever happens after May 7th, we’ll get to that point. I’m coming in there to win. I’m not thinking about losing or coming with the opponent or anything like that. I’m coming to win. I’m not coming to lose.
Q. Curtis, in your career, it’s never been a question about talent. It’s always been activity in the ring and letting your hands go. What are you working on in camp just to make sure you’re going to be active enough and letting your hands go in this fight?
CURTIS STEVENS: Not looking for the power so much. You know, we all know I have the equalizer going. Back in the day I just used to rely on one shot just to take you out, but just being more relaxed and not looking for the one shot. When it comes, it comes. Just getting back to being more relaxed and just having fun.
Q. Has that been tough for you to do, just because again, your identity has been to just knock people out with one punch and now to look at that, has that been a transition to make?
CURTIS STEVENS: No, no, not really. For the past couple years I’ve been going through a little something family?wise, so my mind wasn’t really in the game. I always was physically ready coming to fight, but mentally I wasn’t all the way there. So I thank God that everything’s been hashed out, and so I’m back in the game mentally and physically. I’m going to be well?prepared come May 7th.
Q. Do you want to explain whatever you were going through or is it just personal stuff?
CURTIS STEVENS: Oh, no, no. My son’s mother she ran off with my son and I couldn’t find her for about a year and a half, but that’s all out the window now. I have him back now, so I’m ready to go in there and put in the work.
Q. Lastly, Curtis, do you still have the same team behind you? Are you still being trained by Andre?
CURTIS STEVENS: No, no, me and my uncle took a little break. We went our separate ways. He still makes my hours though. That’s my uncle, but we went our separate ways.
Q. Who’s training you now?
CURTIS STEVENS: John David Jackson.
Q. And how is that going working with John?
CURTIS STEVENS: Everything’s good. Camp is going great. I’m in the gym right now as we speak. Chemistry’s there. Just putting our puzzle pieces all together so the puzzle can be complete for May 7th.
Q. How did you and John hook up?
CURTIS STEVENS: Well, we always knew of each other. I live in Florida now, so I came down to see him one day. We worked together. We’ve been working the whole of March getting everything together, and we make a good match?up. We just took it from there.
Q. Do you feel John complements your style just the way that he trains you?
CURTIS STEVENS: I’m not going to say he complements my style, but you know, he’s been a fighter. So a fighter that fought back in the day, he’s turned coach now, he see things that other people can’t see. So he’s making me more relaxed instead of making me more so much just going in there and kill, you know.
Q. Curtis, we’re sort of overlooking the fact that even though we haven’t seen you in the boxing ring that you were in the BKB pits not that long ago. Was that a weird transition for you and has it been strange for you after kind of becoming acclimated with fighting that kind of style and then coming back full circle?
CURTIS STEVENS: Yeah, like I said before, you’re a fighter. Whether it’s in a square, circle, triangle, you’re in there to fight. But the pit was a little different because you had no ropes to lay?up on. But that was a good thing for me, because sometimes I like to take a little rest on the ropes, but being that there was no rope you had to fight and figure your way around the ring or around the little pit so call it.
Q. This is obviously not the first time you’ve come off a layoff. Actually the last time you had a two?year layoff you went on probably the best run of your career. Did you learn anything about how to deal with the ring rust that we’ve been talking about that you’ve kind of implemented this time around?
CURTIS STEVENS: Staying active. Staying active because I remember before I used to just train when I had a fight coming up. But as you get older, you feel like you have to stay active. You have to stay active. So I’ve been in the gym all the time. I’ve been running. I’ve been sparring. I was with Canelo not too long ago getting ready for Cotto so I was down there with him for two months.
So I’ve been active still. I’ve been sparring a lot. Like me physically not being inside the ring without the head gear and 10?ounce gloves, yeah that’s true, but I’ve been in the ring sparring specifically since I haven’t been fighting.
Q. Do you think that the new environment with John David Jackson being down in Florida, do you think that’s helped you at all coming from where you were before to now being in the gym with John where he has other top level fighters, guys like Chris Algieri who is getting ready for a fight right now?
CURTIS STEVENS: When you’re in the gym with top fighters, the only thing that can happen is it betters you. You’re looking at what they’re doing. You’re taking a little bit from them and putting it and moving it into your own person. So when we’re in here all together, we’re working, we all watch what each other does and just take a little bit and we help each other out. When you’re a team, everybody’s got to help each other so everybody can be better.
Q. Patrick, Curtis is an experienced fighter who brings a lot to the ring, and this is a different level, something that you’ve never encountered yet in your boxing career. What can people expect in the ring on May 7th?
