Mario catches up with his buddy Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya, share some UNTOLD stories from their partying days, talk about how Oscar has given back to the community, preview this Canelo/Jacobs fight, and more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
So very excited for this episode of Listen to Mario
Mario Lopez. Here, I got my buddy Oscar, Yeah, joining me.
I'm gonna tell you some untold stories from back in
the day. But Oscar, of course is the Golden Boy
prior to east l a uh ten time world champion
and really just has a pretty amazing life from start
(00:22):
to finish. I want to get his thoughts on the
big fight of course coming up this weekend with Ganello
and Jacobs that's going down in Vegas at the T
Mobile Arena. Huge event happens every Sinko to miles, So
let's get into it. Welcome brother, Thank you. I was
trying to figure out how long we knew each other
(00:43):
and then I found the picture the other day and
it was the Hollywood Christmas Parade. You just won the
gold medal and I'm worrying an ugly ass Christmas sweater.
Jackets your jackets because it was very Olympic expired with
all the different flags. It was all the flag. We
were young, bro, we were eighteen, so that's like three
(01:04):
years ago. But why is why why is everything oversized? Yeah?
That was twitters the jackets. That was that that that
Bill Cosby, you know Cosby Show kind of ra but
it's great. I can't believe. So yeah, like almost thirty
years later and uh, you know, love that we're still friends,
but everything that's been going on since then, man, and
I think the reason why we hit it off is
(01:24):
I mean not obviously not only the same age, but
both first generation Mexicanos. Your parents are from highly school
mine from Sinaloa. But I was always I remember watching
you in the Olympics. I was alway so proud, like,
oh man, he's you know, he kind of just like me,
and he's gonna do it. And then he and then
you won the gold and I was like, oh, I
was just like, like really proud. That's the first one.
(01:45):
So it was you know, and then a lot, especially
back then in Barcelona and the whole thing. Um. And
it's funny because I was like, I want to make
it a point. I said to watch or try to
go as many fights as I can. And I did
go to a lot of your fights. You went to
a lot. There was very probably lass that I missed,
you know what I mean, growing up, very few that
I missed. Let me ask, Let me ask you, Let
me ask you. Which one, which one was your favorite? Well,
(02:09):
I had a few, but the one that still I'll
tell you which one sticks with me that bothers me
to this day, and we've talked about it a lot,
is when you fought Trinidad that was billed as the
fight of the millennium, and I have I snuck my
ass into the first row, the first row when I
saw that whole fight. And people don't do this because
I always say, like not to talk like you're not here,
(02:30):
but I always say, Oscar is the last dude that
fought everybody. He never talked any right, He fought everybody
in at their and at their peak. You fought Trinidad,
who was the most dangerous fighter at that time. He
was undefeated at their knocking everybody out, and you fought him,
and not just because you're my friend, but you outboxed
his ass and you won. In my eyes, nine rounds
to three wasn't even close. So that one pisces me
(02:52):
off because they gave him and it was a big
Mexican Puerto Rican ar. The one that's the one that
if any by were to ask me, like you know,
what do you what do you regret in your career,
like inside the ring, and I mean, I don't regret
anything because everything just happens for a reason and everything,
you know, that's why we're here. And so but that
(03:12):
fight with Trinidad, um oh, if I can, if I
can redo those three rounds. Even then, I thought I
won the fight with with winning eight nine rounds of
I don't know where they got the other three rounds
or four rounds. Actually, well, because look in my whole career,
I was never one to to to to box, you know.
(03:33):
I would always stay in front of you and they would.
My fights were always exciting, you know. So those last
three rounds that I boxed and moved from him, yeah,
like that's that's the excuse, like, well you lost that fight.
You boxed with the last three rounds, you lost that fight.
So but I kind of regretted just a bit. Man.
I wish I would have knocked him out. I know.
But everybody who saw that fight who really knows and
is honest and themselves know, you want another one that
(03:56):
sticks that I would loved and I was. There was
the when you fought from end of argus because there
was so much well actually there wasn't the thing that
was funny about that. It's like, I don't think you
were tripping just that about they had a lot of animals.
You used to like nap about it, like where's this
guy whets? This guy got so much anger? You know
what it was. He tried to He tried to, uh,
he tried to like intimidate you intimidate me. But you
(04:17):
know it's like it's it's it's it's warfare, bro. It's
like it's like this is war you. So he's preparing
his mind to like, you know, just amp himself up,
you know, to get to get as angry as he can,
so when he steps in the ring, he can you know,
kick my ass. I guess yeah. But but obviously it
didn't work on me. You know that there's a there's
a crazy story with that. So during the way in right, um,
(04:42):
you know how they had to separate us because we
couldn't we couldn't stay close to each other because you know,
it's like if we get close to each other, I mean,
who knows what's happened. So so they built they built
this long stage at the MGM and the arena. They're
huge stage. I was on one side, he was on
one side. And we had a way in separately. So
(05:03):
I go in first, and there's like thousands of people
that are cheering me on. And Vargas comes in and
everybody's cheering for him, and you know, you get a
few haters here and there whatever. But he takes off
his shirt and this guy, I mean, I thought he
was a freaking bodybuilder. This guy, I mean, he starts flexing. Ah,
(05:23):
and I tell my brother who's next to me, I go, dude,
I mean, he looks, he looks ripped up. He looks
so right away, I thought to myself, Okay, this is
my last opportunity to to intimidate him, to kind of
like you know, they say when the first round before
the fight starts outside the ring. So I said, what
(05:44):
can I do? What can I do? What can I do?
So when he when he looked at me, okay, when
I had an opportunity. When he looked at me, he
looks at me from way across the room, and I
go like this, I point to my chin, okay, and
I go like this, like as if I'm going to
knock him out, you know, And what does he do?
He looks him and he goes, he puts his head down, okay,
(06:07):
as if he was intimidated, like like I deflated the balloon.
You know, you know what I'm saying right there, right there.
And then I said to myself, I got him freaking
god really right there. Well, and I remember too, he
got popped for steroids that remember, So you knocked his
ass out all juiced up, because that was a hell
of because he came up strong in that first round.
(06:28):
I remember he cut you a little bit in the
first round. He almost had me knocked out of the
Remember I remember that vividly, and your bob because may
whether it was your corner. It's so funny, all this
stuff that I remember. Yeah, and then he would ended
up getting pinched because he was juiced, and he still
knocked his ass out three two weeks later, Yeah, the
test came back home. Boy was looking ripped. Right. There
was a freaking bodybuilder. Oh man, you no, I can
(06:49):
go there just talking a fight with job. So so
the animosity still carried over, you know. Yeah, that dude
was angry. He was angry, but but check this one out.
So I ended up calling his people, okay me personally
after I knocked him out. Two weeks after I called
this people, A. I want to have a meeting with
(07:11):
Fernando to patch things up, you know, like, dude, let's
be friends here. We can do stuff together, you know.
So we set up a meeting in Pasadena, right in
the restaurant. We closed the restaurant down. You know, it's
big drama, you know whatever. So I'm waiting inside the
restaurants during the day and he comes in. He's wearing
glasses and comes straight at me, and I'm ready to
(07:32):
shake his hand. And the first thing is tells me
is you didn't you didn't beat me. You didn't beat me,
you didn't knock me out. Wait, what what are you
talking about? Like, like, literally, I knocked you out, you
didn't beat me, dude. I want the rematch. I want
the rematch. And after like five minutes of that, I
just got up and I said, you know what, do
good luck and we'll see you later. He still was
(07:57):
it was crazy, dude. But what's now is that we're
like we're good now. Yeah, usually like found Jesus and
he did, he did, he did, he found Jesus. He's
all with this grammy. Now do you promote his sons?
By chance? Or was that I would love that'd be
a trip. I would love tooting oh Man. But like
(08:17):
I said, I could go like just talk for hours
and all of oscars fies just because I've seen him
on There's so many great stories with the with the
Chavez fights, which we'll give him a little tease. I
know there's going to be like a documentary just on
that in and of itself, not to be confused with
the upcoming documentary that Peter Burg. Can I talk about
that just a little tease. Peter Burgh, the famous director,
(08:38):
is going to be doing a documentary on Oscar on HBO,
which should be unbelievable. Can can't wait to check out.
But one thing to going back to the beginning of
the career. One of my favorite things memories of us
because you know, ay, look dude, we're both young and
he got all we love girls, we love the party,
but you know we still focus. We both had tough
dads both that time. You have to do so you
(09:00):
had so one time. I think it was it your
second or your third fight, You're I mean your second.
It was it was my third fight, okay, third fight fight.
He scheduled the fight in San Diego at the Sandia
was sports arena. Okay, then yeah, you're lighting my neighbor.
So so, so I just say, real quick, I loved it.
Before you even said what this was, he already knew. Yeah, no,
(09:21):
he knows. He likes his story. Yeah, like he loved
the story. So so it was it was I mean
the first time we had mad right that Christmas parade
the sweater around the jacket all right, right, I'm gonna
quote that picture for hilarious. And so so we stayed
in touch and stayed in touch. So, so Mario is
from from La Vista, right, yeah, so he's you know,
(09:42):
he's staying there and and and and I don't know
if you heard about the fight or whatever that I
was fighting there. And so I'm staying at this hotel.
It's like little little separate little villas, you know, it's uh.
And so I'm staying when villas, cottages, whatever you want
to call him. And so, um, Mario wants to meet
and let's you know, and I go, dude, yeah, hell yeah, dude,
(10:03):
let's let's you know, hook up whatever house, which is
so cool. He came to my house and let's check
this one. Was it Thursday during the day. Yeah, we
were hanging out at the cottage started with a trainer
and all that, and we're talking and so he gives
me his number a call me whatever. I'm like, yeah, dude,
i'll call you after the fire or before the fire.
Will hang out. So that night, uh, that night, I'm
(10:24):
in the cottage and and um, I'm feeling this pain
behind my leg. And I'm like, ship, now, I can't.
I can't take this pain. I mean, let's call a doctor.
So I tell my trainer, let's call a doctor. So
we call a doctor. He's like eighty five years old
with like a little leather little bag, you know, like
(10:44):
it was funny. He walks into the cottage and I
tell me a doctor, I'm like, feeling this pain that
just breaking, Like it's I can't even walk. It's it's
it's it's it's it's that painful. And so he tells me, okay,
light light down the bed, let me check it out.
