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"This time, it's personal!"
Floyd next up for Oscar
Story and photos by Chris Cozzone
With Stevie Forbes out of the way, a win on the books and rust shaken off the Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya said tonight that a September rematch with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will be next.
“I’ve said all along, it’s been no secret, this fight with Floyd,” De La Hoya told the media at a post-fight press conference held in the stripped-down ring an hour after the crowd of 27,000 left the Home Depot Soccer Stadium in Carson, Calif.
“I never looked past Stevie Forbes, but, at the same time, I was hoping for this outcome, but using this fight to take the rust out, work on things and challenge my conditioning.
“I will fight 12 hard rounds  come September.”
Against a game but overmatched, oversized Forbes, De La Hoya won a unanimous decision, with scores of 119-109 twice and 120-108.
“Stevie Forbes is one tough customer,” De La Hoya’s comments to the press wavered between his plans for Mayweather, and his performance before a hometown crowd. “I told you it was going to be a tough fight. I felt as if all the rust just went away by the 11th.”
De La Hoya said he’d injured his hand around the fourth round.
“I wanted to prove something here, stay on my toes and pop my jab. I could’ve done more, but my hand . . . sometime around the fourth, I hit him on the head. I was hesitant about throwing. But I bit down and threw my hard jab.
“I’m not making excuses, but my left hand is pretty swollen.”
 While Golden Boy CEO Richard Scheafer confirmed that De La Hoya-Mayweather II is not finalized, negotiations will begin next week.
“I can’t wait for September,” said De La Hoya.
“Now that I’ve been through the first fight, where you get caught up in the marketing, this time, it’s personal. I’m gonna beat him, just you watch.
“This is very personal, but I am going to be the best.”
Forbes going back to 140
 Showing few bruises but sporting dark sunglasses, Stevie Forbes, 150 pounds against De La Hoya, told the media that he plans to head back down to 140.
“I came in the smaller guy but I fought my best,” he said. “I told you I wasn’t gonna run, and I didn’t.
“I will definitely be back. You will see me as a champ at my weight of 140 pounds.”
Forbes, who’s never been down, let alone knocked out during his career, said he was never seriously hurt in the fight, but was momentarily stunned more than once.
 “I got stunned a couple times,” said Forbes. “It wasn’t hurt, like I was gonna be knocked out, but he can punch. I’m a crafty veteran and I knew to stay calm. I think I returned the favor a couple times in the fight, too.”
Forbes gave himself four or five rounds, but admitted he’d have to review the tape to “have a better understanding of what happened.”
“Oscar’s jab turned out to be more of a problem than I thought it’d be,” said Forbes.
“But it was good experience and I think I showed what I was made of.” |