PATRICK TEIXEIRA: I clearly understand that it’s going to be a difficult fight, so I’m going to put all my resources together. I’m going to use the ring. I’m going to box. I’m going to throw hard punches and do whatever it takes to win this fight.
Q. Curtis, do you have any final words you want to address to the press?
CURTIS STEVENS: On May 7th, it’s on. It’s going down. This year I wasn’t going to talk too much about what I was going to do. I’m just going to get in the ring and show it. Just getting ready. I’m coming back. I’m not going by Showtime no more. Showtime is a thing of the past. So they don’t have to introduce me by Curtis “Showtime” Stevens no more, either. Okay, thank you, Curtis.
PATRICK TEIXEIRA: I want to thank everyone for the opportunity of this interview. Thank you very much.
CECILIA ZUNIGA: Thank you, we are ready to turn it over to Mauricio Herrera and Frankie Gomez.
OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you. Now we’ll turn it over to Mauricio Herrera and Frankie Gomez. Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez is a fighter who is fighting undefeated (Indiscernible) 13 knockouts in the first three rounds or less. He has wins over Vernon Paris. He’s fought the likes of (Indiscernible) he’s fought the likes of Jorge (Indiscernible) in 2015. He is a decorated amateur (Indiscernible) in the U.S. In 2009 he won the silver medal in the World Championships.
He’s going in against a fighter who is experienced. Who is the true champion at 140 pounds with controversial decisions with the likes of Danny Garcia, Benavidez. Going up against the fighter they call the “People’s Champion.”
So let me have the pleasure to introduce to you first off Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera to say a few words.
MAURICIO “EL MAESTRO” HERRERA, Former WBA Interim and
current NABF Super Lightweight Champion : Hey, what’s up, guys. How’s everybody doing.
Q. Mauricio, can you let the press know any special opening remarks if you’d like to?
MAURICIO HERRERA: Just want to say thank you to Golden Boy and everybody that put this together because, man, I’m so excited and happy to be opening at the T?Mobile Arena and training harder than ever, because I can’t lose this fight. I’ve got to stay in this fight and keep proving myself. I can’t wait to put on an amazing performance.
OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Next, Frankie Gomez to say a few words.
FRANKIE “PITBULL” GOMEZ, Undefeated Welterweight Contender: Hey, I’m Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez, 24 years old. I’m ready for May 7th.
Q. Frankie, I know in the past you’ve had some issues with weight and just staying in the best shape that you can for a fight. What do you think is different about this camp and what have you done to make sure that weight is not going to be an issue going forward?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: Well, I didn’t blow up as much as my other fights. I stayed in shape. I didn’t go up in weight, and I’m training hard and just focused 100% on the fight.
Q. Have you had to make any big changes to your diet and just your habits in general just to keep your weight under control?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: Yeah, the diet and stuff, but the most important thing was just that I didn’t blow up too high. I didn’t go over like 10 or 15 pounds. Because before I would go up more than 25 pounds, 20 pounds, so that was one of the main things.
Q. One of the things that Golden Boy was having you do was actually going to their offices and weighing in. Are you still doing that or is that something you did in the past?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: Yeah, I did that for the last fight and it kind of helped me out. I don’t know that they wanted me to go in this fight. But even if they do, I’m ready. I’m like 9 pounds, 8 pounds away now, so just training hard for this fight and focused.
Q. Lastly, how excited are you for this opportunity again to be fighting on a major pay?per?view card against a good veteran in Herrera?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: I feel blessed and I feel excited. I’m anxious to go in the ring. I would like to thank Golden Boy for giving me the opportunity once again.
Q. Mauricio, you’re kind of the every?man in boxing. You’re the hard?luck guy. Many of the boxing media believe you won against Garcia and Benavidez. If you lose a hard?luck decision against Frankie Gomez, is that going to be it for you or do you continue fighting?
MAURICIO HERRERA: By hard luck you mean if I get robbed again?
Q. If you were to lose a close contested decision to Frankie Gomez, would that be it for you or would you still fight?
MAURICIO HERRERA: Oh, no, definitely not. First I’m not thinking that at all. I always think positive. No, I mean, I can go back in my career where I know many fighters would have hung up the gloves or given up or been discouraged. Getting robbed would discourage a fighter and even twice in one year.
So nothing negative has entered my mind. Since I started, I took lumps, I kept going, kept training hard. I love boxing and always kept doing it and thought I would get there once again. Nothing’s going to stop me, close fights, robbery fights, I’m headed to keep on fighting until I can’t anymore.
