JUAN MANUEL “DINAMITA” MARQUEZ & IGNACIO “NACHO” BERISTAIN MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT
K. Swanson:
Thanks everybody for calling in. We are almost 10 days out from a great, great fight night on July 31. Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz and we’ve just had a really great time talking to all of you throughout this promotion and so you getting to know the fighters as well.
Today, we are joined by Juan Manuel Marquez, his trainer, Ignacio Beristain and also translating for Juan is Robert Diaz from Golden Boy Promotions. I’m going to quickly turn it over to Richard Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Boy Promotions to get us started.
R. Schaefer:
Thank you, Kelly, and thank you to all the media members for attending today’s conference call with Juan Manuel Marquez. Ten days to go for one of the best nights of boxing, I can certainly remember. I just wanted to remind all the media members that we are going to have a free one-hour preview leading into the pay-per-view. During that one-hour free preview, which all the public can watch for free on the pay-per-view channels.
Then, we’re going to head the night of the year, with the great fight Jorge Linares versus Rocky Juarez, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero versus Joel Casamayor and young Danny Jacobs fighting for the middleweight world title against Dmitry Pirog. But then, of course, we are going to the rematch of the fight of the year with Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz. We had a chance, last week, to hear from Juan Diaz and today it’s going to be the time for “Nacho” Beristain and for Juan Manuel Marquez to make their opening comments and then, of course, be available for questions.
The fight is July 31 at the Mandalay Bay. It’s going to be live on HBO Pay-Per-View. The entire card is going to be presented by Golden Boy Promotion in association with Marquez Boxing Promotions, sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, and AT&T and tickets are still available at the Mandalay Bay. We have seen a surge in the last couple of weeks on tickets. I think there’s a lot of anticipation, a lot of excitement among the boxing and fight fans to come to Vegas. Great room rates are available as well so you can make it a great summer weekend in Las Vegas starting at $50, the tickets, $50, $100, $150, $250, and $350. So, please encourage your readers and your listeners to be at the Mandalay Bay for that great night of boxing.
It is a pleasure now, for me to introduce to you, a man who is universally recognized as one of the best teachers and trainers of students of the sport of boxing, certainly a future Hall of Fame trainer. And he has trained so many great champions, world champions, and currently he is training Juan Manuel Marquez in Mexico City at the famous Romanza Boxing Gym.
“Nacho,” will make some opening remarks which will be translated by Roberto Diaz, who will be on the phone throughout the call. Then, “Nacho” will turn it over to one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of this generation. He’s the number one Mexican fighter in the world. He has won five world titles in the featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight divisions. He’s considered today as the current, linear and Unified Lightweight World Champion. He holds The Ring Magazine WBA and WBO world titles and that, of course, is Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez.
Now please, “Nacho” Beristain, if you could make some opening comments on how training camp has been going.
I. Beristain:
I’m very happy that Juan has been training with the same professionalism as always. Juan is like a fine wine that only gets better with age. He’s having a better, technically, a better camp and is training much better than the first fight with Juan. I expect the courage that Juan Diaz “Torito” brings and the courage that Juan Manuel provides that this will provide another great fight like they did in Houston and that the fans are going to win, all around. I want to thank Oscar and Richard for all the support and for always treating Juan with all the respect and dignity that he deserves.
J. Marquez:
I want to thank everybody. It’s a pleasure to say “hello” to everyone and I’ll see you soon.
R. Schaefer:
Juan, could you please make some comments about how training camp is going and what we can expect from you in Las Vegas?
J. Marquez:
Camp has been great, training has been great, the sparing, everything has been excellent and most importantly no injuries, I haven’t sustained any problems in camps. So, we’re looking very forward in meeting and seeing everything July 31st and giving a great fight.
Q:
Presumably, you’ve never been in a fight in which you’ve lost in such a one-sided bash as you did against Mayweather. Could you tell me how difficult that was during the fight and how frustrating it was? And then how difficult was it to accept that for you because you’re use to performing on a very highest level and that was a one-sided difficult fight for you.
