BY: Vitaliy Shaposhnikov

A cascade of emotions raced through me as I witnessed the fall of one of the greatest pound for pound fighters to Floyd Mayweather Jr. There were of course expectations from Marquez, and even certain degree of hope. Unfortunately once the fight started, I realized that the tale of David and Goliath would not be replayed tonight.

Donald Trump once said: “Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game.” While I would not believe this before, thinking that Money Mayweather was in this sport only for the cash flow, I now do. Floyd Jr. came in prepared both mentally and physically, and looked superb. Not only was he bigger and faster than Marquez in this fight, he was also the aggressor, which is a rare way to fight for him. The first round of the fight was a déjà vu in a way, because he knocked Juan down with a left hook, almost a check hook some may say. It was both a Déjà Vu of the way he ended Ricky Hatton as well as the way Pacquiao disposed of Ricky: fast! He was toying with Juan throughout the whole fight. Someone in the audience kept yelling: “Mayweather, don’t play with your food,” which struck me hard. That’s exactly what it looked like. Mayweather was playing with Marquez like cats like to play with a mouse before the devour it. He smiled at Juan, threw wild lighting quick jabs, and moved around the ring with such ease and grace that it made it seem as though he was having genuine fun. Overall, Mayweather was able to land the whole spectrum of punches, catching Juan with hooks and straight rights.

Marquez on the other hand, had absolutely nothing to offer to the fans. He landed a nice left while Mayweather was on the ropes in the third round, and that was just about it. Floyd was too fast and too slick for Juan. Landing a head shot was something that Marquez just could not do, no matter how hard he attempted. At the end of every round, Juan flurried, which proved fruitless.

Nevertheless, Marquez went the whole twelve rounds, showing determination and heart. He knew that he was losing the fight, and there was very little chance for anything to change.

 

Now we all know the only person that comes between what would be the greatest boxing event of all time Pacquiao vs Mayweather is Miguel Cotto. Boxing fans will  hold their breath until Novemebr 14th, knowing the dream match for the p4p championship  can come true.

Mayweather vs Marquez Super Fight Photos

 

 

 

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BY: Dan Gabel

A few weeks ago, I was a fly on the wall for a discussion about boxing trainers. I observed a few opinions as I listened in. Floyd Mayweather Sr. seemed to get high praise for his strategic work with Oscar and now Ricky Hatton. His brother Roger for his tutelage of the once and potentially future champion, Floyd Jr. Nazim Richardson also got positive marks helping both Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley to recent upset victories over Kelly Pavlik and Antonio Margarito respectively. Hell, even Enzo Calzaghe received a few comments for his “unconventional, yet somehow effective” efforts in helping shape his son into a World Champion.

 

Given such laudatory praise (especially for the eccentric Calzaghe) I was more than a little surprised I didn’t hear anything of note about Manny Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach. I don’t think many appreciate the work the Roach does for the pound-for-pound king.  

 

I have always believed it’s not the collective skill, knowledge, and ability that make a good pairing between trainer and fighter, but rather the compliment of their talent and personalities. In this regard, Roach and Manny seem to be a perfect match for each other.

 

Freddie Roach’s simple and unassuming nature meshes well with the sometimes mercurial and unpredictable Pacquiao. He acts as father figure and confidant guiding Manny, rather than a task master constantly pushing and motivating. In the early to mid ‘90’s, trainer Teddy Atlas received much attention for his motivational work with former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer. He is noted for having pushed, pulled, cajoled, and berated Moorer…. basically dragging him kicking and screaming…. into a world title. However, a guy like Atlas wouldn’t fit with Manny.

 

I’m thinking Atlas wouldn’t tolerate Manny’s massive traveling circus of an entourage, probably clash with the sometimes headstrong fighter, and most likely end up “motivating” the pound-for-pound king right out of camp, on to a chartered flight (for his massive entourage), and right back to the Philippines.  

 

The job Freddie Roach does for Manny is in many ways like the job Joe Torre was asked to do for the Yankees for many years. Torre was not asked to take a team take a “rag-tag” bunch of players and shape them into perennial playoff contenders. Instead, he was given a roster brimming with marquee players, and then asked to channel this talent to produce winning seasons and World Series Titles. He was asked to manage personalities. Similarly, Freddie Roach was been given possibly the most naturally gifted and most explosive force in all of boxing. His job is to give Manny just enough structure, just enough boundaries, in order to channel his energies to focus on the task at hand.  