And he's touching my leg behind my leg here and
he's touching my leg and he says, he says to
my trainer, we have to operate, like we have to
(11:06):
freaking operate, like right away, this is getting infected. We
have to operate like right away, just from touching it,
just from touching it. But it was like freaking hard,
like it was really hard, you know, and and a
good size too, and so so I'm already thinking in
my mind, you know what, I can't fight. I can't fight.
(11:27):
So I tell my trainer, let's go for it, man,
let's do it. I can't fight. Let's let's just call
it a day. It's not worth it, you know. So
the doctor gives me a towel to bite down on. Okay,
here's this towel, bite down on it. Okay, let me
put some local and anesthesia on it, you know, do
you know? Starts starts uh, you know with the needles.
(11:50):
There's like five little shots. Yeah. And so my leg
is all numb, and he starts carving a freaking hole
the size of a quarter. He's doing surgery, and he's
doing freaking surgery. And then doctor it costs like eighty bucks.
(12:11):
So he carves out a hole about the quarter size
and maybe about a ninche deep. Okay, So carves it
out there, pulls it out and and stuffs it with
gauze and then tapes me up. And I'm like, oh,
ship like this I mean, this is fucking It hurts
even more now than it did before. So he takes off,
(12:31):
and so now me and my trainer, who are in
the room, we're figuring out like how do we tell
the promoter, the manager, all the people that the fight's canceled,
Like that's it. I can't fight. And the back of
my head, I'm thinking, you know what, I should call Mario?
I want to. I want to. I want to go drink.
So I call this guy Mario. I call him off,
(12:53):
and he goes, yeah, let's go to Tijuana. So we go,
We go to Tijuana. We go to Tijuana. I mean,
I don't know what time he got back up. We
went to Tijuana. So he called me up and go, hey.
I made sure it's he. He's the fight off. He's
all the fights off. I said, are you sure, dude,
I said, the fights off? Yeah, yeah, I got yeah.
But I mean he's not gonna amputated him. He's fine,
(13:14):
but he just can't fight, right. But I said, okay,
it fights off, let's go. Let's go party. So we
go to Tikuana first. Oh that's right, my dad Yeah,
So he comes to my house. My dad has my
dad has a picture of him handing the crutches, and
so I said, let's go to Tikwana. And we go
to We go to Tikuana, and I think it was
(13:36):
like college night, right. There are the kinds of chicks
and everything right there, and and we we do what
young guys dode. We partied and there's a kinds of girls.
I remember, I hooked you up with a girl and
he had a good time. We'll just keep it at
that rare. But Kris single. Was nothing wrong with that,
and so I was like, oh, home, he had a
good time. That was great. Who blah blah blah. The
next why don't we come home late? Six more whatever.
So the next day he calls me and he says, hey, dude,
(14:00):
they're making me fine. They're gonna make me fine. I go,
what do you mean they're making you fight? He's they're
making me fight. Too much money was put into it.
You put the whole and they can't cancel. The arena
sold Dad, it was a whole thing. It's gonna be
I think it was on my TV, the whole thing. NBC. Yes, yes, yes,
it was televised. They can't too much. I gotta fine.
I'm getting too much pressure. Go wait what And so
I was like freaking out because I was thinking, oh
(14:21):
my god, if God forbid he loses or something happens,
this is on me. He's not gonna be able to
like play with me anymore. He's never gonna said, he's
never gonna come out. This is all gonna come back.
And I go, oh my god, this is gonna be crazy.
I go, are you sure you have to bro? He said, yeah, God.
So the dude goes in there and then he knocks
him on the second round, battle hung, hung over and
(14:45):
the whole. So. I love that story, but I think
he was young obviously, and you know what I mean.
We come and I go, oh my god, that's but
the funny thing turns out what it what it ended
up being, was an ingrown hair and then the air
I was gonna freaking the hair. Yeah, it was an
angrown hair. And that's the ingro the hair. You kind
(15:06):
of rating your legs every time he sees me, tells
me about the dude. I was so stressed out. Can
you imagine coming right there and all the so ever,
my career would have been over? I know that suck
all the rasa Oh my God, that's a true story.
(15:32):
That's a true story. So after the fellow cut to uh,
my boy goes on to have like this illustrious career
essentially turning into like the Latino Muhammad Ali really because
never had had we had like a young you know,
making kind of with all the the makings of kind
of transcending the sport and getting women to watch um,
(15:55):
getting new subscribers to HBO, and setting all kinds of records,
all the pay per view records, and and you know
you're responsible for making Mayweather star, from making pack Yah
was started. It was that none of that would have happened.
I always tell everybody then I say, they thought Oscar,
but none of that would have happened. You had all
the Hopkins, all those guys, you know, you know, I
like to say that. Okay, I lost six times in
my career. So I lost against Mayweather, pak Yo, Mosley, Hopkins, Trinidad.
(16:22):
But I interrupt you real quick. Two of those, two
of the may Weather, three of those. I'm sorry Mayweather,
Mosley and Trinidad to men losing you real talk. I'm
just a friend. Yeah, I feel like co other ones,
Yeah I feel But but the cool part is that
I ended up promoting them. I know every single one
that I'm crazy. Yes, it's cool, well, which speaks to that,
(16:43):
which speaks to the to the star power. Really, because
no other fighter has been able to transition and turn
into into promoter. That's what I want to sew Rocky. Yes,
I've always wanted to be like rock right exactly. It's
been a lot of fights, a lot of those so
(17:04):
asigned from Okay, now moving on from from the career itself,
because I know that that speaks for itself. Um, how
difficult was it leading aarum and actually wanting to start
a promotional company for you? I mean, imagine, imagine you're
you're with the biggest promoter right and and back in
(17:27):
those days, it's like it was only him and Don King,
like Bob Baram and Don King and they control the sport.
And you know, it's like you know, the fighters, the fighter,
and the and the promoters the promoter, but not like today,
it's like everybody wants to be a promoter. So when
I when I decided to call my lawyers and you know,
(17:47):
and I told my my handlers like dude, um, let's uh,
it's time that it's time that it's time salute cout,
it's time. It's time time that we uh, you know,
just break off from from Bob Baram and top rank.
So who did you first tell? I told Barbara? I
(18:10):
told I told Barbara. How did he receive it? Dude?
He ripped me on you one man, and he threatened
me and he this and that no, and then and
then then then then then you get the whole industry
to start threatening you like, oh, your career is over
and you know, and and that's it. I know that,
you know, no more fights and like your career is
(18:31):
gonna be over. And I was like, no, no, it's not.
I'm the one that's making Bob Barram, you know. I'm
the one that's you know. I I won the gold medal,
So my, my, my, the platform I had with that
gold medal, with the being on the international you know,
freaking and you know, having that claim. Yeah exactly, So
I I I'm making him. So I thought to myself,
(18:54):
I mean, Okay, you can threaten me, but I'm still
gonna get my team of lawyers. I'm gonna, you know,
do what's right. And so after after it's business at
the end of the day, it's it's business. But but
I wasn't one, and that's the reason why I fought everybody,
because I wasn't one to take boxing as a business
(19:14):
like I always thought, Okay, if I if I fight hard,
then the business will come instead of fighters thinking, well,
let me do business first so I can get some fights.
You know what I'm saying, it's very smarty. The business followed.
You're right, the business follows. Bro So salute, Jess, salute.
What time is it like, seven eight nine, exactly exactly?
(19:38):
So yeah, you know what, you know what the beautiful
part about this tequila is that amazing and that it's free.
It is amazing, amazing. So so so you make this transition,
and I was like, you know, as your friend on
(19:59):
the side always, you know that I've always been supported
more sure your honest think. I think that's awesome, man.
But then in you hired a guy prior to let
me rewind, you hired a guy named Richard Schaeffer, and
then who was a Swiss banker, right, not really in
the world of box. You give him this wonderful opportunity,
but then this guy decides to leave. Did at that
(20:22):
point did you have like a come to Jesus moment.
Did you think, like, oh man, I have to maybe
rethink all this do were you were you worried about
the company at all being in trouble or well? Look,
I mean it's it's like it's like anything. It's like
any any business. You you hire the proper team from
from from the from the CEO to the CEO, you know,
(20:47):
and and you have your team um um, you know,
look out for your company, and and and and and
do things you know properly and correctly, and and and
you're hoping that you can trust these speed yeah, you know,
and and did that fool just get selfish? Is that
what happened? You know? They they they start thinking that
they become the golden boy. Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
(21:08):
It's it's like it's like anything. I mean, they start
believing that, Okay, well, I'm the one that's doing the
work and doing the leg work. I don't need this guy.
I don't need this guy like I don't need I
don't need the golden boy anymore, you know what I'm saying.
So foolish, Yeah, it is foolish. It's sad because now
it's like I mean, we're still here stronger than ever,
(21:29):
you know, because because of the whole team that we
have around us, who has been loyal for so many years.
But it's like, I mean, one person is not going
to make us, you know what I'm saying, No exactly.
That was a trying. It's all a team effort. And
I was glad to see you guys come out of
the woods right there. And now I've always like the
loyalty um that you've had your friends, and you found
(21:51):
out a lot about loyal temperature with with your people too.
Write it's always when you're at your like darkest times,
who find out who's got your back and stuff. And
I love that you've been friends with Eric moments for
a long time, since we were five years old. That's
awesome and like and he's now my president of the
coming see that that's awesome. But but that's see the difference.
The difference is the difference is that I mean, this
is this might not be your your your typical you know,
(22:15):
normal business that is ran by you know, corporate you
know people and people you don't know and lawyers and
this and them. This is a business that's that's kind
of like a family business if you if you really
think about it. I've known Eric for for since I
was five years old. All most of my colleagues I've
(22:37):
known them since I started the company in two thousand one.
So we're all like family. Everybody takes care of each other.
Everybody has their our backs. You know, it's like you know,
you take care of each other. And yet, yes, I'm
on the helm and I deal with Eric directly, but
and there's certain instructions that I always give them every
single day. You're trusting them. But I have trust in
(23:00):
him that he'll take care of the job. If he
doesn't take care of the job, then I gotta get
rid of him, easy as that. But I mean I'll
cut in some slack, but he still has to take
care of business. I mean, that's why we've been so
successful over these years. You know, he's been doing a
great job to It's cool. It's cool, correct, Not just that.