J. Marquez:
We knew going into the fight it was going to be a very difficult, a very tough task but we were ready to take him on. But, what made it a little more difficult was also the weight, the excess weight that Mayweather had. It was approximately 15 pounds once we got inside the ring. During the fight was good. We gave it our all and after the fight we know that the people were behind us and we hope that they realized that, hey, we gave it 100%, during the whole time.
Q:
What do you expect differently from Diaz in this fight from the first fight?
J. Marquez:
I’m not thinking of any way I can be different or do anything differently. I’m coming with everything. I’m not going to be overconfident because I’ve beaten him, because I’ve knocked him out. I’m going in just like as it was the first fight, 100 percent ready to take care of business.
Q:
You’re 36 now. How much harder is it to train for a big fight now as it was, say, five or six years ago? And, how much longer do you see yourself going on fighting?
J. Marquez:
Well, it’s not harder. It’s not difficult at all. I get up every morning to run with the same enthusiasm as always to go to the gym to train. I’m motivated to defend my titles with a lot pride and to make everyone happy. And as far as how much longer, I can’t answer that, only God can answer that. He will decide when it’s time for me to retire.
Q:
How much did it mean to you not only to win the fight in the first one but that the fight was the fight of the year. Does that have a special meaning for you to get a nice trophy and make it very memorable because not only have you been in many big fights but that you won, what is arguably, one of the all-time type memorable fights?
J. Marquez:
Definitely, it was very significant and it’s very motivating. But, keep in mind, in a fight, it takes two to tango and Juan Diaz deserves all the recognition as well. And, I think, come July 31 when we both bring it, it should be equal if not, better, than the first one.
Q:
Do you think at all maybe that losing the way you did to Mayweather, even though you were able to go the distance, that that took something out of you? And likewise, your fight with Juan Diaz taking something out of both guys, as well as Juan Diaz, maybe having slowed down a little bit because it was such a very tough fight.
J. Marquez:
No, the Mayweather fight didn’t really take anything away. I’ve always said and it’s always been my theory, to be the best you have to fight the best and I’ll never go back on that. I feel very well as far as that fight went. Obviously, it could have been better. But as far as this fight with Juan Diaz, he’s going to bring it. He’s trained very well. I’m trained very well and it’s going to be a very good fight and like I said it could be even better than the first one.
Q:
Is this going to be your last fight at 135 and I ask because there’s been a lot of speculation that, win or lose, you’re going to go to 145 pounds. Certainly if you win they’ve talked about you having a big, big fight at the end of the year, again, with somebody like Amir Khan. I wonder if this is the last hoorah for you in this weight division.
J. Marquez:
No. Right now my mind is set for July 31 at 135 pounds versus Juan Diaz. After July 31, we’ll sit down and see what’s next in the future. But right now I’m 100% concentrated on July 31 at 135 pounds with Juan Diaz.
Q:
I want to know if you’re drinking your own urine in preparation for the fight.
J. Marquez:
Yes, sir.
Q:
A year ago did you think that there would be so much notoriety in the Marquez/Diaz II and do you expect Marquez/Diaz III?
J. Marquez:
Well, yes, about a year ago when all the people were talking about the fight and the fight of the year and the emotion when they talked about it. Yes, it was in my mind that it was a possibility. As far as a third fight taking place, well it could only be depending on the outcome of this fight. July 31 right now is going to answer all the questions.
Q:
Juan, you’ve been in some very big fights, Casamayor, Barrera, Pacquiao I and II and Diaz I. What do you like about those types of fights, those action-types of fights, and what do they bring out of you?
J. Marquez:
Well, it’s very motivating but the key factor there is victory. To me, victory is everything. It’s very important. It motivates me. It keeps me going to defend my titles with the pride and honor and having my hand raised at the end of the night, that’s the most significant and what brings it out in me. I don’t know how but it comes out because of that determination that I have to win.