 

In many instances, it is the toughest of tasks to be handed a transcendent talent which carries with it the pressures and responsibilities of expectation.  Freddie Roach carries that responsibility everyday with him as he trains Manny for Ricky Hatton.If he wins, give the man his due.

 

 

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Diamond Boxing goes one on one Daniel Edouard the current WBA Fedelatin Champion:

P.G. Congratulations on your win in your last bout against Panamanian champ Edouardo Dela Cruz. You won a title in that fight. Which belt was it?

D.E. Thanks. Cruz was a tough fighter and really pressed me from the onset of the fight. I hit him with a straight right which he basically couldn’t recover from. I won the WBA Fedelatin Championship in that fight which is sort of a fringe title but a definite stepping stone. Winning my last three fights impressively have moved me up in the rankings also.

P.G. How was it fighting in Panama? The fans are very knowledgeable over there aren’t they?

D.E. It was an awesome experience fighting in Panama. Boxing is one of those unique sports that will take you around the world and visiting other countries, experiencing the beauty of other cultures is truly a dream come true.

P.G. Did you get to experience any of the Panamanian culture or was it strictly business?

D.E. You never get to experience as much as you’d like because you have to maintain your focus on your fight but I was able to see a lot of the city. Hopefully the next time I go I can visit some children’s organizations. I would love to do that.

P.G. You have a solid amateur background. Can you elaborate on your amateur experience?

D.E. I had 100 amateur fights. I think my record was 84-16-0. Most of the 16 was because of my hard head not listening to my trainers (laughing). It was a pretty good amateur career. I lost to Jeff Lacy in the Olympic Trials. Though I would’ve loved to represent the United States in the Olympics if I had known that I could have represented Haiti I would’ve done so. I don’t mean that as disrespect to USA boxing just the opportunity to be an Olympian is rare.

 P.G. How did you get into boxing?

D.E. That is a funny story. I was sitting in a barber shop waiting to get a haircut and there was a guy talking about a recent fight that he lost. So me with my big mouth started ragging the guy. I was saying stuff like he must be sorry since he lost. Luckily he was mature and didn’t get pissed. He simply gave me a phone number to a trainer and said call him and come to the gym and see if I still talk that much when I get in the ring. So next day I did and let’s just say that boxers are very well conditioned (laughing). It’s history from there.

P.G. I’ve noticed that the date of your next bout isn’t solid. Do you know when your next bout will be and who your next opponent will be?

D.E. I’m not sure when my next bout is or who my next opponent is. I’ll keep you posted on that one but I did hear that there are fighters from Australia and Panama calling out my name. We’ll see what happens. I hope they know what they’re asking for (laughing).

 

P.G. You’ve continued to change weight throughout your career. Is this an issue for you or are just trying to find your favored weight?

D.E. It’s not an issue. I made an effort to get down to 154 thinking that it would give me some physical advantages but it caused a major strain on my body going down so quickly. When I was fighting Eromosele Albert I dominated the first round buy when I went back to the corner I was out of energy. That’s not to take anything from Eromosele, he did an excellent job but that fight and my struggles to get to 154 prompted me to abandon the junior middleweight division at that moment.

P.G. Which weight do you feel most comfortable at and why?

D.E. I prefer fighting at 160 because I feel more comfortable but I wanted to give 154 a try to see how it felt and to know if I could make the weight. So I know that if I absolutely had to I could get to 154. I would just need a little more time to get there effectively.

 P.G. Is your training and weight on schedule?

D.E. I stay in shape. I’m never more than 5 or 10 pounds over my fight weight. You never know when you’re going to get that call and I don’t want to get caught off guard and out of shape. I’m training right now, staying in shape and waiting for the next opportunity to strike.

 P.G. I’ve been hearing a buzz that you are starting your own boxing promotion company?

D.E. Yes I am starting a promotion company. It’s named Haitian Sensation Promotions. There are many reasons behind it but the major one is I want to have more control over my future inside and outside the ring. There is a lot missing in boxing and I feel my company can fill a void. There is a gap in boxing promotions. It goes from club shows to major shows.

P.G. Why start your own company at this stage in your career?

D.E. There’s no middle ground for fighters to acclimate to the upper levels. I experienced that when I took on Jermaine Taylor. There is a major difference from fighting in front of hundreds of people and 10 or 20,000! We want to prep fighters for the next level. It’s sort of like visiting Orlando. Disney isn’t the only thing there. We want to be attraction that is smack in the middle. Not middle in talent but middle in terms of what has been achieved by the fighter thus far. We want to be the company that you can see 10-0 and 13-0 fighters head to head. We want to be the proving ground for fighters.