I mean, you signed the biggest deal in sports Canelo
Alvarez recently with with the Zone. How how valuable valuable
(23:25):
is your own past in guiding guys like Canello and
guiding guys like Ryan Garcia, Because I mean, you're the
perfect example of what of what to do? And and
do you are were they young? Do they do they
want to listen? Is this you know? Um, I've been,
I've been. I've been pretty fortunate that you know, I
(23:46):
promoted I promoted you know, Patils fights and Mayweather's fights
and you know, and there were fighters that are were
already established. But when you get a fighter like Canello,
who who you can work with and build the most
gratifying Oh my gosh. Yeah. But but then he has
that same philosophy as you, like, Carnello wants to fight
(24:06):
the very best. Yeah, you're right, heights he does. And
I'm and I'm sure Ryan Garcia is gonna be the
same way, you know, when he's ready for that for
the championship level. So it's it's pretty gratifying because it's like, yeah,
there's a lot of work to do, like, for instance,
Sinko the Mayo that this this this week, this weekend
is going to be huge, Carnello Jacobs, but and there's
(24:30):
a lot of leg work, that's a lot of that
that goes behind it. But but when you have a
fight like Carnello that lends himself to accepting these types
of fights, to doing the work to promoting himself like
it's it's it's pretty gratifying. I've always said about Carnello
why I really like him and I'm a big fan
is he's a guy who he's always been very mature
(24:51):
and smart beyond his years. And as he became champion,
he continued to work hard, he continued to approve. He
looks better every fight. He almost had a hand it.
He doesn't need. He's like a real champions champion. You know,
he's a he's a great look for that. And you
forget he's young because all these other guys and like
Errol Spencer, he's younger than these guys and already headlined
(25:11):
all these pay per views and all this responsibility. It
really is really impressed. But you take take a look
at take a look at his resume, dude, it's hall
of fame worthy. Arts crazy, yeah, it is Hall of
fame worthy, alady, and he's not even close to being done.
You take a look at look, and this is what
kind of pisces me off, um, because you take a
(25:34):
look at fighters like Danny Garcia, Errol Spence, um, whoever
you want to name, even the heavyweight Deonte Wilder, and
look at their resumes and it's not even close to
what it should be. And meaning when I was promoting them,
you know, it's like we had him on the great
(25:55):
freaking you know, track, on track to to be to
be great, to beat, you know, to be superstars, you know,
and and so and so it pisces me off that
there's so much talent wasted on these and and they're
taking these fights that just are meaningless, you know. And
then you have Canello that has been super loyal to
(26:19):
Golden Boy. Um, we can work with him and guide
his career the proper way, I mean, and that's exactly
why he's the biggest draw. That's exactly why he's the
most popular, because we know how to promote. And I'm
not I mean, this is a pat on my back,
but it's like, this is what we do. We know
how to promote. I mean, I I got Deante Waller
(26:40):
to a world title. We we took Danny Garcia to
a world title. We were on the verge of making
them a superstar. But you know that's they go with
other people, They listen to other you know, voices, and
and then their career just goes, you know, downhill. Why
you wouldn't listen to somebody who's been there and done
that and who we can have the blueprint too. I don't.
(27:01):
I don't. Doesn't make any sense because because again we go,
we go to the business. They listen to the business. First,
take the short money, don't look at look at the fight. First,
win the fights, you know, fight for passion, for legacy,
and then the money will come. Did you ever, what's
the closest you've ever come to thinking about coming out
of retirement? Because not for nothing? I think like when
(27:30):
I saw flow, when Floyd fought Connor McGregor, I think
you even coming out right there, you are not that's
easy like the person I mean, right, don't you feel
that we know, of course, of course, but I mean
aside from Mayweather, um um, you know, kind of carrying
him for for ten rounds, um you know, and and
(27:50):
and not knocking Connor. I mean, look, he's a fighter.
I respect what he does in the octagon, but it's
just a whole different game. And it's it's like, imagine,
imagine who try it was Mike Tyson or somebody went
into the ala James James, Tony got he got tapped
out like in five seconds. It's just it's it's two
totally different sports, and there's respect in both. You can't
(28:11):
you can't knock any sport. But but did but did
you ever like at any point after the five it
might have been it might have been the Mayweather McGregor fight.
I said, you know what, I'm gonna try and make
a comeback. So so I I wake up in the
morning that like Sunday morning after the fight that I
saw with McGregor and Mayweather, and I'm waking up. I said,
(28:33):
I'm gonna wake up when I used at the time
I used to wake up, you know, like four in
the one gets up early set and so i run
about like five six miles and I'm feeling good. I
rest up a little. I go to the gym in
the afternoon, a local gym there in Pasadena. Um, I'm
(28:54):
training him, you know, hitting the heavy bag and jumping rope,
and people are like, oh ship, that's the oh, oh
my god, what was he dollon? You know? So I
go back home and you know, I'm tired as hell,
and um, you know, uh, cooking a little dinner or whatever.
I go to sleep the next morning. Bro, I couldn't
freaking get out of bed. Bro I couldn't get out
of bed exactly. That's what happens, dude, problems. I know.
(29:20):
The blow was acting again. That's what happens when we're
all we feel good, the next a sore right now too.
Hey dude, hey, but you're you're you're a little bit
of a dick. I'm gonna tell you why. We did
a charity event where I got to I got to
spar with Oscar for three rounds. This fool he started
(29:41):
warming up in the back. I'm all, oh, ship, I
know that look in his eye. He's like, hey dude.
I had to remind him, hey, this is all for fun,
and he was doing this fool is still fast and
he gave me a couple of quick jabs. Oh my god,
that ship is so what I can remember. We were
for mid Rockney. Yeah. But but this guy, so Mario
(30:02):
is in shape. I mean, you know he you know,
you grapple, he trains, he boxes, and and I'm like,
I flew in that night, or I flew in. I live.
I literally flew in that night from being hungover and Okay,
so thinking to myself, like, ship, this guy, what can
I do to like kind of like stop me because
he's gonna come in, you know. And so he's putting
(30:24):
pressure on me, putting pressure on me, and I'm getting tired.
I got tired in twenty seconds. By the way, it's
altitude of there we're Homer and it's altitude. You get
tired and so so. So I'm tired in twenty seconds.
I'm like shit, Mario like come down, dude. And so
I said to myself, what can I do to that
kind of you know, put the brakes on him. So
I'm like, I'm gonna throw my little jab stiff jab
(30:45):
and boom, and Mario was like, he still keeps coming,
still keeps coming. It was fun all for charity. It
was pretty good. It was those hands are still fast, fast, though.
I guess it's all instinct, it's all. It's all. You
never broke your nose, never did. God's unbelievable. Man. I'm
looking at your how tonything didn't get I mean, do
(31:05):
you know what's crazy? I actually had my nose up
here one time, like over here, So after fights, I
would just breaking yeah, yeah, yeah, I would. I would
have I literally would have steaks like cold steaks in
my room. After the fight and uh, and just put
them all over my face, cracked my nose back in place.
(31:26):
But but I never broke it. I never. I never
was like I ever asked you. I was like this,
think this ever broke it? Boxing? Your whole life is unbelievable.
And he were the open head gear when he was
sparring and training it all through the Olympics and everything unbelievable.
I don't know how I survived all those years. But
(31:47):
the good good d right there. How's your how's your
relationship with your dad? That's great now because I know
homeboy was tough. Bro. You know this, I mean parents,
Dad's they're they're tough. Man's toxic and dad, dude, let's
say you you try to look for the validation, you know,
(32:08):
and then as a kid, you don't realize. As a kid,
you don't realize like what he's maybe trying to do
to to your to your to your mind, to your
you know, your your mental strength. You know he's trying
to make you tough. He's trying to like, you know,
I'm not gonna tell you you're you're great, and I'm
not I'm not gonna tell you you did good I'm
(32:29):
gonna like tell you I want more, you know. And
so he was that type of father, like he never
told me, uh, son, I'm proud of you, you know,
like I never heard those words. But now it's like,
I mean, now that he's getting older, you know, it's
like now he's like, did he ever tell you he
loved you? Yeah? He just did, like barely right now. Yeah, Yeah,
my dad's ever told me, Like a couple of months ago,
(32:50):
my dad's ever told me. But he was loaded. I
think he didn't. He didn't. He didn't think it was
he was when he got something. Hey, that's what it does,
brings out the best right there. I'll tell you something funny,
something funny. So my dad, my dad's like eighty years
old and he still looks good. He's strong's good dude.
So my sister calls me, Uh this happened like a
(33:12):
year ago. She calls me one night, like at twelve midnight,
and she she's crying. She's like, my dad, your dad,
Oh my god, I'm like, what's what happened? What's what's
going on? What's going on? Yeah, he just called me
that he wants me to take him to a strip club.
I'm like, take o, Jesus, he's eighty years old, godless man,
(33:33):
that's why he looks good. Take them right there, man, right, okay,
so there's hope for my dad. That's funny, you know. No,
but but that's me. They are, man, that's they're tough.
They just maybe they didn't grow up with that, you know.
You know what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's yeah,
I've learned to accept, like I know he loves me.
(33:53):
It's just they don't. Yeah, but you want to hear it.
You want to hear it. Yeah, you know, I don't
know what he has said. I know now I almost
feel like I'm guilty. Nom. So now you know what
I'm saying now, I wasn't like I'm guilty never. How
how often do you think about your mom? Oh? Every day, bro,
every day of my life. Yeah, it's crazy because every
every day, you know, when you when you live, when
(34:16):
you live in experience, whether it's in boxing, whether it's
in business, whether I'm doing whatever it's you know, it's
like I always think about her, like, man, I wish
she was here to witness everything, you know, like I would.
I would be the type of kid that would have
her around me like all the time, you know, just yeah,
(34:36):
and she would be at the Killa Drinker and she
would love. That's awesome, man, that you well, you don't
talk about it a lot, but because you know, you're
you're humble like that. But a couple of things that
I think people should really know is that you built
a hospital, and your mom's name your hometown, which is
awesome in East l a bright White Memorial, the White
(34:59):
Memorial spital Um, so that that hospital has been there forever, right,
it's a staple of the community. But it was one
of those like white alphorms. I wasn't born there, but
that's actually that my mother had her her last and
final treatments or for chemo, got it at that one memorial.
