Juan Lazcano: We’ve got a wonderful camp. I’ve been here in nine weeks now and it’s just been absolutely a great camp for me. I have a great personal training coach, you know, and he is a nutritionist. And then I have Ron Shields, putting everything together. Just man, what a wonderful team I have and we’re prepared and ready to go and that’s it that I had..
Tim Hobbs – Sky Sports: When did you arrive and how do you see yourself building up to the span of few days before huge night in Manchester?
Juan Lazcano: Yes, sir. We arrived Saturday. We’re just looking forward to a wonderful fight in Manchester.
Tim Hobbs: You’re obviously aware of the huge crowd. Have you ever boxed in some of the crowd of that size before?
Juan Lazcano: No. Never
Tim Hobbs: Finally, Juan…
Tim Hobbs: Where do you think Ricky said he had the edge on you in most departments, where do you think you can succeed against Ricky Hatton?
Juan Lazcano: Overall, it’s a great match up, it’s a battle of will, it’s a battle of attrition. It goes a lot of things, the hunger and I know that, I am a little older now, you know, I turned 33 this year but, it’s a symbolic meaningful year for me being that this year, my birthday fell on Easter. Well, I turned 33 and not only that, there was actually – there was in fact the resurrection within my person and my being and, you know, I just – I am a spiritual individual. I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, I believe in the power of the resurrection and I will believe at the same power is within me and I will use that power to win forward and make the best of this opportunity.
Tim Hobbs: Okay. And finally, have you got any message for the British fans tuning in and the 55,000 – what can I expect from Juan Lazcano?
Juan Lazcano: Well, I’m going to go over there. I’m an athlete. I’m a professional fighter. I’m going to fight of course, you know, England Ricky Hatton. I, he is truly a great warrior and it’s an honor for me to fight a great warrior because, you know, I’m a gentleman as well and I acknowledge of someone has a tremendous heart like Ricky Hatton so it’s an honor for me to go in there and do battle with Ricky Hatton and that’s something that as fighters, we enjoy the thrill of the challenge and I do want to go over there and, you know, wanted to be a great fight, a great man of the boxing, great fight for everyone, exciting. The best man will prevail on May 24 at Manchester.
Manny Mayoney: First of all, congratulations once again to Golden Boy promotions and VERSUS, you know, for joining in forces and especially the fighters.
Now, Juan, on June 5, 2004 you fought Jose Luis Castillo, I mean, how much improved are you four years ago, I mean, what you did differently from Castillo and this coming fight versus Hatton in Manchester, England this May 24.
Juan Lazcano: Well, you know, the bottom line is this. I mean, everyone see me fighting by all means, it’s more inside. You know, it’s more the mental part of it and, you know, I’ve evolved as well known as a person but as a fighter. And as you think, you know, this whole package but more than anything is the mental thing, you know, I’m ready to enter like I say the promise land, you know, in the bible ought to know halo then Joshua believe were sent to go and be look out and they went to look out and they were the only two that brought back the positively and said okay, they’re vulnerably, we can go over there and overtake this land and the rest – the other 10 they said no, you know, they’re too big, they’re giants. That’s why I was, you know, maybe I wasn’t ready (maybe for greatness. But now, you know, I’m welcoming greatness, I’m ready for greatness and I’m taking this challenge seriously and I just, you know, the best now and I believe I’m the best man. Now to this state, Ricky, he is a great fighter.
Manny Mayoney
Invideo Network Cable: Well, Juan, I think you’re right in the middle right now because we have – you have name of apostle. Now, if winning Juan, would you contempete a match with Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
Juan Lazcano: Isn’t that ironic? For so long, Floyd Mayweather-Juan Lazcano, believe me, and Floyd knows this too, if there’s someone out there believe it or not, that will beat him it’s Juan Lazcano and but, that’s beyond, that’s not even in my – in the immediate layer. I have to go in there and get there at business with Ricky Hatton. Ricky Hatton is a tough son of a gun. We’re going to go in there and it’s going to be a tremendous fight and I believe that I have what it takes to come out bleacher on May 24 and the world will see, you know, I mean, there’s nothing to hide.