P.G. Who works with you on Haitian Sensation Promotions?

D.E. We have a small staff that is headed up by Tim Walker who sits as the CEO, smart guy; Very knowledgeable.

P.G. So charity work is a significant part of who you are. What inspires you to give back?

D.E. I don’t really look at it as charity. My inspiration is simple. That’s what is required of each of us, to help each other. So I do all I can to give hope to the hopeless. If we all took the time to help out another the world would be a way better place. I’m just doing what Jesus asked of us to do and I’m not just saying that. I feel that we are required of God to show love.

 P.G. Okay. This is a no nonsense question. Who do you most want to face in the ring at this minute and why?

D.E. Who do I want to fight? I’m not in the business of calling out fighters and it really doesn’t matter as long as it’s a fight that fans will enjoy. My two goals are to have awesome fights and bring awareness to the foundation. As my success grows so does the foundation’s presence and impact. Champions need guys to fight.

P.G. Where do you see your career going after your upcoming bout, what is your ambition?

D.E. After my next bout I see myself winning a title shot somewhere in the next two or three bouts. Provided I get the shot. My goal is to get a world title shot this year. That is my ambition and that’s what I’m going to attain.

P.G. Good luck in your upcoming bout and in the rest of your career, any last words?

D.E. I’d like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview and the fans of boxing for giving me a forum to present my talent because without you and the fans it would just be two guys fighting in the parking lot (laughing). You all bring the buzz and the hype that is so needed in the business. If anyone wants to learn more about the foundation you can get in touch with us at www.myspace.com/officialhaitiansensation or www.myspace.com/hspboxing Thank you again and God bless.

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Pacquiao (above) all smiles after his victory over De La Hoya.

 

 

BY:Robert Epstein

Thousands have voted in our poll, the results are in and by a slight margin boxing fans selected Ricky Hatton over Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the opponent they want to see in the ring next with Manny Pacquiao .The margin was very slim as 49 percent of the voters selected Hatton and 44 percent selected Mayweather.

So now the fans have spoken and the promoters Golden Boy and Top Rank are working on the details to put together Pacquiao vs Hatton. I am sure working out the details of the fight is a challenge for them however the fun comes when they select the title for this fight. It goes without saying and at this point in the year it has been written countless times that Pacquiao has achieved greatness in 2008. He is the official pound for pound king of the ring and deserves all the accolades after his victories over Marquez, Diaz and De La Hoya.

On the other hand Hatton did not have the superstar year that Pacquiao had. However, he was able to record two victories in his two fights and regain the momentum he lost after the Mayweather defeat in December 2007. Hatton under the guidance of Floyd Mayweather Sr. was able to put together a dominating performance over Paulie Malignaggi which catapulted him into the Pacquiao sweepstakes. So here we are with the books for 2008 about to close and new chapters about to be opened in 2009, with what maybe the most memorable boxing event in history about to be announced.

Ricky Hatton (above) in the media room at the Pacquiao - De La Hoya “Dream Match”

In years past both Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions have promoted great battles featuring the legends of the sport, each great fight also included a great title. As they think about the title for Pacquiao – Hatton here are some of their greatest event titles and battles from their past promotions to help spark their thought process:

1985 - “The Fight” - Hagler vs Hearns

1986 - “SuperFight” - Hagler vs. Leonard

1990 - “The Puncher and the Preacher” - Foreman vs. Cooney

1990 - “Once Is Not Enough” - Toney vs. McCallum

1991 - “Battle of the Ages” - Foreman vs. Holyfield

1993 - “Heavy Damage” - Foreman vs. Coetzer

1996 - “Ultimate Glory” - De La Hoya vs. Chavez

1997 - “Buster on Broadway” - Douglas vs. Ryan in NYC

1999 - “Fight of the Millenium” - De La Hoya vs. Trinidad

 2002 - “Bad Blood” - De La Hoya vs Vargas

2006 - “Sworn Enemies” - Mayweather vs. Judah

2007 - “War For Four” - Morales vs. Diaz

2007- “Fast and Furious” Cotto vs Mosley

2008 - “The Battle” - Cotto vs. Margarito

2008 - “Unstoppable” - Pavlik vs. Hopkins

2008 – “Dream Match” – Pacquiao vs De La Hoya

For Pacquiao first it was the epic rematch battle with Juan Manuel Marquez which was labeled as “Unfinished Business “sandwiched in between the De La Hoya “Dream Match” we had Pacquiao Diaz “Lethal Combination”. As for Hatton his fight with Malignaggi was called “Power vs Precision”. So what will the marketing geniuses at Top Rank and Golden Boy come up with for their megasode of Pacman vs Hitman?