But it was one of those hospitals where it's you know,
(35:20):
being Latino and and and it's like in the neighborhood,
like women wouldn't go and get mammograms or go to
doctors or because they would be intimidated. You know, you
see the doctors wearing their white little scrubs and whatever
and going into like this big, huge, you know building,
and it's like I'd rather just stay home and and
(35:42):
you know, and and I'll get over it. Whatever. They
don't go to checkups. And so so what we did
is um when I got involved with it, I said, look,
the only way I'm gonna get involved with it and
put my name on it and build a few wings,
and is that you know the staff and and and
and all the doctors that they have to be endly
and inviting and and and like a family. And that's
(36:04):
the thing. That's the reputation we have at the hospital
that it's it's it's like it's family, very welcome. That's
very welcoming. Another thing that's really cool too is the
Oscar de la Hoya High School. We got a hospital
and a high school. Damn, guess what our mascot is?
Oh no, what is it? The boxers? That's great, that's great.
(36:27):
It's crazy. Is that is that in? Uh? Is that
in East Low? So? So that's tight. Not a lot
of people know that it's tight. I used to train.
I used to train at this old uh. They converted
this old church. I love that. Oh but I gat
you brought that up because I have a T shirt
that the church. Not to roupt you, but I love this.
The Jimmy's trainer was an old church. And it was
(36:49):
the church where Rocky in the First Rocky he's fighting
Spider Ricole. So he so so that the Jesus Christ
that that he yeah, you know in the beginning of
the movie of Rocky, the first Rocky movie. That's that
was the church. That was the gym where I used
to train. So it used to be an old an
old church. So so then, um, the city decided to
(37:14):
tear it down. Uh, I might make a comeback. So
so so that church, um they converted into a into
a gym. That's awesome. And so I used to train
(37:35):
there with as a kid, and and uh and and
I trained there for the Olympics. You know. So this
this this uh I think it was an ex mayor
Roy Ball from from East l a um he uh he.
I heard from a great vibe after the Olympics when
I want a few dollars that um that he wanted
to sell it. And I was like shit, I was okay,
(37:56):
fun let me resurrection, Yeah, resurrection gym. So I said,
you know what, let me let me. I want to
buy there's history here, I trained here, I can do
something great with it, you know. So I bought the church,
and it so happened that there were like several homes
around the church that were also being sold. I said,
you know what, let me let me buy several homes
(38:17):
around the property as well. So we had we had
a like two or three acres around right there in
East l A. And so we had to knock down
the church and the gym, right and I said, man,
I mean this, what can I do here that is
that that can carry on the legacy, you know, and
and do something good for the community. So it so
happened that this this this charter school, uh, the Animal
(38:40):
Charter High schools UM approached me because they needed land
and and they wanted to build a high school in
East l A. You know, So I said, okay, So
I donated the land and I came out of pocket
and built a high school for them. And so so
it's the first it's the first high school in the
(39:02):
last seventy years to be built in East l A.
The first high school. So now that's crazy. So we're
now the boxers that just this year, you know, just
last year, we had a student get accepted to Yale.
Look at that, dude, Harvard, look at that. It's easy
I mean, who would ever know, Like that's easy, and
(39:26):
so ninety ninety of the kids that are graduating are
going on to four year better colleges. I mean that
area there, like Garfield High School, Roosevelt. It's like, I
mean the drop out of ratio is when you so, so, yeah,
we're proud of that schools. That's pretty cool. That's so cool.
(39:47):
I mean, it's cool that they're motivated. You know, they're
like like they're proud, they feel proud, you know, So
it's pretty cool. The hospital, the school and homeboys also
got a freaking statue if in a Staples Center that
tripped me out, we should like tie it. Got something
right around the glove tight right, put a picture right there.
(40:12):
But when they asked you, when they asked you about that, like, hey,
we want to put a statue or did you see
how does that work? Sure a lot of people want
statues in front of SOT forever. Yeah, it's forever, man.
So you know what's cool about it is that you
know all the all the people and all the kids
that you know, when they go watch a Laker game
or a Clippers game or whatever King's game, or even
(40:35):
a fight, it's like you know kids, I mean I
get I get pictures sent every day, like you know,
I took a picture in front of your your statue,
and that makes me feel proud. It's it's it's like inspirational,
you know, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, you're on
the corner of the ring no or like no no
standing on the turn buckles. Yeah yeah, yeah, that's that
was the That's when I fought you remember Moto Metal bias. Yeah,
(40:56):
of course, that's when I fought here. I had knocked
them out. I ran to the ran to the corner
the the the corner of that fell forward. You're not
going forward. He did a flip. Yeah, it was crazy
and so yeah, I ran him to the ring and
so they captured that moment there and that's what the
that's the statue. That's that's what I love that. Man,
(41:17):
that's pretty Did you ever think of what you would
do if fighting didn't work out? What did you want
to do? Architect? Yeah? I want to be an architect? Really? Yeah?
You draw? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, I took I took I
actually I actually took um. I took like architectural drafting
(41:41):
classes and yeah, yeah, I love I love like you know,
plans and numbers and this and that. Yeah, like a
real job. So I actually I actually, um, I actually
um designed uh my my compound and Big Bear where
I used to train, so the whole training facility and
(42:01):
all that. Yeah, yeah I designed it. I with with
the help of a real architect. We designed it, and
that was actually my passion. Oh well yeah, it's crazy
do that right there? Aren't you so happy in a
sense that we grew up, especially in our during our
Battrow years, that there was no there was no social media,
(42:23):
you know what I mean? Can you imagine, bro? Can
you imagine in fact there's no social media. But even
now Oscar Like, look, we've all had like ship written
about us and this and that. But dude, you're like teflon, Bro,
it doesn't matter. It rolls up, It doesn't matter. I'll
talk about like it doesn't matter, you know what I mean,
which I think is a credit to you because of
all the good stuff you've done. You know, you get
beloved and whatever, and now it's like, you know, ship
(42:46):
comes up whatever and it and it kind of rolls up.
But I feel fortunate that I wasn't. Don't you feel
happy about that? That we weren't like that we came.
It's good. It's I mean, look, I mean like the
past and and and and all the ship and this
and that whatever. It's like if you can, if you
grow from it, if you learn from it, if you
(43:07):
if you become better and bigger and you know, and wiser,
and you know, you know what I'm saying, because people
can look because yeah, because now because now you can
use it, you use it, and you can influence somebody
else in a positive way. You know. It's like like
I don't, I don't, I don't. I don't mind talking
about my past. I really don't. It's like because I've
(43:28):
accepted everything that I've done. You know, that was like
my fucking pendico years. You know, like but then you grow,
you learn, you you you you live it and you
and you and you and you become bigger, you know,
you become you become a real person and and a
real role model, a real a real somebody that somebody
that can really impact somebody in a in a positive way.
(43:50):
That that's what that's what you know. I I try
to tell people that it's it's it's okay, dude, don't
don't be ashamed of nothing we've ever done in the past.
Everybody messes up as long as you, you know, learn
from it, recognize it. You know what I mean, you
can grow from it. You gotta own you gotta own it.
You gotta own it, exactly, got to own it. Good
(44:10):
for you, man, Let's talk about this weekend. I'm fired up.
Canello versus Jacobs is a real fight. This dude has
seems very confident. He's a big guy, Eddie Hearn, who
I told you not at very confident that he's gonna
be victorious this weekend, which gets me all fired up.
I'm happy to be They're going to be calling the
(44:30):
way in and we'll be in the fight in person.
It's always such an event for sincle to my O. Weekend. Um,
what can we look forward to? Man? Look, I've seen
Canello trying many times, uh, you know, preparing for this fight.
He's only getting better. It's crazy, it's it's it's it's
it's mind boggling that. Yeah, he's young, but he's getting better.
(44:52):
I mean, his punches are getting stronger, his speed is
like phenomenal. But what I really love about him is
that his footwork is just getting it's it's it's just
it's it's getting better. He's getting better. I have no
doubt in my mind. Okay that Jacobs is going to
be difficult for Canelo the first few rounds, but once
(45:15):
he starts stocking him, once he starts trading punches, because
once somebody starts to start landing um, once Jacob's starts
getting brave, because this is this is what I love
about Jacobs. Jacob starts getting brave. You know, he can
throw those punches, those combinations. He's fast his footwork, but
(45:37):
he's too brave for his own good, meaning like he
likes trading punches when he you know, it's like remember
he fought Golofkin triple G and he started trading punches
and he's like yeah, you know, kind of like okay,
what do you what else do you have? You know,
it's so he so he gets brave, gets dangerous though,
it gets dangerous, especially with Canelo. I have Canelo knocking
(45:58):
out Jacob's like the nine eleventh round. Oh I like that.
I like that prediction. No, it's gonna be great, but
but this is gonna be a This is gonna be
one of those fights where a lot of action. It's
not gonna be easy. It's it's gonna be difficult. Canello
said it over and over. It's it's gonna be a
difficult fight because of Jacob's style, right, and Jacobs is
(46:20):
got the height advantage, the youth advantage. He'll probably the
bigger man in the ring that night. This is gonna
be this is a real, real fight. Um, definitely be
sure to check it out. And what's great about this
fight again, it's like a big event. The whole weekend
makes it makes it like a great, great event and
a great party. So I'm looking forward to it and Oscar,
I'm looking forward to to hanging again. Bro, we're gonna
go paintball in this next time. Do it again. He
(46:41):
invited me to paintball the last time. I couldn't go
because I was working the day. But but now he
wants to use like these hard real balls or little
pellets or whatever. We have a buddy, his name is Jerry.
He uh he freezes the paintballs. Oh yeah, that's the
worst because they won't break. They won't break, but they
(47:03):
won't break. They break, right skin, I'm gonna bring my
home with an army so we can shoot so that
sounds good man. Hey, thanks for hanging out, so jeers salute.
So don't forget a new episodes and listen to Mario
Dropping every Friday, all on Mario dot com to catch
up on the podcast, and please make sure you follow.
