Oscar Hoya Fights Quotations

Lose this fight and you'll be fighting on ESPN on Friday nights.

(Mayweather is) too big of a fight not to happen, but obviously, it has to happen without Top Rank. Because I just feel that things that happened in the past with Top Rank, us not making fights together and Bob Arum not wanting to make fights with our fighters ... well, OK. If you don't want to make fights with our fighters, if I fight Floyd Jr., then you're not going to be involved. It's not giving him the satisfaction. It's like saying, 'OK, you're not going to be involved in the biggest fight in boxing since (my fight against Felix) Trinidad. If he wants to play that way, I'll play that way, too.

But people get these crazy ideas, ... I went on my own roller-coaster ride to gain acceptance from Mexican-American fight fans. It was very difficult and frustrating. There were times when I felt like shouting, 'I can be your hero too.' And there were times, like my fights against Ike Quartey and even against Fernando Vargas, when I fought more aggressively and took more risks than I should have to please those fans.

I know a few things about him that other people don't know. He's a good talent, but if he fights a boxer, he doesn't know what to do. But if you stay in front of him, he has a chance to knock you out.

But if he beats Vargas, the doors open for him. He'll have some big fights that he can win at 147 pounds. That's where he's explosive.