 We have asked around and here are some of the suggestions we got         

“Battle of the Generation”

“Battle of the Planets”

” Total Collision”

” Clash of the Storms”

“Collision Course”

“Thunder vs Lightening”

“New Horizons”

My personal favorite title is Pacman vs Hitman “A Battle for the Fans” both fighters have huge fan bases in their own countries and beyond. When Pacquiao fights the Philippines is at a standstill so that they can watch their hero. Hatton fans travel by the tens of thousands to see him fight, which make him the leading box office draw. The fans provide the energy, support and desire they need to reach beyond expectations.  Pacman and Hitman inside the ring always demonstrate their loyalty to their fans with their attacking and never give up styles. So why not title this one Pacman vs Hitman “A Battle for the Fans      

 

Please email me your title suggestions to rob@diamondboxing.com

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Pacquiao’s supporters (above) cheer him on against De La Hoya.

BY: Robert Epstein www.diamondboxing.com

With victories over Marquez, Diaz and De La Hoya and the title of current pound for pound champion all accomplished in the twenty ninth stanza of his life. Pacquiao now looks ahead to his thirties and the final stages of his boxing career. Not to leave doubt in any ones mind that Pacquiao deserves to be listed as one of The Greatest Boxers of all Time he will now take on Ricky Hatton.  Forget about any rumors of bouts with Kendall Holt or Zab Judah these make no sense or no money and will do Pacquiao no justice. A pound for pound champ wants to fight the best and the best name out there right now is Ricky Hatton. A Hatton – Pacquiao bout if held in the U.K. will break all of the boxing attendance records. However, as negations enter the final stages it appears that the bout will take place in Las Vegas in order to achieve the best economic results.  

While Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton will due their battling inside the ring some time in May 2009, the fans of these two boxing warriors have already begun to square off outside the ring. The message boards the rebuttals, the polls have already started to heat up. The pre fight hype is on and the fan comradery alone will be a battle in it’s self.

Pacquiao with his aggressive boxing style, his offensive approach, always on the attack mentality makes him fan friendly and his recent destruction of De La Hoya has added believers to The Pacman Nation. If you add in Pacquiao’s kind hearted good deeds along with his generosity it becomes very difficult not to be a fan. Pacman has his country of 91 million strong behind him and with the additional support around the globe growing by leaps and bounds Pacman Nation is at its peak stronger than ever. Pacman Nation is ready to take on the Hatton Cult.  

Hatton (above) greets thousands of his fans at the MGM in Vegas before the Malginaggi bout.  

Hatton by far is the leading box office draw, without a doubt if this bout was held at Wembly Stadium 100,000 strong will come and maybe the stadium attendance record of 126,047 could be challenged. When Hatton fights no matter if its home in England or in his second home Vegas the cult comes out. In his last two Vegas bouts against Mayweather and Malignaggi the Hatton following hit the Vegas desert in droves, by the tens of thousands. The pre-fight weigh-in-in is an event in it’s self with over 6,000 Hattonnites strong. Oh yes Hatton has his own Elvis and lets not forget his brass band.

The interest in this bout has already reached a fever pitch, the bout has not been officially announced and the entire boxing world is buzzing with Pacquiao – Hatton thoughts. Pacquiao who has been installed as the 2 to 5 betting favorite to win the bout will also be the global fan favorite. However with his traveling army Hatton for sure will still have the larger on-site fan support.

De La Hoya (above) slumped in the corner at the end of the eighth round

As Pacman journeys to another era in his career one has to reflect back on the amazing past year Pacquiao had, fresh in the minds of all is Pacquiao’s destruction of the Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya. Yes it was destruction from the opening bell to the lasting image of De La Hoya slumped on his stool in the corner at the end of the eighth round. That image will play in my mind for a long time as it wasn’t the end of De La Hoya’s career that I am thinking about but the beginning of Manny’s. I know Pacquiao has been boxing for over thirteen years, I know he has 48 victories and only 3 losses, I know he beat the likes of Barrera, Marquez and Morales all who may have been better boxers than De La Hoya. However, it’s the De La Hoya conquering that catapulted Manny as one of The Greatest Boxers of all Time.

Now Hatton must go face to face with the career ending giant Paquiao, if Pacquiao can achieve the same results and crush Hatton in De La Hoya like fashion Hatton’s cult will also be retired.