(47:24):
Listen to Mario on I Heart Radio and subscribe on
Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts. More fun next week.
Thank you so much for listening.
So very excited for this episode of Listen to Mario
Mario Lopez. Here, I got my buddy Oscar, Yeah, joining me.
I'm gonna tell you some untold stories from back in
the day. But Oscar, of course is the Golden Boy
prior to east l a uh ten time world champion
and really just has a pretty amazing life from start
(00:22):
to finish. I want to get his thoughts on the
big fight of course coming up this weekend with Ganello
and Jacobs that's going down in Vegas at the T
Mobile Arena. Huge event happens every Sinko to miles, So
let's get into it. Welcome brother, Thank you. I was
trying to figure out how long we knew each other
(00:43):
and then I found the picture the other day and
it was the Hollywood Christmas Parade. You just won the
gold medal and I'm worrying an ugly ass Christmas sweater.
Jackets your jackets because it was very Olympic expired with
all the different flags. It was all the flag. We
were young, bro, we were eighteen, so that's like three
(01:04):
years ago. But why is why why is everything oversized? Yeah?
That was twitters the jackets. That was that that that
Bill Cosby, you know Cosby Show kind of ra but
it's great. I can't believe. So yeah, like almost thirty
years later and uh, you know, love that we're still friends,
but everything that's been going on since then, man, and
I think the reason why we hit it off is
(01:24):
I mean not obviously not only the same age, but
both first generation Mexicanos. Your parents are from highly school
mine from Sinaloa. But I was always I remember watching
you in the Olympics. I was alway so proud, like,
oh man, he's you know, he kind of just like me,
and he's gonna do it. And then he and then
you won the gold and I was like, oh, I
was just like, like really proud. That's the first one.
(01:45):
So it was you know, and then a lot, especially
back then in Barcelona and the whole thing. Um. And
it's funny because I was like, I want to make
it a point. I said to watch or try to
go as many fights as I can. And I did
go to a lot of your fights. You went to
a lot. There was very probably lass that I missed,
you know what I mean, growing up, very few that
I missed. Let me ask, Let me ask you, Let
me ask you. Which one, which one was your favorite? Well,
(02:09):
I had a few, but the one that still I'll
tell you which one sticks with me that bothers me
to this day, and we've talked about it a lot,
is when you fought Trinidad that was billed as the
fight of the millennium, and I have I snuck my
ass into the first row, the first row when I
saw that whole fight. And people don't do this because
I always say, like not to talk like you're not here,
(02:30):
but I always say, Oscar is the last dude that
fought everybody. He never talked any right, He fought everybody
in at their and at their peak. You fought Trinidad,
who was the most dangerous fighter at that time. He
was undefeated at their knocking everybody out, and you fought him,
and not just because you're my friend, but you outboxed
his ass and you won. In my eyes, nine rounds
to three wasn't even close. So that one pisces me
(02:52):
off because they gave him and it was a big
Mexican Puerto Rican ar. The one that's the one that
if any by were to ask me, like you know,
what do you what do you regret in your career,
like inside the ring, and I mean, I don't regret
anything because everything just happens for a reason and everything,
you know, that's why we're here. And so but that
(03:12):
fight with Trinidad, um oh, if I can, if I
can redo those three rounds. Even then, I thought I
won the fight with with winning eight nine rounds of
I don't know where they got the other three rounds
or four rounds. Actually, well, because look in my whole career,
I was never one to to to to box, you know.
(03:33):
I would always stay in front of you and they would.
My fights were always exciting, you know. So those last
three rounds that I boxed and moved from him, yeah,
like that's that's the excuse, like, well you lost that fight.
You boxed with the last three rounds, you lost that fight.
So but I kind of regretted just a bit. Man.
I wish I would have knocked him out. I know.
But everybody who saw that fight who really knows and
is honest and themselves know, you want another one that
(03:56):
sticks that I would loved and I was. There was
the when you fought from end of argus because there
was so much well actually there wasn't the thing that
was funny about that. It's like, I don't think you
were tripping just that about they had a lot of animals.
You used to like nap about it, like where's this
guy whets? This guy got so much anger? You know
what it was. He tried to He tried to, uh,
he tried to like intimidate you intimidate me. But you
(04:17):
know it's like it's it's it's it's warfare, bro. It's
like it's like this is war you. So he's preparing
his mind to like, you know, just amp himself up,
you know, to get to get as angry as he can,
so when he steps in the ring, he can you know,
kick my ass. I guess yeah. But but obviously it
didn't work on me. You know that there's a there's
a crazy story with that. So during the way in right, um,
(04:42):
you know how they had to separate us because we
couldn't we couldn't stay close to each other because you know,
it's like if we get close to each other, I mean,
who knows what's happened. So so they built they built
this long stage at the MGM and the arena. They're
huge stage. I was on one side, he was on
one side. And we had a way in separately. So
(05:03):
I go in first, and there's like thousands of people
that are cheering me on. And Vargas comes in and
everybody's cheering for him, and you know, you get a
few haters here and there whatever. But he takes off
his shirt and this guy, I mean, I thought he
was a freaking bodybuilder. This guy, I mean, he starts flexing. Ah,
(05:23):
and I tell my brother who's next to me, I go, dude,
I mean, he looks, he looks ripped up. He looks
so right away, I thought to myself, Okay, this is
my last opportunity to to intimidate him, to kind of
like you know, they say when the first round before
the fight starts outside the ring. So I said, what
(05:44):
can I do? What can I do? What can I do?
So when he when he looked at me, okay, when
I had an opportunity. When he looked at me, he
looks at me from way across the room, and I
go like this, I point to my chin, okay, and
I go like this, like as if I'm going to
knock him out, you know, And what does he do?
He looks him and he goes, he puts his head down, okay,
(06:07):
as if he was intimidated, like like I deflated the balloon.
You know, you know what I'm saying right there, right there.
And then I said to myself, I got him freaking
god really right there. Well, and I remember too, he
got popped for steroids that remember, So you knocked his
ass out all juiced up, because that was a hell
of because he came up strong in that first round.
(06:28):
I remember he cut you a little bit in the
first round. He almost had me knocked out of the
Remember I remember that vividly, and your bob because may
whether it was your corner. It's so funny, all this
stuff that I remember. Yeah, and then he would ended
up getting pinched because he was juiced, and he still
knocked his ass out three two weeks later, Yeah, the
test came back home. Boy was looking ripped. Right. There
was a freaking bodybuilder. Oh man, you no, I can
(06:49):
go there just talking a fight with job. So so
the animosity still carried over, you know. Yeah, that dude
was angry. He was angry, but but check this one out.
So I ended up calling his people, okay me personally
after I knocked him out. Two weeks after I called
this people, A. I want to have a meeting with
(07:11):
Fernando to patch things up, you know, like, dude, let's
be friends here. We can do stuff together, you know.
So we set up a meeting in Pasadena, right in
the restaurant. We closed the restaurant down. You know, it's
big drama, you know whatever. So I'm waiting inside the
restaurants during the day and he comes in. He's wearing
glasses and comes straight at me, and I'm ready to
(07:32):
shake his hand. And the first thing is tells me
is you didn't you didn't beat me. You didn't beat me,
you didn't knock me out. Wait, what what are you
talking about? Like, like, literally, I knocked you out, you
didn't beat me, dude. I want the rematch. I want
the rematch. And after like five minutes of that, I
just got up and I said, you know what, do
good luck and we'll see you later. He still was
(07:57):
it was crazy, dude. But what's now is that we're
like we're good now. Yeah, usually like found Jesus and
he did, he did, he did, he found Jesus. He's
all with this grammy. Now do you promote his sons?
By chance? Or was that I would love that'd be
a trip. I would love tooting oh Man. But like
(08:17):
I said, I could go like just talk for hours
and all of oscars fies just because I've seen him
on There's so many great stories with the with the
Chavez fights, which we'll give him a little tease. I
know there's going to be like a documentary just on
that in and of itself, not to be confused with
the upcoming documentary that Peter Burg. Can I talk about
that just a little tease. Peter Burgh, the famous director,
(08:38):
is going to be doing a documentary on Oscar on HBO,
which should be unbelievable. Can can't wait to check out.
But one thing to going back to the beginning of
the career. One of my favorite things memories of us
because you know, ay, look dude, we're both young and
he got all we love girls, we love the party,
but you know we still focus. We both had tough
dads both that time. You have to do so you
(09:00):
had so one time. I think it was it your
second or your third fight, You're I mean your second.
It was it was my third fight, okay, third fight fight.
He scheduled the fight in San Diego at the Sandia
was sports arena. Okay, then yeah, you're lighting my neighbor.
So so, so I just say, real quick, I loved it.
Before you even said what this was, he already knew. Yeah, no,
(09:21):
he knows. He likes his story. Yeah, like he loved
the story. So so it was it was I mean
the first time we had mad right that Christmas parade
the sweater around the jacket all right, right, I'm gonna
quote that picture for hilarious. And so so we stayed
in touch and stayed in touch. So, so Mario is
from from La Vista, right, yeah, so he's you know,
(09:42):
he's staying there and and and and I don't know
if you heard about the fight or whatever that I
was fighting there. And so I'm staying at this hotel.
It's like little little separate little villas, you know, it's uh.
And so I'm staying when villas, cottages, whatever you want
to call him. And so, um, Mario wants to meet
and let's you know, and I go, dude, yeah, hell yeah, dude,
(10:03):
let's let's you know, hook up whatever house, which is
so cool. He came to my house and let's check
this one. Was it Thursday during the day. Yeah, we
were hanging out at the cottage started with a trainer
and all that, and we're talking and so he gives
me his number a call me whatever. I'm like, yeah, dude,
i'll call you after the fire or before the fire.
Will hang out. So that night, uh, that night, I'm
(10:24):
in the cottage and and um, I'm feeling this pain
behind my leg. And I'm like, ship, now, I can't.
I can't take this pain. I mean, let's call a doctor.
So I tell my trainer, let's call a doctor. So
we call a doctor. He's like eighty five years old
with like a little leather little bag, you know, like
(10:44):
it was funny. He walks into the cottage and I
tell me a doctor, I'm like, feeling this pain that
just breaking, Like it's I can't even walk. It's it's
it's it's it's it's that painful. And so he tells me, okay,
light light down the bed, let me check it out.
