28.03.07 – 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.