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De La Hoya and Pacquiao Kick off the “Dream Match” at the Statue of Liberty

BY: Rick Assad - After what transpired between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya inside the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena this Saturday night, it became apparent to the 15,001 fans in attendance and those watching on pay-per-view, the Golden Boy has likely fought for the final time.

The relentless pounding that Pacquiao rendered over eight rounds during their non-title welterweight match, and the manner in which De La Hoya left the ring, his only decision can be “no mas.” Anything else would be futile.

“I was able to defend his jab,” said Pacquiao, considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.”I was connecting with everything. He was connecting with nothing. Speed was the answer to this fight.”

Once great and formidable, the 35-year-old De La Hoya looked old, out-of-shape and tired when trainer Nacho Beristan called a halt to the fight prior to the ninth round. De La Hoya’s left eye was practically closed, and his face looked pained.

“I stopped the fight because I didn’t want him to leave his greatness in the ring,” said Beristan.”Oscar was in good condition, but he couldn’t control Manny’s southpaw stance or style. He wasn’t able to stop him. He just didn’t seem to have the strength tonight.”

The beating De La Hoya absorbed, especially in the seventh round, should tell the one-time Olympic gold medal champion that his time is over.

“I am not shocked because at this stage, when you face someone like Manny Pacquiao, you know you are going to be in a fight,” De La Hoya said. “I worked and trained really hard for this fight, but as I have told everyone, it is a totally different story when you get in the ring.”

De La Hoya went on: “My style is to go forward, but he was boxing on his toes all night and waiting for me to make my mistake. I just didn’t have the strength to stop him and my body did not respond.”

Don’t feel too sorry for the 10-time world champ in four weight divisions. With Golden Boy Promotions the industry leader, the company will be solvent for years to come.

The same, however, couldn’t be said for De La Hoya, who landed 21 percent of his punches (83 of 402), 13 percent of his jabs (32 of 238), 31 percent of his power punches (51 of 164), and was taken to a local hospital as a precaution after suffering the worst loss in his distinguished 17-year-career.

Then again, the last few years haven’t been kind to De La Hoya (39-6-0 and 30 knockouts), who once had brilliant hand speed and extraordinary footwork.

In May at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, De La Hoya won a unanimous decision over lightly-regarded Steve Forbes.

Despite that, after the fight, De La Hoya had obvious puffiness around his eyes. He even looked slow, and couldn’t floor the heavy underdog.

Mind you, this was against Forbes, who would never be compared to a world-class fighter like Pacquiao (48-3-2 and 36 KO’s).

A year earlier at the same MGM Grand Garden ring, De La Hoya had a close bout with undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr., for the World Boxing Council super welterweight belt, but walked away losing a split decision.

That night, De La Hoya started quickly, winning four or perhaps five of the first six rounds, only to fade in the second half.

On Saturday, after eight rounds, Judges Dave Moretti and Adalaide Byrd each had Pacquiao ahead, 80-71, while Stanley Christodoulou favored Pacquiao, 79-72. Diamondboxing.com. scored the bout in favor of Pacquiao, 78-73.

This time, from the opening bell, the quicker and better-conditioned Pacquiao, who has held world titles in four weight classes, was the aggressor, throwing stiff right-hand jabs, followed by darting lefts that continued to find De La Hoya’s face and midsection.

Covering the final three rounds, the 29-year-old Pacquiao connected with 97 punches, while De La Hoya answered with 21.

The seventh round was the tipping point, as Pacquiao, the Filipino hero, threw head and body shots seemingly at will, and had De La Hoya in the corner over much of the three minutes. It wasn’t until the final 30 seconds or so that the East Los Angeles-native answered with his own material.

Over the course of eight rounds, Pacquiao, who landed 38 percent of his punches (224 of 585), 59 percent of his power punches (195 of 333), and 12 percent of his jabs (29 of 252), minimized De La Hoya’s four-inch height and five-inch reach advantage.

These numbers, and De La Hoya’s 20 percent bigger body size, enlisted him a 2-to-1 opening-line favorite. The line dropped significantly in the days prior to the fight.

In retrospect, the younger and faster boxer prevailed. Anyone who saw Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard at the end of their Hall of Fame careers can vouch for this.

Or as Babe Ruth, baseball’s one-time home run king put it at the close of his brilliant career: “Getting old is hell.” De La Hoya knows that feeling.