And he's touching my leg behind my leg here and
he's touching my leg and he says, he says to
my trainer, we have to operate, like we have to
(11:06):
freaking operate, like right away, this is getting infected. We
have to operate like right away, just from touching it,
just from touching it. But it was like freaking hard,
like it was really hard, you know, and and a
good size too, and so so I'm already thinking in
my mind, you know what, I can't fight. I can't fight.
(11:27):
So I tell my trainer, let's go for it, man,
let's do it. I can't fight. Let's let's just call
it a day. It's not worth it, you know. So
the doctor gives me a towel to bite down on. Okay,
here's this towel, bite down on it. Okay, let me
put some local and anesthesia on it, you know, do
you know? Starts starts uh, you know with the needles.
(11:50):
There's like five little shots. Yeah. And so my leg
is all numb, and he starts carving a freaking hole
the size of a quarter. He's doing surgery, and he's
doing freaking surgery. And then doctor it costs like eighty bucks.
(12:11):
So he carves out a hole about the quarter size
and maybe about a ninche deep. Okay, So carves it
out there, pulls it out and and stuffs it with
gauze and then tapes me up. And I'm like, oh,
ship like this I mean, this is fucking It hurts
even more now than it did before. So he takes off,
(12:31):
and so now me and my trainer, who are in
the room, we're figuring out like how do we tell
the promoter, the manager, all the people that the fight's canceled,
Like that's it. I can't fight. And the back of
my head, I'm thinking, you know what, I should call Mario?
I want to. I want to. I want to go drink.
So I call this guy Mario. I call him off,
(12:53):
and he goes, yeah, let's go to Tijuana. So we go,
We go to Tijuana. We go to Tijuana. I mean,
I don't know what time he got back up. We
went to Tijuana. So he called me up and go, hey.
I made sure it's he. He's the fight off. He's
all the fights off. I said, are you sure, dude,
I said, the fights off? Yeah, yeah, I got yeah.
But I mean he's not gonna amputated him. He's fine,
(13:14):
but he just can't fight, right. But I said, okay,
it fights off, let's go. Let's go party. So we
go to Tikuana first. Oh that's right, my dad Yeah,
So he comes to my house. My dad has my
dad has a picture of him handing the crutches, and
so I said, let's go to Tikwana. And we go
to We go to Tikuana, and I think it was
(13:36):
like college night, right. There are the kinds of chicks
and everything right there, and and we we do what
young guys dode. We partied and there's a kinds of girls.
I remember, I hooked you up with a girl and
he had a good time. We'll just keep it at
that rare. But Kris single. Was nothing wrong with that,
and so I was like, oh, home, he had a
good time. That was great. Who blah blah blah. The
next why don't we come home late? Six more whatever.
So the next day he calls me and he says, hey, dude,
(14:00):
they're making me fine. They're gonna make me fine. I go,
what do you mean they're making you fight? He's they're
making me fight. Too much money was put into it.
You put the whole and they can't cancel. The arena
sold Dad, it was a whole thing. It's gonna be
I think it was on my TV, the whole thing. NBC. Yes, yes, yes,
it was televised. They can't too much. I gotta fine.
I'm getting too much pressure. Go wait what And so
I was like freaking out because I was thinking, oh
(14:21):
my god, if God forbid he loses or something happens,
this is on me. He's not gonna be able to
like play with me anymore. He's never gonna said, he's
never gonna come out. This is all gonna come back.
And I go, oh my god, this is gonna be crazy.
I go, are you sure you have to bro? He said, yeah, God.
So the dude goes in there and then he knocks
him on the second round, battle hung, hung over and
(14:45):
the whole. So. I love that story, but I think
he was young obviously, and you know what I mean.
We come and I go, oh my god, that's but
the funny thing turns out what it what it ended
up being, was an ingrown hair and then the air
I was gonna freaking the hair. Yeah, it was an
angrown hair. And that's the ingro the hair. You kind
(15:06):
of rating your legs every time he sees me, tells
me about the dude. I was so stressed out. Can
you imagine coming right there and all the so ever,
my career would have been over? I know that suck
all the rasa Oh my God, that's a true story.
(15:32):
That's a true story. So after the fellow cut to uh,
my boy goes on to have like this illustrious career
essentially turning into like the Latino Muhammad Ali really because
never had had we had like a young you know,
making kind of with all the the makings of kind
of transcending the sport and getting women to watch um,
(15:55):
getting new subscribers to HBO, and setting all kinds of records,
all the pay per view records, and and you know
you're responsible for making Mayweather star, from making pack Yah
was started. It was that none of that would have happened.
I always tell everybody then I say, they thought Oscar,
but none of that would have happened. You had all
the Hopkins, all those guys, you know, you know, I
like to say that. Okay, I lost six times in
my career. So I lost against Mayweather, pak Yo, Mosley, Hopkins, Trinidad.
(16:22):
But I interrupt you real quick. Two of those, two
of the may Weather, three of those. I'm sorry Mayweather,
Mosley and Trinidad to men losing you real talk. I'm
just a friend. Yeah, I feel like co other ones,
Yeah I feel But but the cool part is that
I ended up promoting them. I know every single one
that I'm crazy. Yes, it's cool, well, which speaks to that,
(16:43):
which speaks to the to the star power. Really, because
no other fighter has been able to transition and turn
into into promoter. That's what I want to sew Rocky. Yes,
I've always wanted to be like rock right exactly. It's
been a lot of fights, a lot of those so
(17:04):
asigned from Okay, now moving on from from the career itself,
because I know that that speaks for itself. Um, how
difficult was it leading aarum and actually wanting to start
a promotional company for you? I mean, imagine, imagine you're
you're with the biggest promoter right and and back in
(17:27):
those days, it's like it was only him and Don King,
like Bob Baram and Don King and they control the sport.
And you know, it's like you know, the fighters, the fighter,
and the and the promoters the promoter, but not like today,
it's like everybody wants to be a promoter. So when
I when I decided to call my lawyers and you know,
(17:47):
and I told my my handlers like dude, um, let's uh,
it's time that it's time that it's time salute cout,
it's time. It's time time that we uh, you know,
just break off from from Bob Baram and top rank.
So who did you first tell? I told Barbara? I
(18:10):
told I told Barbara. How did he receive it? Dude?
He ripped me on you one man, and he threatened
me and he this and that no, and then and
then then then then then you get the whole industry
to start threatening you like, oh, your career is over
and you know, and and that's it. I know that,
you know, no more fights and like your career is
(18:31):
gonna be over. And I was like, no, no, it's not.
I'm the one that's making Bob Barram, you know. I'm
the one that's you know. I I won the gold medal,
So my, my, my, the platform I had with that
gold medal, with the being on the international you know,
freaking and you know, having that claim. Yeah exactly, So
I I I'm making him. So I thought to myself,
(18:54):
I mean, Okay, you can threaten me, but I'm still
gonna get my team of lawyers. I'm gonna, you know,
do what's right. And so after after it's business at
the end of the day, it's it's business. But but
I wasn't one, and that's the reason why I fought everybody,
because I wasn't one to take boxing as a business
(19:14):
like I always thought, Okay, if I if I fight hard,
then the business will come instead of fighters thinking, well,
let me do business first so I can get some fights.
You know what I'm saying, it's very smarty. The business followed.
You're right, the business follows. Bro So salute, Jess, salute.
What time is it like, seven eight nine, exactly exactly?
(19:38):
So yeah, you know what, you know what the beautiful
part about this tequila is that amazing and that it's free.
It is amazing, amazing. So so so you make this transition,
and I was like, you know, as your friend on
(19:59):
the side always, you know that I've always been supported
more sure your honest think. I think that's awesome, man.
But then in you hired a guy prior to let
me rewind, you hired a guy named Richard Schaeffer, and
then who was a Swiss banker, right, not really in
the world of box. You give him this wonderful opportunity,
but then this guy decides to leave. Did at that
(20:22):
point did you have like a come to Jesus moment.
Did you think, like, oh man, I have to maybe
rethink all this do were you were you worried about
the company at all being in trouble or well? Look,
I mean it's it's like it's like anything. It's like
any any business. You you hire the proper team from
from from the from the CEO to the CEO, you know,
(20:47):
and and you have your team um um, you know,
look out for your company, and and and and and
do things you know properly and correctly, and and and
you're hoping that you can trust these speed yeah, you know,
and and did that fool just get selfish? Is that
what happened? You know? They they they start thinking that
they become the golden boy. Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
(21:08):
It's it's like it's like anything. I mean, they start
believing that, Okay, well, I'm the one that's doing the
work and doing the leg work. I don't need this guy.
I don't need this guy like I don't need I
don't need the golden boy anymore, you know what I'm saying.
So foolish, Yeah, it is foolish. It's sad because now
it's like I mean, we're still here stronger than ever,
(21:29):
you know, because because of the whole team that we
have around us, who has been loyal for so many years.
But it's like, I mean, one person is not going
to make us, you know what I'm saying, No exactly.
That was a trying. It's all a team effort. And
I was glad to see you guys come out of
the woods right there. And now I've always like the
loyalty um that you've had your friends, and you found
(21:51):
out a lot about loyal temperature with with your people too.
Write it's always when you're at your like darkest times,
who find out who's got your back and stuff. And
I love that you've been friends with Eric moments for
a long time, since we were five years old. That's
awesome and like and he's now my president of the
coming see that that's awesome. But but that's see the difference.
The difference is the difference is that I mean, this
is this might not be your your your typical you know,
(22:15):
normal business that is ran by you know, corporate you
know people and people you don't know and lawyers and
this and them. This is a business that's that's kind
of like a family business if you if you really
think about it. I've known Eric for for since I
was five years old. All most of my colleagues I've
(22:37):
known them since I started the company in two thousand one.
So we're all like family. Everybody takes care of each other.
Everybody has their our backs. You know, it's like you know,
you take care of each other. And yet, yes, I'm
on the helm and I deal with Eric directly, but
and there's certain instructions that I always give them every
single day. You're trusting them. But I have trust in
(23:00):
him that he'll take care of the job. If he
doesn't take care of the job, then I gotta get
rid of him, easy as that. But I mean I'll
cut in some slack, but he still has to take
care of business. I mean, that's why we've been so
successful over these years. You know, he's been doing a
great job to It's cool. It's cool, correct, Not just that.
