Oscar De La Hoya

WITH MUCH of boxing moribund and title bouts unfolding in half-filled arenas, one boy is still golden. The already much-anticipated May 5 fight between junior middleweights Oscar De La Hoya (38--4, 30 KOs) and Floyd Mayweather Jr. (37--0, 24 KOs) guarantees De La Hoya $12 million. (Mayweather is assured of $8 million.) The payday, which will rise significantly after factoring in an expected two million pay-per-views at $54.95 each, traces to a Nevada-record $19 million in ticket sales; Las Vegas's MGM Grand sold out in three hours. De La Hoya is now training in Puerto Rico, where he lives with his wife, Millie, and their one-year-old son, Oscar Gabriel. At stake, besides a WBC title, is the claim to being the best pound-for-pound fighter alive.

On fighting such a dangerous opponent

I took this fight to make history. A fight like this comes along every 15 to 20 years. It's like Sugar Ray Leonard against Roberto Duran or Marvin Hagler against Tommy Hearns. Many times the best fighters don't want to fight each other, but we're creating a spectacle. I'm going to leave everything in the ring.

On leaving Floyd Mayweather Sr., his trainer for six years, to go to veteran trainer Freddie Roach

It was such a difficult decision. Floyd Mayweather Sr. is a great trainer, probably the best I've had. But it would have made me uncomfortable knowing that Floyd was training me to beat up his son. It absolutely would have been a conflict for him—it's his blood. [Floyd Sr. is now serving as an adviser to his son.] If there's one night I have to be perfect, it's May 5.

On the Golden Boy nickname

One of my uncles gave it to me in Barcelona [at the 1992 Olympics] after I won the gold medal. I had a nickname before that: the Hooker. No [laughs], not because of what it sounds like but because I used to knock guys out with my left hook. [Such as the one he's landing on Ricardo Mayorga, opposite page.]

On his company, Golden Boy Promotions, which handles fighters and events—including this one

Boxing is at its lowest point right now. Attracting corporate America and the networks is how it can become a mainstream sport again. That's my vision, and I wanted to make fighters part of it. Fighters have a stake in my company. We have legends like Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins [both company execs] looking out for the boxers' best interests—we've been there, done that; we've laced up the gloves.

On golf