Q. Frankie’s a young guy. He’s never seen a guy with the type of craft that you have. You’re not just a good fighter, but you’re a crafty fighter. Do you think that he’ll be able to deal with what you’re going to bring and what are you preparing for against him?
MAURICIO HERRERA: I trained to throw guys like Frankie Gomez off, and a lot of the guys with big, amateur backgrounds kind of all have that basic style. I think that was one of the reasons I gave Danny a hard time is I don’t have a big amateur background, and I said at the time that’s what gives me an edge on these fighters that have the basic, one?two left hook. And the thing with me is not that I’m an awkward fighter, I think I’m at that age where I’m not the fastest guy, so I work everything on timing.
I think timing throws a lot of these guys off, and you can’t train for that. In sparring you can’t find guys like the way I fight. So I’ve always trained on timing. That’s been working for me to this day. That’s going to be a big part of this fight.
Q. Frankie, I’m going to flip that question around and Pose it to you. Mauricio’s a crafty guy. How do you prepare for a guy like that that doesn’t have a conventional style that most fighters walk into the gym with?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: Well, I just train hard and I do what I do best. I don’t think I’m a basic fighter who just wants to hook. I come from different angles, and May 7th he’s going to find out.
Q. Now you’re coming in obviously your biggest fight that you’ve had so far in your career. You’ve had problems making weight. You’ve had problems in the past. Do you feel like if you come in and you don’t perform at a high level or get a win or at least look good in a loss, do you feel it’s going to be time for Golden Boy to cut its losses with you?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: I don’t think so. My mindset is not that. My mindset is going in there and win and give everybody a great show.
Q. Mauricio, how do you prepare for a guy like Frankie Gomez? What kind of sparring do you get?
MAURICIO HERRERA: We just like to mix it up with different fighters. We don’t know how Frankie’s going to come that night. We know he’s a strong guy. We don’t take anything away from him. I watch his fights and all the fights with fighters that I’ve had were tough fights. Even when he was going through round for Provodnikov (Indiscernible) we trained hard for that fight. We got some sparring for that fight. Even the sparring wasn’t as tough as the fight. The sparring ?? we thought we sparred two amateurs that hadn’t even had any fights yet.
So we don’t have to look for the toughest sparring for Frankie, but we do got to mix it up and find different styles in there. We always have to try to be ready for anything. We know that Frankie’s hungry. He’s a tough guy. I’m not saying he’s just a jab, right?hook guy. We know what he brings. He’s a tough, hungry guy, undefeated, so it’s hard. Those guys are the toughest ones to fight, so we come well prepared and we train for everything.
Q. I heard that you were sparring with Tim Bradley? Is that true?
MAURICIO HERRERA: No, no, I’m not sparring with Tim Bradley. I haven’t sparred with him in a while.
Q. Oh, okay. I was mistaken, sorry about that?
MAURICIO HERRERA: That’s all right.
Q. Mauricio, when you were offered this fight to fight Frankie, what was your initial reaction? Obviously he’s kind of a young, up?and?coming guy. Golden Boy has high hopes for him. Did you take any offense to the match?up and maybe the idea that you’re being matched against him to kind of help him take that next step?
MAURICIO HERRERA: No, because before the Matthysse fight got offered I was hearing around that they were wanting me to fight Orozco or Frankie Gomez. At the time I was kind of disappointed and angry thinking, hey, do I not deserve a more established name on a big stage? And kind of was angered about that. But when the whole Amir Khan vs. Canelo on T?Mobile in Vegas pay?per?view card came up and then they offered me Matthysse and it didn’t happen, I was disappointed because I was like that’s my luck. That’s the way my career has been going, it’s up?and?down.
So I didn’t know what they were going to do at that time or who they were going to find. When he mentioned ?? I gave them some time and they called me back and mentioned Frankie Gomez, I knew exactly who that was. And I said I didn’t even think about that. Frankie Gomez, he’s a tough guy, and that lifted me right up. I got real excited because I knew he’s a real boxer. I know he who he is. It’s not a cherry picking fight. It’s a tough fight. So I was like back in the thing on a big stage, so I was really excited and happy.
Q. Is it motivation also for you that you can kind of spoil what’s being looked at as a big opportunity for him?
MAURICIO HERRERA: Oh, yeah. I know undefeated guys the same as Mazion and Daniel, I’ve fought a couple undefeated guys. They come to fight. They don’t want to leave that. So I know Frankie’s going to be training hard and he’s going to be on a big stage with all the lights on so I know he’s going to want to perform his best.