FULL DREAM MATCH JOURNEY STARTING WITH THEIR TAKE OFF FROM HOUSTON 

 

 

 

  

  

 

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Amir Khan and trainer Freddie Roach (above)

BY: Robert Epstein

Amir Khan chats with Diamond Boxing about training in the U.S. alongside Manny Pacquiao and with his new trainer Freddie Roach. With days to go before his next fight on December 6 Khan also tells Diamond Boxing about his opponent Oisin Fagan and how he is preparing for this bout.

As a special bonus for the fans at Diamond Boxing, Amir gives his thoughts on the Pacquiao – De La Hoya Dream Match. Read what Khan’s manager Asif Vali told his long time friend Khan after Khan suffered his first professional defeat to Breidis Prescott in his last bout on September 6 AND MUCH MORE….

Diamond Boxing and Asif Vali:

D.B. - Asif after the lose to Prescott what did you say to Amir?

Asif -After the fight, my immediate thought for Amir was his health and I was asking him if he felt ok and was not confused, in the corner my first thought was to get him back to the dressing room and not to do the press conference, however Amir, whilst on his stool said to me he wanted to do the ringside interview to which I was shocked as most fighters would go and lock themselves away. I knew then he was ok and let Amir carry on and face the media, as he wanted to explain himself where he went wrong and where the team went wrong.

 D.B. - What do you think about Amir switching trainers again and the selection of Roach?

Asif -The weeks after the fight Team Khan had many discussions and Amir decide he wanted to try out Freddie Roach again, we went to America and spent a week with Freddie, Amir returned and choose Freddie as his new coach. I am confident that this will be a fruitful partnership as the bond between the two is fantastic and the different technique Amir is learning will make him a better fighter and a world champion.

D.B. - What do you think about Amir switching trainers again and the selection of Roach?

Asif -Amir has plenty of time now to wait and make his American debut, There is no rush and when the time is right that will come, Amir has to continue learning as he still young and Amir desires to be a world champion and he is more hungry than ever, he wants to prove all the people who have wrote him off that he will be a world champion and believe you me he will.

Diamond Boxing with Amir Khan:

D.B. - Are you enjoying the training camp in the states?

Amir -  Hi Rob I’m back in the UK now two weeks before the fight but the training camp at The Wild Card Gym went really well, the atmosphere there is amazing and I really enjoyed it.

D.B. - In what ways has sparring with Manny helped you?

Amir -   Sparring with Manny has been great, he’s just as fast as me and keeps me on my toes, its helped me a lot mentally as well, knowing that I’ve been in the ring with Manny who is pound for pound the best fighter in the world, and the confidence it has given me, and I can go out there now and fight anyone.

D.B. - How much time are you getting with Freddie?

Amir -   I get plenty of time with Freddie, usually around 3 hours a day which is perfect.

D.B. - On the 6th December you’ll be fighting at the ExCel Arena, will it affect you not having Freddie Roach in your corner for this?

Amir -  Unfortunately Freddie can’t be there, but we’ve gone over plenty of things together and I know how well and hard I’ve trained so I’m fully prepared and it shouldn’t affect me.

D.B. - Have you seen much of your next opponent Oisin Fagan? How have you been preparing for this bout?

Amir -   I’ve watched a couple of videos of him, he looks strong and is a pressure fighter with a big heart, so I’ve had a few good sparring partners along with Manny, and done plenty of rounds to get me prepared.

D.B. - How has he tried to improve your skills? Have you concentrated on defensive work after your defeat?

Amir -   Freddie is fantastic to work with, he’s improved me a lot, we’ve been working on everything along with defensive skills, he’s taught me a lot of new things as well and I can’t wait for the fight.

D.B. - Has the KO by Prescott affected your confidence?

Amir -   Not at all to be honest, yes it put a big dent in my career but I’m back and more confident than ever, I’ve got a point to prove now, and its actually made me a better fighter, I’ve changed a lot of things and maybe it was a good thing what happened in the last fight, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have been training in the States with the best.

 D.B. - Thoughts on Manny’s preparation for Oscar?

Amir -   Manny’s preparing well, he’s like a machine in the gym, and works so hard, I’ve always said the harder you train in the gym the easier it will be in the ring, and Manny is doing everything spot on, it’s nice to train there at the same time as him as he has got a huge fight on the same night, we push each other all time in training, if its running in the mountains or sparring or general bag work, which gives us that extra edge.

D.B. - How do you see the fight going?

Amir - It’s going to be a very exciting fight to watch, very hard to call as they have different styles, but styles make fights, Oscar is a great boxer but I think Manny will be too explosive for him.

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