Everything will come out on May 24 and I didn’t want the best man to win. I believe I have what it takes and if I believe I have what it takes, it will come out on May 24, then it will come out. I wanted to come out. I wanted to be seen and let it be seen and if Ricky Hatton is the best then I took my hat off in him but it’s going to be a wonderful fight, wonderful night of boxing.
Manny Mayoney: One question for Richard Schaefer. Richard, besides Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell, is Golden Boy Promotions going to recruit more heavyweights?
Richard Schaefer: Well, we actually are looking at a heavyweight – actually, two heavyweights which are already a bit advanced in their careers but really in our opinion could be the future of the division. We think that the excitement of the sport of heavyweight division is not coming from the current top five or six ranked fighter. I think the sports – the heavyweight division needs new faces and we are looking at some of these two new faces. We wanted to make sure that we do entered the heavyweight division that we are doing it in a very meaningful way and that’s all I’m really going to comment on that right now.
Eddie Goldman
SecondsOut Radio: Juan, let me ask you, you haven’t fought in a while. The last fight was Vivian Harris in February of 2007, can you tell us about the layoff between then and now?
Juan Lazcano: I haven’t fought a year, right? I haven’t fought since that fight with Vivian Harris and it’s been a year layoff. But, I mean, this is a thing of faith really, Eddie. This is a thing of faith, and what more can a man actually, you got life, you got face, you got opportunity. So I’m a blessed – I’m indeed a blessed man and I’m looking forward to the fight on the night of the 24th of May in Manchester.
Eddie Goldman: Was there a particular reason that you haven’t fought in so long Because obviously you’ve been a very active fighter on previous years.
Juan Lazcano: Bottom line, there wasn’t the right fight. The right fights weren’t being aligned for me or the right opportunity that I was seeking I guess and againI believe in – God is guiding my every steps, God to be specific in all my spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is guiding my every step.
So it’s all about timing and this timing is now and like I said, you know, that’s a symbolic time for me being that, you know, my birthday fell on Easter, the resurrection. I feel like there’s been a resurrection within me andwithin my being and I’m just looking forward to a wonderful fight with Ricky Hatton. Am I dreaming? It’s been a nice dream but I don’t think so I believe so. I believe that it would be a – it’s going to be a wonderful fight and it’s an honor for me to enter the ring with great warrior like Ricky Hatton.
David Avila
Riverside Press: Juan, you’ve had a lot of good look in the last couple of years. You had (Guerrero) winning the title and you had winning the title on England, you had Timothy Bradley beating Junior Witter winning the title, where do you think that leads? Do you think that there’s good things for you too?
Juan Lazcano: Well, just that let’s go to prove it. It can be done. It’s being done by other fighters and what do these fighters have that I don’t have, they’re human just like me and it’s all about the individual and how much you wanted and I want it, I want it, you know, I want it pretty bad.
David Avila: So what about training with Shields, you have a pretty good trainer, but you – is it kind of hard to adapt to a new trainer or is that why you took so long to get back and win?
Juan Lazcano: Well, I mean, you know, it is – it takes a while to adapt to new trainer of course but, you know, I mean, I’m a veteran and I have the experience and, in the end it’s about me putting it together and not making excuses.
So it worked out really good. It really has. I’m happy with the camp and we’re in great shape. We cared ourselves very well and just looking forward to the fight on the 24th of May in Manchester.
David Avila: I know that Shields like this fight as to swim a lot. Did you do a lot of swimming?
Juan Lazcano: Yeah, they had me do my fair share of swimming. It’s a new thing for me but it took me a while for my body to adapt, but once I got going, I think for adults and that was missing from the sense, well, what’s this that water part here in nearby that they have. Yeah, the swimming was pretty good after I got into the grove and actually enjoyed it and it’s a great part of the preparation that they have here.
Malaya Isabella
InsideFighting.com: Juan, I’m wondering if you can go in a little bit into your mindset. You have a lot of faith in yourself in God of course, and – but, most people are picking Hatton as the favorite, you just have being coming in. Is that something that, people characterizing you as an underdog, is that something you use as more motivation or just generally, how do you process this, how do you get yourself motivated as a big underdog?
