Moderator: Monica Sears
November 14, 2007, 2:00 p.m. ET
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, PRESIDENT, GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS: Thank you very much. We are getting closer to UNDEFEATED December 8 th. We have a tremendous lineup of fights just like we promised. The boxing fans deserve not only a tackler main event, but from top to bottom, a card that people will remember for many years to come.
We’re starting off with Jeff Lacy against Peter Manfredo Jr., which is bound to be a candidate for fight of the year. And it is my pleasure to be representing and I have under the Golden Boy Banner, Jeff Lacy, former world super middleweight champion with the record 22-1 with 17 knockouts. He will be facing Peter Manfredo Jr., with a record of 28-4 with 13 knockouts.
I believe, the winner will move on to contender status and be ready for a World Title shot. So this is a very important fight and I’m sure both fighters would agree.
I would right now like to introduce to you the co-executive producer, promoter for the contender, to speak to you about Peter Manfredo Jr., Jeff Wald.
JEFF WALD, CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND PROMOTER ‘THE CONTENDER’: Thank you very much, Oscar. First, on behalf of the contender, my partner Sugar Ray Leonard, I want to thank Oscar and everybody at Golden Boy. This is our third event with Golden Boy and Golden Boy has decided that they’re just going to put on great and competitive fights. They’re not protecting anybody. What they do is protect the public by putting on great fights. So it’s our pleasure once again to be involved with Golden Boy, so thank you, Oscar, again.
We’re very excited about this fight. This is very important for Peter Manfredo and Jeff Lacy. I’ve watched a bunch of Jeff Lacy’s fights and all of them were exciting. He’s a terrific fighter and he brings it on every single time he fights. Peter is the same way in his fights. I think the fans are going to see a terrific fight. I now want to turn it over to my partner, Sugar Ray Leonard.
SUGAR RAY LEONARD, CO-PROMOTER ‘THE CONTENDER’: Thanks, Jeff, and always, Oscar, it’s great to be a part of your event.
I’m just excited because I know from a box perspective that this is a very significant fight for Jeff Lacy and Peter Manfredo. Both are losing to Joe Calzaghe who had an impressive win over Michael Kessler. I mean that proves the kind of competition that they were up against.
This fight can prove to be a very defining moment because I think that this fight takes Jeff Lacy and Peter Manfredo back to the next level of putting them in a position for a serious competition.
JEFF WALD: Peter, would you like to say something?
OSCAR DE LA HOYA: It is my pleasure to now introduce to you from St. Petersburg, Florida, with a record of 22 and 1 and 17 knockouts. He is feeling great from his operation’s he had, he is ready to come back, and he is hungrier than ever. It is our job as promoters to make sure that the fighter is happy and content so he can worry about training and that’s where he wants to pick his best fights and that’s why we chose a fighter like Peter Manfredo. That is Jeff Lacy.
JEFF LACY, BOXING FIGHTER: It’s just a pleasure to be working with Oscar de la Hoya, Jeff Wald and Sugar Ray Leonard. I would also like to thank Peter Manfredo for taking this fight. I know you all are looking forward to the battle on December 8th and so am I, and I’m glad to be a part of a great card.
PETER MANFREDO JR., BOXING FIGHTER: Well, just like Jeff said, I want to thank Jeff. He’s still a warrior champion in my mind, because he’s coming off surgery, and so am I. None of us have taken a tune up right. We’re both fighters and we’ll fight each other because this is what the public and boxing fans need. Jeff and I both come to fight so you’re going to see an action pack fight for 10 rounds or if it goes that long and that’s it.
Like I said I want to thank Golden Boys who put me on one the biggest and greatest card of the year. I’m going to make a lot of people happy and it’s going to be an exciting fight. Again, I want to thank Jeff, he also came to my last fight and supported me. So, thanks a lot, man.
OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you very much, guys, and we do have a sell out arena. It was the fastest selling arena in the history of the sport; that sold out in 30 minutes. But we have available close circuit feed, which we’re already over 15,000 sold and we’re opening up more venues to accommodate these fans are wanting to attend this great and exciting boxing card.
So if we have any questions from the media for both fighters, we are ready.
ROBERT MORALES, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS: Jeff, I wanted to start with you. I’m wondering, as somebody who has been to the top and then lost his World Championship belt, what has been the toughest thing for you psychologically to deal with in that regard?
JEFF WALD: Mentally still walking around the house and seeing that I am not the World Title holder. This is a great opportunity for me to get that title back and be able to strap it around my waist and really know it has great meaning to it at the time.
ROBERT MORALES: Peter, I’d like to ask you, including Calzaghe, now you’re going to be fighting Jeff Lacy, who is the world champion at the time, perhaps the best Super Middleweight in the world. And now Jeff Lacy, who was right at that same spot prior to his fight with Calzaghe, what has been the mindset of the Peter Manfredo Jr. camp in taking on these incredible fighters?
PETER MANFREDO JR.: Well the decision comes to me and I want to fight the best, and Jeff Lacy is still one of the best in my mind. It says a lot for not just me but also for the contender. We want to show everybody we’re not just contender reality fighters and that we’re real fighters. The mindset’s great and I’ve fought guys like Tom Attardo, I fought guys like Joe Spina, and they’re not at Jeff Lacy’s level. I disposed of those guys earlier like I should. I believe I’m ready for this big step and now I just have to prove it. I didn’t get a shot against Calzaghe, and a lot of people seen the fight. So, this is another big shot, another big opportunity, and I’m going to make the best of it.
ROBERT MORALES: I wanted to ask each of you real quick, Peter, what kind of surgery are you coming off of.
PETER MANFREDO JR.: I’m coming off an elbow surgery. I have bone spurs and bone chips in my left elbow for the past year.
ROBERT MORALES: And when was that surgery?
PETER MANFREDO JR.: That was in August.
ROBERT MORALES: Jeff, excuse my ignorance, I should know this, but what kind of surgery are you coming off of?
JEFF WALD: Bicep
ROBERT MORALES: OK, which side, left or right?
JEFF WALD: Left.
ROBERT MORALES: Oscar, if I can ask you a question real quick and then I’ll be done, what did you see in Jeff Lacy as far as making you want to sign him to a promotional contract?
OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Well, first of all, Jeff deserves to be on top once again. For certain reasons we don’t know, only Jeff knows he was derailed. He was derailed by a great champion and we all know that Calzaghe’s a tremendous champion.
And so with Jeff Lacy being so young, still having that hunger and that desire to be a world champion, you know, was a perfect opportunity for us to make that match. And we know we can