I love when they come in 100% in shape; that brings the best out of me. That gives me a thrill that I’m going to fight an undefeated guy, and I’m going to fight my very best.
Q. Is there a fighter out there that you want to fight again? You want the match?up with Garcia, is there a fight you’re really looking forward to having?
MAURICIO HERRERA: Yeah, definitely. I’m moving up a little in weight, so I know a lot of guys who are 140 are moving up in weight to 147. So the match with Danny would be a possibility. That would be nice to fight him again. He is a world champion, so you always want one of those.
There is Jessie Vargas, another world champion. So I think those are fights that could be made. The fight with Jessie Vargas, that would be nice too.
Q. Mauricio, all the fans have seen frankly you get robbed several fights. I think many of the boxing media on this call would agree about those fights. I’m sure you feel that way. What’s been the fan reaction to you and what do they say to you after having seen Garcia and Benavidez? You just seem like the hardest luck guy in the world. Have they embraced you? Are they supportive of you? What do they say to you?
MAURICIO HERRERA: Yeah, definitely. Going through those kind of fights can bring a fighter down. Of course you get online and read what the fans are saying. They keep your spirits up, and I think that’s what’s been going on in my career. That’s what’s keeping me level and not think about those fights in a negative way. Not what could have happened or what could have been a different dream I would have had if they would have given me those decisions.
The fans embraced me and feel that I am a true champion and that I should be the 140?pound champion. So I roll with that and almost put it in my head like I am. I think that’s what motivates me and makes me feel like I am that guy. I don’t think negative, so I’m in the gym training, thinking about all that and thinking positive. Of course all the feather reacted positive with me. So I’m in good spirits and I feel like that’s what takes me through my whole training camp. But I think that that’s even with the Frankie Gomez, they know that I’m there to fight the best, and I think I get all the credit with true boxing fans.
Q. I wanted to ask if you could talk to us a little about your decision and moving up in weight and why you chose to do it?
MAURICIO HERRERA: Really I wasn’t really thinking about it too much. I’ve always lost a lot of weight to make 140. I could have easily gone to 147 a while back in my career. But I felt work hard and keep making the weight, there were a lot of good names at 140, so I stuck around for that reason. A lot of fighters are moving up and a lot of names are moving up to 147, and it so happens the Matthysse fight was going to be at 147. So it got me thinking at that weight class. When that fight fell through my mind was still on the 147. So I said let me just go on that weight.
I was already thinking about it and training for it so when Frankie Gomez came to me, I said let’s keep it at 147. So now that’s the weight we’re going in, and we’ll see how I feel.
Q. Frankie, were you in the Philippines with Roach and Pacquiao during his training camp there?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: No, I couldn’t make it. I couldn’t get a passport.
Q. Well, I was going to ask you how was it training with Pacquiao. But were you able to get any chance to train with him at all when he was in L.A.?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: Yeah, well I sparred with the guys he sparred with yesterday. It was good. It was a good experience.
Q. Has it helped you to stay disciplined in making your weight?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: Well, the guys I’m sparring with are pretty fast, so you have to be in shape and you have to be ready.
Q. Frankie, you have a great amateur career and you won World Championships as an amateur. But the transition, has it been difficult to make a change from the amateurs to the pros or was it the same as usual?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: No, I think it’s the same, just smaller gloves. More head gear, weight, the weight, I’ve been at 140 since 16, 17, so it’s getting a little harder for me. But I can still make the 140s. I know this fight is going to be at 146 and I’m ready. I’m ready. The weight is good and I’m focused and anxious to go in the ring.
Q. What are some of the recommendations that Freddie has made for you? I know you trained with Abel Sanchez and different trainers. What’s the difference training with Freddie Roach and has he recommend for you?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: Just to work hard, stay disciplined. Stay in the gym, stay active, yeah.
Q. I know that you have a lot of friends that are all watching you from East L.A. You seem to have those fans go to all your fights. Has that always been the way it was for you even as an amateur?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: Well, actually as a pro they get a little bit more involved than in the amateurs. We have a lot more stuff at the pro events. Yeah, I think at the same time my fans, they always show up and they motivate me.
Q. Do they give you tips because I know some of them are fighters too?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: Yeah, they give me tips, but they mostly just tell me stay in the gym, stay off the streets, stay out of trouble and stuff like that.
Q. Mauricio, this is kind of a follow?up question to what Mitch had been talking about. I heard that you would like to fight Garcia again. You didn’t mention Benavidez. If that rematch came up, that possibility, would you be interested? And has there been any discussion about it before now?