Juan Lazcano: Well, I mean, bottom line, I understand what you do think that way, but I mean, what is life without faith? Faith is the beginning of great things and without faith you cannot accomplish anything great. So I’m not going to, there’s always going to be mazy. There’s going to be doubt or simply you proven my horizon that’s why was in a fight. I have to go out there and perform and take care of business. It’s one thing to say something and it’s another thing to do it.
So, May 24 I have to go there and do it and that’s what everyone is waiting for, and everyone can say they can do this and that but in the end you have to perform and, you know, that’s what Juan Lazcano is made I mean all the answers will come to the surface on May 24, you know, and that’s all I want. I believe I have all it takes for greatness. It took a while like I said for me to – for whatever reason, I understand it and accept it and actually move forward and say okay, I have what it takes, I have greatness within me. I’m ready to move forward and pursue and now, it’s here, it’s an opportunity and it’s such to me to make the best of it and I’m ready to go out there and make the best of this opportunity.
Jerry Glicks: Question for Richard Schaefer. What is the future for Golden Boy? What are you guys doing about the future by picking up known fighters? I know you have but maybe you want to talk a little bit about that.
Richard Schaefer: Well, we have signed, one of the best young fighters today with Joan Diaz from Houston and so we have great hopes for him that he will become the undisputed lightweight champion again. Then we have signed some of the young kids like Danny Garcia, Danny Jacobs, a lot of young emerging kids which really have the opportunity to become the face of boxing in the future and we have really put forward a very concentrated effort in recruiting young fighters and…
Jerry Glicks: What are you doing to recruit them?
Richard Schaefer: Well, we are working with some of the managers. We’re working with, so we’re working with managers from all over the world in Mexico and United States, in Asia, we are, matchmakers proactively involved recruiting in local boxing chains and so on so that’s what we do.
Malaya Isabella
InsideFighting.com: Mr. Schaefer, can you comment on the status of signing a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and assuming there’s nothing to report, I’m wondering if you can kind of, give some type of insight as to what that a timeline do you guys have at least for getting started with those types of inquiries?
Richard Schaefer: Well, we are working on getting everything finalized. We’re almost there. There will be most likely we will have some news to recap the next. We are working on putting together final touches to really make this fight and we are working on putting together a spectacular never seen promotion which will really capture the interest and the imagination of the boxing, sports fans, and the general public from around the world.
Malaya Isabella: And so is it fair to say that there haven’t been any real glitches? I know in the past and even before you all were Oscar sometimes has issues that few people have agreed on putting together rematches a lot of times, is it fair to say you guys have not run into any major obstacles then with Mayweather Jr.?
Richard Schaefer: No obstacles. Both fighters want it. That’s the most important thing and so there’s absolutely no issue. It’s just the matter of getting everything on paper.
David Itskowitch: All right. I’m pleased to announce we’ve finally reached Juan Lazcano who I believe is on the line right now.
Richard Schaefer: Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a pleasure for me now to introduce to you the man who is going to go to England and he is going to go to win because he waited for this opportunity for a long time to really make his mark in the sport of boxing. He was always dreaming about fighting one of the true great of the sport and here it is, here is the opportunity. He has the record of 37 with four losses and one draw, 27 KOs. He have some great match ups throughout his career including four former world champions with Jose Luis Castillo, Stevie Johnston, John John Molina and Wilfredo Vasquez and he has earned that name Juan “The Hispanic Causing Panic.”
There is a reason why he has that name and his intentions are to cause some panic over in Manchester. He is not going to be distracted by those 55,000 fans thinking there’s only one Ricky Hatton because by the time he’s going to leave the ring, his intentions are that these 55,000 people are going to seeing there’s only one Juan Lazcano.
David Itskowitch: All right. I would like to thank Juan and I would like to thank everybody on the conference call. It’s going to be a great night, a great night of boxing and all the fight fans here in the US, make sure you tune in. It’s going to be again, life on VERSUS at 3:30 Eastern on May 24, Ricky Hatton vs. Juan Lazcano, an excellent, excellent co main event as well with Paul Malignaggi the IBF Junior Welterweight world champion defending his title against Lovemore N’dou. It’s going to be a great night, great afternoon of boxing. Life Manchester City historic event 55,000 people are going to be there. Be part of it and thank you so much for participating in today’s conference call.