I mean, you signed the biggest deal in sports Canelo
Alvarez recently with with the Zone. How how valuable valuable
(23:25):
is your own past in guiding guys like Canello and
guiding guys like Ryan Garcia, Because I mean, you're the
perfect example of what of what to do? And and
do you are were they young? Do they do they
want to listen? Is this you know? Um, I've been,
I've been. I've been pretty fortunate that you know, I
(23:46):
promoted I promoted you know, Patils fights and Mayweather's fights
and you know, and there were fighters that are were
already established. But when you get a fighter like Canello,
who who you can work with and build the most
gratifying Oh my gosh. Yeah. But but then he has
that same philosophy as you, like, Carnello wants to fight
(24:06):
the very best. Yeah, you're right, heights he does. And
I'm and I'm sure Ryan Garcia is gonna be the
same way, you know, when he's ready for that for
the championship level. So it's it's pretty gratifying because it's like, yeah,
there's a lot of work to do, like, for instance,
Sinko the Mayo that this this this week, this weekend
is going to be huge, Carnello Jacobs, but and there's
(24:30):
a lot of leg work, that's a lot of that
that goes behind it. But but when you have a
fight like Carnello that lends himself to accepting these types
of fights, to doing the work to promoting himself like
it's it's it's pretty gratifying. I've always said about Carnello
why I really like him and I'm a big fan
is he's a guy who he's always been very mature
(24:51):
and smart beyond his years. And as he became champion,
he continued to work hard, he continued to approve. He
looks better every fight. He almost had a hand it.
He doesn't need. He's like a real champions champion. You know,
he's a he's a great look for that. And you
forget he's young because all these other guys and like
Errol Spencer, he's younger than these guys and already headlined
(25:11):
all these pay per views and all this responsibility. It
really is really impressed. But you take take a look
at take a look at his resume, dude, it's hall
of fame worthy. Arts crazy, yeah, it is Hall of
fame worthy, alady, and he's not even close to being done.
You take a look at look, and this is what
kind of pisces me off, um, because you take a
(25:34):
look at fighters like Danny Garcia, Errol Spence, um, whoever
you want to name, even the heavyweight Deonte Wilder, and
look at their resumes and it's not even close to
what it should be. And meaning when I was promoting them,
you know, it's like we had him on the great
(25:55):
freaking you know, track, on track to to be to
be great, to beat, you know, to be superstars, you know,
and and so and so it pisces me off that
there's so much talent wasted on these and and they're
taking these fights that just are meaningless, you know. And
then you have Canello that has been super loyal to
(26:19):
Golden Boy. Um, we can work with him and guide
his career the proper way, I mean, and that's exactly
why he's the biggest draw. That's exactly why he's the
most popular, because we know how to promote. And I'm
not I mean, this is a pat on my back,
but it's like, this is what we do. We know
how to promote. I mean, I I got Deante Waller
(26:40):
to a world title. We we took Danny Garcia to
a world title. We were on the verge of making
them a superstar. But you know that's they go with
other people, They listen to other you know, voices, and
and then their career just goes, you know, downhill. Why
you wouldn't listen to somebody who's been there and done
that and who we can have the blueprint too. I don't.
(27:01):
I don't. Doesn't make any sense because because again we go,
we go to the business. They listen to the business. First,
take the short money, don't look at look at the fight. First,
win the fights, you know, fight for passion, for legacy,
and then the money will come. Did you ever, what's
the closest you've ever come to thinking about coming out
of retirement? Because not for nothing? I think like when
(27:30):
I saw flow, when Floyd fought Connor McGregor, I think
you even coming out right there, you are not that's
easy like the person I mean, right, don't you feel
that we know, of course, of course, but I mean
aside from Mayweather, um um, you know, kind of carrying
him for for ten rounds, um you know, and and
(27:50):
and not knocking Connor. I mean, look, he's a fighter.
I respect what he does in the octagon, but it's
just a whole different game. And it's it's like, imagine,
imagine who try it was Mike Tyson or somebody went
into the ala James James, Tony got he got tapped
out like in five seconds. It's just it's it's two
totally different sports, and there's respect in both. You can't
(28:11):
you can't knock any sport. But but did but did
you ever like at any point after the five it
might have been it might have been the Mayweather McGregor fight.
I said, you know what, I'm gonna try and make
a comeback. So so I I wake up in the
morning that like Sunday morning after the fight that I
saw with McGregor and Mayweather, and I'm waking up. I said,
(28:33):
I'm gonna wake up when I used at the time
I used to wake up, you know, like four in
the one gets up early set and so i run
about like five six miles and I'm feeling good. I
rest up a little. I go to the gym in
the afternoon, a local gym there in Pasadena. Um, I'm
(28:54):
training him, you know, hitting the heavy bag and jumping rope,
and people are like, oh ship, that's the oh, oh
my god, what was he dollon? You know? So I
go back home and you know, I'm tired as hell,
and um, you know, uh, cooking a little dinner or whatever.
I go to sleep the next morning. Bro, I couldn't
freaking get out of bed. Bro I couldn't get out
of bed exactly. That's what happens, dude, problems. I know.
(29:20):
The blow was acting again. That's what happens when we're
all we feel good, the next a sore right now too.
Hey dude, hey, but you're you're you're a little bit
of a dick. I'm gonna tell you why. We did
a charity event where I got to I got to
spar with Oscar for three rounds. This fool he started
(29:41):
warming up in the back. I'm all, oh, ship, I
know that look in his eye. He's like, hey dude.
I had to remind him, hey, this is all for fun,
and he was doing this fool is still fast and
he gave me a couple of quick jabs. Oh my god,
that ship is so what I can remember. We were
for mid Rockney. Yeah. But but this guy, so Mario
(30:02):
is in shape. I mean, you know he you know,
you grapple, he trains, he boxes, and and I'm like,
I flew in that night, or I flew in. I live.
I literally flew in that night from being hungover and Okay,
so thinking to myself, like, ship, this guy, what can
I do to like kind of like stop me because
he's gonna come in, you know. And so he's putting
(30:24):
pressure on me, putting pressure on me, and I'm getting tired.
I got tired in twenty seconds. By the way, it's
altitude of there we're Homer and it's altitude. You get
tired and so so. So I'm tired in twenty seconds.
I'm like shit, Mario like come down, dude. And so
I said to myself, what can I do to that
kind of you know, put the brakes on him. So
I'm like, I'm gonna throw my little jab stiff jab
(30:45):
and boom, and Mario was like, he still keeps coming,
still keeps coming. It was fun all for charity. It
was pretty good. It was those hands are still fast, fast, though.
I guess it's all instinct, it's all. It's all. You
never broke your nose, never did. God's unbelievable. Man. I'm
looking at your how tonything didn't get I mean, do
(31:05):
you know what's crazy? I actually had my nose up
here one time, like over here, So after fights, I
would just breaking yeah, yeah, yeah, I would. I would
have I literally would have steaks like cold steaks in
my room. After the fight and uh, and just put
them all over my face, cracked my nose back in place.
(31:26):
But but I never broke it. I never. I never
was like I ever asked you. I was like this,
think this ever broke it? Boxing? Your whole life is unbelievable.
And he were the open head gear when he was
sparring and training it all through the Olympics and everything unbelievable.
I don't know how I survived all those years. But
(31:47):
the good good d right there. How's your how's your
relationship with your dad? That's great now because I know
homeboy was tough. Bro. You know this, I mean parents,
Dad's they're they're tough. Man's toxic and dad, dude, let's
say you you try to look for the validation, you know,
(32:08):
and then as a kid, you don't realize. As a kid,
you don't realize like what he's maybe trying to do
to to your to your to your mind, to your
you know, your your mental strength. You know he's trying
to make you tough. He's trying to like, you know,
I'm not gonna tell you you're you're great, and I'm
not I'm not gonna tell you you did good I'm
(32:29):
gonna like tell you I want more, you know. And
so he was that type of father, like he never
told me, uh, son, I'm proud of you, you know,
like I never heard those words. But now it's like,
I mean, now that he's getting older, you know, it's
like now he's like, did he ever tell you he
loved you? Yeah? He just did, like barely right now. Yeah, Yeah,
my dad's ever told me, Like a couple of months ago,
(32:50):
my dad's ever told me. But he was loaded. I
think he didn't. He didn't. He didn't think it was
he was when he got something. Hey, that's what it does,
brings out the best right there. I'll tell you something funny,
something funny. So my dad, my dad's like eighty years
old and he still looks good. He's strong's good dude.
So my sister calls me, Uh this happened like a
(33:12):
year ago. She calls me one night, like at twelve midnight,
and she she's crying. She's like, my dad, your dad,
Oh my god, I'm like, what's what happened? What's what's
going on? What's going on? Yeah, he just called me
that he wants me to take him to a strip club.
I'm like, take o, Jesus, he's eighty years old, godless man,
(33:33):
that's why he looks good. Take them right there, man, right, okay,
so there's hope for my dad. That's funny, you know. No,
but but that's me. They are, man, that's they're tough.
They just maybe they didn't grow up with that, you know.
You know what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's yeah,
I've learned to accept, like I know he loves me.
(33:53):
It's just they don't. Yeah, but you want to hear it.
You want to hear it. Yeah, you know, I don't
know what he has said. I know now I almost
feel like I'm guilty. Nom. So now you know what
I'm saying now, I wasn't like I'm guilty never. How
how often do you think about your mom? Oh? Every day, bro,
every day of my life. Yeah, it's crazy because every
every day, you know, when you when you live, when
(34:16):
you live in experience, whether it's in boxing, whether it's
in business, whether I'm doing whatever it's you know, it's
like I always think about her, like, man, I wish
she was here to witness everything, you know, like I would.
I would be the type of kid that would have
her around me like all the time, you know, just yeah,
(34:36):
and she would be at the Killa Drinker and she
would love. That's awesome, man, that you well, you don't
talk about it a lot, but because you know, you're
you're humble like that. But a couple of things that
I think people should really know is that you built
a hospital, and your mom's name your hometown, which is
awesome in East l a bright White Memorial, the White
(34:59):
Memorial spital Um, so that that hospital has been there forever, right,
it's a staple of the community. But it was one
of those like white alphorms. I wasn't born there, but
that's actually that my mother had her her last and
final treatments or for chemo, got it at that one memorial.