MAURICIO HERRERA: No, what I heard at the site is HBO didn’t want it, so I don’t know if maybe they were disgusted of the way the outcome was (Indiscernible).
Q. Yeah, because he’s moving up in weight too. So maybe at some point that one comes back up on the horizon. And I guess if HBO or some other network is interested in it, you’d be interested in it?
MAURICIO HERRERA: Oh, yeah, definitely. I’d be interested. At the time I didn’t care about it. I was disgusted with the decision. But I’m at the point in my career now that I’m just a little more loose. I should be really an angry person with all the stuff going on. But my life is together and I’m just like whatever. I’m going to do what I do, and people are going to see. They’re the true judges, so I’m happy with that. As long as they keep giving me opportunities, I’m going to keep training.
Q. I remember after the fight you were really angry and I asked you if you would be interested in a rematch? And you made it sound like let’s do it right now. So I thought it might happen in a few months, but it seemed to fall off the table.
MAURICIO HERRERA: Yeah. After the fight too it was kind of irritating me, and I didn’t even want to hear anything, you know. (Indiscernible) so the plan went off. But if he gets some more known names on his record and people start to know him a little more, I think it would make sense more. So that’s all I’m trying to work now.
Q. Mauricio, I know you’ve gotten angry after a couple of your fights. You’ve said robbed or lost close decisions. I’m wondering, do you get just as angry that people seem to only refer to you as a hard?luck fighter or the guy on the short end of six or the guy that got robbed? I’m asking you that because you were also the guy that beat Ruslan Provodnikov. How about we remember you as a fighter that’s beaten a guy who is still a huge attraction? I mean, does that upset you that people don’t remember that?
MAURICIO HERRERA: Yeah, yeah, it kind of does because it seems like my career and my timing was off. I didn’t have the best management at the time, and at the time when I began my career I had no trainer. I was training myself. So I’ve had to fight a lot of these fights on my own. I finally got a trainer for the name of Lee Torres for when I fought Ruslan, and it helped me a lot. And I got to that fight, and I knew what Ruslan had. And the thing was at the timing of the fight, I didn’t get no credit.
When I saw Ruslan and beat him, I knew that guy was pretty special, you know, and it wasn’t until he fought Bradley when I knew that people were going to know about him, and he did what he did, as you seen. But to this day a lot of people don’t know that I fought Ruslan and beat Ruslan, an undefeated and tough and intense Ruslan. I feel at that time he was more hungry. His style has changed a little bit, but they seem to forget, and it does get frustrating that I’ve only been known for the robberies, you know.
But there are other tough fights like Michael Alvarado who I fought and thought that was a close fight as well. There are plenty of fights that I had that people just don’t even remember me from the Danny fight. I started making new fans, and the true boxing fans did the research and they’ve seen my background. But the newer fans tend to forget some things.
But, yeah, I tend not to let it bother me.
Q. At the end of the day you know you beat that guy and these other guys. So I hope that gives you some comfort.
CECILIA ZUNIGA: Frankie, do you have any final comments for the press still on the call?
FRANKIE GOMEZ: No, just make sure you tune in May 7th for an exciting fight night, and thank you everybody.
CECILIA ZUNIGA: Thank you, Frankie. Mauricio, any final thoughts?
MAURICIO HERRERA: Yeah, I just want to say one thing. There are a lot of fighters out there that are fooled by my resume and my losses and my age. I think that’s the thing that’s going to be a problem when I go in that ring, because that’s really ?? they find out quick that I’m a guy who can handle myself.
I just want to thank Frankie for taking the fight. You’re a tough fighter, and I know you’re going to be in great shape and let’s give the people a show. Thank Golden Boy for putting it together. We shut down the L.A. Sports Arena and now we’re opening a new one, T?Mobile Arena, so let’s make this special.
OSCAR DE LA HOYA: We are looking forward to May 7th. Thank you for being on the call, all the press. We’ll talk to you next week leading up to May 7th, and finishing off our weekly calls with Canelo and Amir Khan. So, like I said, tickets are going extremely fast. Marketing starts kicking in in the next few days. It will not be one single soul who will not hear about the fight or know about the fight. So we expect a big turnout live in Las Vegas. So thank you very much.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
Canelo vs. Khan, a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold,” O’Reilly Auto Parts, Casa Mexico Tequila and DOOM® — Fight Like Hell on May 13. David Lemieux vs. Glen Tapia is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management and Patrick Teixeira vs. Curtis Stevens is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Main Events. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person (a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600 and $400 price levels and a limit of two [2] per person at the $250 and $150 price level) are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing, join us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, and follow the conversation using #CaneloKhan.
