
DeLaHoya vs. Mayweather
Camp Notes: March 28, 2007
DE LA HOYA AND MAYWEATHER SO MUCH ALIKE AND
ENTIRELY DIFFERENT AS FIGHTERS STAY HOME TO TRAIN
USING VARIOUS STRATEGIES FOR MAY 5 SUPER FIGHT
CAMPS IN SESSION, TRAINERS IN PLACE
For Oscar De La Hoya
and his new trainer Freddie Roach, the honeymoon is
over and training camp is down to business. It is
Roach’s first training camp in three years (last one
with Mike Tyson in Phoenix training for the Danny
Williams fight) where he had to leave his Wild Card
Gym in Los Angeles, go on location, work with and
set-up camp with just one fighter. “I am used to
being at my gym 10 hours a day training a bunch of
fighters,” said Roach. “Being only with Oscar in
Puerto Rico gives me a chance to concentrate and
focus specifically on the game plan for the fight,
something I wouldn’t have been able to do as well as
I can now.”
With the return of his uncle Roger last week, Floyd
Mayweather has back what was missing for his last
fight. “My family is so important to my preparation
and I missed my uncle for the Baldomir fight,” said
Mayweather. “Just seeing him back in the gym is a
relief and we are already getting down to some
serious work.”
Said Roger Mayweather, “My nephew already knows how
to fight. I’m just the gravy on his meat and
potatoes.”
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
When champions prepare for a big fight, they usually
set up their training camp miles away from home in a
remote location with limited distractions. Not so
for Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather—both
fighters choosing to stay home to get ready for
their May 5 “The World Awaits” mega-fight at the MGM
Grand in Las Vegas live on HBO Pay-Per-View. Not
only have they chosen to stay home, but they are
sleeping in their own beds, driving their own cars
and spending time with their families.
“I know what it takes to stay focused when I am
training at home,” said De La Hoya. “But honestly it
is the greatest feeling to come back from running or
boxing to see my wife and son’s faces. It
rejuvenates me and reminds me of what my whole
career stands for and why I am so dedicated to win
this fight.”
“I have always trained at home so this is nothing
new for me,” said Mayweather. “I like knowing my
surroundings, having my family close by and driving
myself to the gym. I have been fighting my whole
life and I know what it takes to win a fight so
there is no temptation at home that can break me
from my regimen. I love to train with my kids close
by, my family at my side and my team, which is made
up of some of my close friends, supporting me all
the way to fight night.”
THEIR RUNNING AND
THEIR RUNNING AND THEIR RUNNING AWAY
Running and conditioning, conditioning and running.
Both fighters are intensely competitive and
incorporate a series of training disciplines to add
to their boxing preparation.
Oscar De La Hoya incorporates interval training
based on his boxing schedule, running at 6:00am each
morning. For sparring days, running is lighter, and
consists of various runs on grass. One of his
favorite routes is around the famous El Morro Fort
situated high on a hill in Old San Juan. For days
when he is not sparring, the running is more intense
and longer, preferring a sandy beach or a flat
trail.
The running and boxing are complemented by core
conditioning sessions that focus on strengthening
specific muscle groups such as the abdomen, back and
neck. De La Hoya, who has a fitness gym in his
house, is joined by his team mid-morning before
resting in the afternoon and heading to the boxing
gym in the early evening.
For Floyd Mayweather, running is a constant in his
life and even when not training, he has been known
to leave his house at any time—day or night—to take
a long run. While training, Floyd keeps consistent
with distance runs averaging five to seven miles a
day. The times are flexible and based on how he
feels on the particular day. Although routes may
vary, Mayweather usually takes off from his house
and finds that his neighborhood and surrounding
areas a perfect place for roadwork.
Mayweather also hits a fitness gym in between the
running and boxing. Lifting weights and other
calisthenics
SUPER SILENT vs STEREOPHONIC
De La Hoya trains in silence—no music in the gym and
no ipod for running. For Mayweather, the gym is
jamming. For this fight—favorite tracks from 50 Cent
and his own Philthy Rich recording artist H Flow.
Although he doesn’t use an ipod when running, he
does have his assistant trainers follow him in a
vehicle with a blasting sound system.
FINAL FOUR FUN FACT
De La Hoya and Mayweather are both picking UCLA as
Final Four Tournament Champions.
The De La Hoya vs. Mayweather pay-per-view telecast,
beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, has a suggested
retail price of $54.95, will be distributed by HBO
Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 61
million pay-per-view homes and in 176 countries
around the world. The telecast will be available in
HD-TV. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of
event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For
your daily De La Hoya vs. Mayweather fight week
updates visit www.hbo.com.
On Sunday, Apr. 15 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, HBO will
premiere the all-access prime time series “De La
Hoya/Mayweather 24/7.” The four-part series, with
unprecedented access, will chronicle the fighters’
preparations for the May 5 mega-fight at MGM Grand
and will provide viewers with a compelling look at
two extraordinary champions.