But it was one of those hospitals where it's you know,
(35:20):
being Latino and and and it's like in the neighborhood,
like women wouldn't go and get mammograms or go to
doctors or because they would be intimidated. You know, you
see the doctors wearing their white little scrubs and whatever
and going into like this big, huge, you know building,
and it's like I'd rather just stay home and and
(35:42):
you know, and and I'll get over it. Whatever. They
don't go to checkups. And so so what we did
is um when I got involved with it, I said, look,
the only way I'm gonna get involved with it and
put my name on it and build a few wings,
and is that you know the staff and and and
and all the doctors that they have to be endly
and inviting and and and like a family. And that's
(36:04):
the thing. That's the reputation we have at the hospital
that it's it's it's like it's family, very welcome. That's
very welcoming. Another thing that's really cool too is the
Oscar de la Hoya High School. We got a hospital
and a high school. Damn, guess what our mascot is?
Oh no, what is it? The boxers? That's great, that's great.
(36:27):
It's crazy. Is that is that in? Uh? Is that
in East Low? So? So that's tight. Not a lot
of people know that it's tight. I used to train.
I used to train at this old uh. They converted
this old church. I love that. Oh but I gat
you brought that up because I have a T shirt
that the church. Not to roupt you, but I love this.
The Jimmy's trainer was an old church. And it was
(36:49):
the church where Rocky in the First Rocky he's fighting
Spider Ricole. So he so so that the Jesus Christ
that that he yeah, you know in the beginning of
the movie of Rocky, the first Rocky movie. That's that
was the church. That was the gym where I used
to train. So it used to be an old an
old church. So so then, um, the city decided to
(37:14):
tear it down. Uh, I might make a comeback. So
so so that church, um they converted into a into
a gym. That's awesome. And so I used to train
(37:35):
there with as a kid, and and uh and and
I trained there for the Olympics. You know. So this
this this uh I think it was an ex mayor
Roy Ball from from East l a um he uh he.
I heard from a great vibe after the Olympics when
I want a few dollars that um that he wanted
to sell it. And I was like shit, I was okay,
(37:56):
fun let me resurrection, Yeah, resurrection gym. So I said,
you know what, let me let me. I want to
buy there's history here, I trained here, I can do
something great with it, you know. So I bought the church,
and it so happened that there were like several homes
around the church that were also being sold. I said,
you know what, let me let me buy several homes
(38:17):
around the property as well. So we had we had
a like two or three acres around right there in
East l A. And so we had to knock down
the church and the gym, right and I said, man,
I mean this, what can I do here that is
that that can carry on the legacy, you know, and
and do something good for the community. So it so
happened that this this this charter school, uh, the Animal
(38:40):
Charter High schools UM approached me because they needed land
and and they wanted to build a high school in
East l A. You know, So I said, okay, So
I donated the land and I came out of pocket
and built a high school for them. And so so
it's the first it's the first high school in the
(39:02):
last seventy years to be built in East l A.
The first high school. So now that's crazy. So we're
now the boxers that just this year, you know, just
last year, we had a student get accepted to Yale.
Look at that, dude, Harvard, look at that. It's easy
I mean, who would ever know, Like that's easy, and
(39:26):
so ninety ninety of the kids that are graduating are
going on to four year better colleges. I mean that
area there, like Garfield High School, Roosevelt. It's like, I
mean the drop out of ratio is when you so, so, yeah,
we're proud of that schools. That's pretty cool. That's so cool.
(39:47):
I mean, it's cool that they're motivated. You know, they're
like like they're proud, they feel proud, you know, So
it's pretty cool. The hospital, the school and homeboys also
got a freaking statue if in a Staples Center that
tripped me out, we should like tie it. Got something
right around the glove tight right, put a picture right there.
(40:12):
But when they asked you, when they asked you about that, like, hey,
we want to put a statue or did you see
how does that work? Sure a lot of people want
statues in front of SOT forever. Yeah, it's forever, man.
So you know what's cool about it is that you
know all the all the people and all the kids
that you know, when they go watch a Laker game
or a Clippers game or whatever King's game, or even
(40:35):
a fight, it's like you know kids, I mean I
get I get pictures sent every day, like you know,
I took a picture in front of your your statue,
and that makes me feel proud. It's it's it's like inspirational,
you know, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, you're on
the corner of the ring no or like no no
standing on the turn buckles. Yeah yeah, yeah, that's that
was the That's when I fought you remember Moto Metal bias. Yeah,
(40:56):
of course, that's when I fought here. I had knocked
them out. I ran to the ran to the corner
the the the corner of that fell forward. You're not
going forward. He did a flip. Yeah, it was crazy
and so yeah, I ran him to the ring and
so they captured that moment there and that's what the
that's the statue. That's that's what I love that. Man,
(41:17):
that's pretty Did you ever think of what you would
do if fighting didn't work out? What did you want
to do? Architect? Yeah? I want to be an architect? Really? Yeah?
You draw? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, I took I took I
actually I actually took um. I took like architectural drafting
(41:41):
classes and yeah, yeah, I love I love like you know,
plans and numbers and this and that. Yeah, like a
real job. So I actually I actually, um, I actually
um designed uh my my compound and Big Bear where
I used to train, so the whole training facility and
(42:01):
all that. Yeah, yeah I designed it. I with with
the help of a real architect. We designed it, and
that was actually my passion. Oh well yeah, it's crazy
do that right there? Aren't you so happy in a
sense that we grew up, especially in our during our
Battrow years, that there was no there was no social media,
(42:23):
you know what I mean? Can you imagine, bro? Can
you imagine in fact there's no social media. But even
now Oscar Like, look, we've all had like ship written
about us and this and that. But dude, you're like teflon, Bro,
it doesn't matter. It rolls up, It doesn't matter. I'll
talk about like it doesn't matter, you know what I mean,
which I think is a credit to you because of
all the good stuff you've done. You know, you get
beloved and whatever, and now it's like, you know, ship
(42:46):
comes up whatever and it and it kind of rolls up.
But I feel fortunate that I wasn't. Don't you feel
happy about that? That we weren't like that we came.
It's good. It's I mean, look, I mean like the
past and and and and all the ship and this
and that whatever. It's like if you can, if you
grow from it, if you learn from it, if you
(43:07):
if you become better and bigger and you know, and wiser,
and you know, you know what I'm saying, because people
can look because yeah, because now because now you can
use it, you use it, and you can influence somebody
else in a positive way. You know. It's like like
I don't, I don't, I don't. I don't mind talking
about my past. I really don't. It's like because I've
(43:28):
accepted everything that I've done. You know, that was like
my fucking pendico years. You know, like but then you grow,
you learn, you you you you live it and you
and you and you and you become bigger, you know,
you become you become a real person and and a
real role model, a real a real somebody that somebody
that can really impact somebody in a in a positive way.
(43:50):
That that's what that's what you know. I I try
to tell people that it's it's it's okay, dude, don't
don't be ashamed of nothing we've ever done in the past.
Everybody messes up as long as you, you know, learn
from it, recognize it. You know what I mean, you
can grow from it. You gotta own you gotta own it.
You gotta own it, exactly, got to own it. Good
(44:10):
for you, man, Let's talk about this weekend. I'm fired up.
Canello versus Jacobs is a real fight. This dude has
seems very confident. He's a big guy, Eddie Hearn, who
I told you not at very confident that he's gonna
be victorious this weekend, which gets me all fired up.
I'm happy to be They're going to be calling the
(44:30):
way in and we'll be in the fight in person.
It's always such an event for sincle to my O. Weekend. Um,
what can we look forward to? Man? Look, I've seen
Canello trying many times, uh, you know, preparing for this fight.
He's only getting better. It's crazy, it's it's it's it's
it's mind boggling that. Yeah, he's young, but he's getting better.
(44:52):
I mean, his punches are getting stronger, his speed is
like phenomenal. But what I really love about him is
that his footwork is just getting it's it's it's just
it's it's getting better. He's getting better. I have no
doubt in my mind. Okay that Jacobs is going to
be difficult for Canelo the first few rounds, but once
(45:15):
he starts stocking him, once he starts trading punches, because
once somebody starts to start landing um, once Jacob's starts
getting brave, because this is this is what I love
about Jacobs. Jacob starts getting brave. You know, he can
throw those punches, those combinations. He's fast his footwork, but
(45:37):
he's too brave for his own good, meaning like he
likes trading punches when he you know, it's like remember
he fought Golofkin triple G and he started trading punches
and he's like yeah, you know, kind of like okay,
what do you what else do you have? You know,
it's so he so he gets brave, gets dangerous though,
it gets dangerous, especially with Canelo. I have Canelo knocking
(45:58):
out Jacob's like the nine eleventh round. Oh I like that.
I like that prediction. No, it's gonna be great, but
but this is gonna be a This is gonna be
one of those fights where a lot of action. It's
not gonna be easy. It's it's gonna be difficult. Canello
said it over and over. It's it's gonna be a
difficult fight because of Jacob's style, right, and Jacobs is
(46:20):
got the height advantage, the youth advantage. He'll probably the
bigger man in the ring that night. This is gonna
be this is a real, real fight. Um, definitely be
sure to check it out. And what's great about this
fight again, it's like a big event. The whole weekend
makes it makes it like a great, great event and
a great party. So I'm looking forward to it and Oscar,
I'm looking forward to to hanging again. Bro, we're gonna
go paintball in this next time. Do it again. He
(46:41):
invited me to paintball the last time. I couldn't go
because I was working the day. But but now he
wants to use like these hard real balls or little
pellets or whatever. We have a buddy, his name is Jerry.
He uh he freezes the paintballs. Oh yeah, that's the
worst because they won't break. They won't break, but they
(47:03):
won't break. They break, right skin, I'm gonna bring my
home with an army so we can shoot so that
sounds good man. Hey, thanks for hanging out, so jeers salute.
So don't forget a new episodes and listen to Mario
Dropping every Friday, all on Mario dot com to catch
up on the podcast, and please make sure you follow.
(47:24):
Listen to Mario on I Heart Radio and subscribe on
Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts. More fun next week.
Thank you so much for listening.
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