Hurtado: I am in excellent condition. I have trained very hard. My expectation for Oct. 19 is to convince everyone I am the best junior welterweight in the world.

Question: Vivian, how is your training going and how do you feel going into the fight?

Harris: I am doing well. I am ready for this fight. I have been training three months for this fight. I am in good shape. This is a big fight for me, and I am ready.

Question: What do you know about Vivian Harris and what have you done to prepare for him?

Hurtado: I actually know Vivian. We have trained together at the same gym. He is like most other fighters who desire to win a world title. But I have prepared myself very well for this fight. I am ready.

Question: What do you think the deciding factor will be for this fight?

Harris: I do not have much to say right now. I will just wait until Saturday night and do everything on Saturday night.

Hurtado: I am going to go in there to fight. I have tremendous ability and can do anything in the ring. I will fight differently depending on my opponent. I will fight differently then what everyone saw when I fought Mayorga or Whitaker or Kostya Tszyu.

Question: Have you been working on anything specific for this fight?

Hurtado: For the last two years, I have been working with a new trainer. Before, I was fighting with more of an amateur style, but now I am fighting like a real professional.

Question: Who would be your choice as opponent for the next fight if you beat Harris?

Hurtado: I am being pressured to fight my mandatory against a Frenchman. I am able to move up to 147 and then look at Vernon Forest or Mayorga. I will do whatever needs to be done.

Question: Do you think you could carry the weight at 147 pounds?

Hurtado: I am a natural 140 pounder, but with time and preparation, I could fight at 147 without any problem.

Question: Were you happy with your victory against Randall Bailey?

Hurtado: Absolutely. Randall Bailey was one of the best fighters I have had to face, other than maybe Kostya Tszyu. That was really one of the wins that gave me the greatest satisfaction.

Question: Is a fight against Tszyu in 2003 important to you?

Hurtado: Absolutely. The loss to Tszyu is a real blemish on my record - a thorn on my side that I would like to remove. I will fight Kostya Tszyu anywhere in the world - in Russia, in Australia, anywhere. But, I want to have good preparation time. Time to train well. Once they notified me that I was going to be able to fight Kostya Tszyu, I was only able to train for five days. I am not making excuses. Kostya Tszyu won the fight and I accept that. But this time, I would want to properly prepare for the fight. I think the outcome would be a lot different.

Question: Do you feel you have gained enough respect? Is this fight a career-defining fight for you?

Hurtado: First of all, I do not think I have been given the proper credit. When I fought Whitaker, I was knocked down, but like a warrior I got back up. When I faced Tszyu, I lost, but like a warrior I got back up and kept going. Now, I am the champion. The real defining moment will be when I fight Tszyu again because he is the man right now in the sport of boxing.

Question: What is the proper spelling of his name, and where did the name come from?

Hurtado: There is an "s" at the end, but not one after the "o." (Diobelys, not Diosbelys). I have no idea where my mother and father came up with the name.

Question: Any closing comments?

Hurtado: I am going to convince the world that I have the talent and skills to retain the title and continue to win.