The Mayweather vs. Marquez promotion is in full swing and earlier today, President of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De la Hoya and his former trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. broke down the match-up and provided valuable insight into who they think will come out on top of this welterweight showdown. Both men shared the opinion on both fighters and compared them to other fighters in the past and the present. Check out some quotes from the media conference call to see what they had to say.
OSCAR DE LA HOYA:
I just have this feeling that Marquez is going to pull this one off...I saw how seriously he's taking this fight and I'm convinced he will win this fight.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the best fighter on the planet...but he's ready. He knows he as to put his life on the line and he's willing to do that.
I'm the one that stopped fighting. I'm the one that didn't keep using that jab. I'm the one who's screws were coming loose...but Marquez, styles make fights, styles make fights...I have a feeling, being in there with Floyd and watching Marquez train, I have this feeling that he's going to win.
Obviously when I fought Floyd, my jab was the key.
The only way Floyd Jr. is going to be talked about amongst the best, he has to keep fighting the best and he has to knockout some of the best. Starting with Juan Manuel Marquez, he has to make a statement...he has to do something that's never been done...he has to knockout Marquez.
Just to set the record straight, when I fought Floyd, I was in my weight class, I felt strong; obviously that fight was a good fight for me. I'm fighting the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world in Floyd and I was doing great...because of physical pains and aches here and there, I coudln't do what I wanted to do, but I was still in the fight. When I faced Pacquiao, I lost the fight before I got into the ring. I made the mistake of coming in below the weight. I made 141 pounds a month before the fight and it was a huge mistake on my part; there's nobody to blame...even when I fought Floyd, I mean, we did 2.4 million homes and when I fought Pacquiao, we did 1.2 million homes so it's a whole different ball game with Floyd. When Floyd's involved in a fight, you're going to get a big event.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER SR:
This is Floyd Mayweather Sr., the world's greatest...come next Saturday, you better be ready.
Lil Floyd's timing is on. Not only is his timing on, but I'm back now...he's got his jab working overtime now so I'm pretty sure Marquez is going to get more than he's looking for.
If Marquez can get past the jab, hey, if he can get past the jab...he can make the fight hard or he can make the fight easy.
I think Lil Floyd can go in there and give Marquez a good whoopin, I mean a real good whoopin, and I think it has nothing to do with his legacy...I don't think he has to knock him out...if Lil Floyd beat him unmercifully, that would be a statement. A statement is a statement.
Peterson worked good with him, but the whole thing is, Peterson is youthful, or whaterver, but it's like it was...Lil Floyd got the best of him...but Peterson's not a bad fighter at all.
Anytime family gets together, it's going to be stronger.
Lil Floyd probably gets in shape better than any fighter I know.
You ain't gotta do much to make the public mad at you...my son is flamboyant in his own way...a lot of people don't like it. People don't like it. That's just the way the world is. That's the way America is.
I think that Lil Floyd is who he is and without a doubt, down the line, without any question, Lil Floyd is the pound-for-pound best...even with the two-year layoff...for me, Pacquiao is not, I wouldn't call Pacquiao a good fighter at all, I wouldn't. I mean, that's my opinion because I see too many things he do. Speed means nothing if you don't know exactly where to put the punches. It don't mean nothing. He's got speed, he's fast, but he's got no skills with it so it don't mean nothing. He's not an Oscar De La Hoya. He's not a Floyd Mayweather Jr. or any fighter like that.
[ Follow Ben Thompson on Twitter @fighthype ]