Q:
In terms of the action, that’s what I was trying to get at. Those are the kinds of fights that your fans remember. Can you talk about what you want to bring to those types of fights because you talk about the importance of fans?
J. Marquez:
Well, it’s a connection between fans and fighter. It has to be when they, obviously, are pleased with your performance up in the ring and you think about that and you want to give that to them, all the time, and that’s why you train 100 percent and you give that to him.
Q:
How important is it to you to think about the prospect of being the first Mexican to win four titles in as many different weight classes?
J. Marquez:
It’s very important. It’s definitely something that keeps me going and to become the first Mexican fighter to win in four divisions is a dream come true and it’s something in my mind. But, right now my concentration is 100 percent on July 31 to defend my titles, my belts, against Juan Diaz and then we’ll look forward.
Q:
Last question about looking forward, I know you’re focused on July 31. But when you think about your legacy, which is already etched in stone, if you could pick the next three fights, if it was up to you and the stars were aligned just right who would be your next three fights, counting the Diaz fight, two more fights or three more fights after that?
J. Marquez:
Manny Pacquiao, that’s my desire, I want it so bad. I want that third fight with him before my career ends. And maybe another one would be like Erik Morales or a Ricky Hatton, but Manny Pacquiao for sure.
Q:
Richard, Seth Mitchell, do you know when he’ll be fighting, will he be fighting before Frankie Gomez?
R. Schaefer:
Yes, Seth Mitchell is programmed to be the first or second bout of the evening. And Frankie Gomez will go on prior to the pay-per-view event.
Q:
Has it been more difficult making 135 pounds after putting on an extra 7 pounds of muscle in the Mayweather fight? Also, did you have to consult a doctor or a nutritionist to help you lose the weight safely?
J. Marquez:
No, we’ve done it very carefully, very healthy, very well. We have had the help of a nutritionist. I did, obviously, gain a few pounds to go up in weight. But we’re working, as always, very hard, working with the weight and working in the gym and we’ll be there for a very good fight, a strong fight, and at weight come July 31.
Q:
Nacho, did you have any concerns going into the Mayweather fight about the amount of muscle that Juan would put on for that particular contest? I guess knowing that Juan was likely going to go back down to lightweight division. Did you have any concerns about that before the Mayweather fight?
I. Beristain:
That was a job, in camp, that I developed with a physical condition in coach that I’ve worked with in the past. I didn’t like certain things. It was part of that camp, part of the fight and the captain was on board and he was directing it. Again, I wasn’t 100 percent on board with it but it was necessary for that fight.
Q:
What was it that you didn’t like about that sort of preparation?
I. Beristain:
With Juan, what could be his defect is that he loves what he does, he loves to work hard. But at times he can exaggerate the work. He’s a very fine fighter and he doesn’t need to over train or over exaggerate to perform up in the ring. And I think in that fight, for instance an example, instead of working on the weights a couple of weeks he might have done it for four weeks and done a little bit too much of.
Q:
Nacho, do you believe Juan can fight at junior welterweight effectively against natural 145 pound fighters?
I. Beristain:
No. Juan is of a small physique and for him to compete at those higher weights is very difficult. Yet, I have to support him 100 percent because his performances and the respect that he’s earned cannot be denied. So, I have to support him and go with him to battle.
Q:
Juan, when I watch your fights and I just watched the tape of the first fight you had with Diaz, it’s very clear that you have an “old school” attitude. You’re an artist in the ring and you not only fight as warrior but you’re using angles head and body movements. Counterpunch, you’re using counterpunches and all of that. Can you tell us where that “old school” attitude comes from and how you maintain it when so much of that has been lost today?
J. Marquez:
You mentioned the “old school” in boxing and that’s what I learned. My father taught me that. My father was a legendary trainer like Luis Melendez and that’s how I learned and I maintain it with Nacho in training. But it comes from a young age, learning it with my father.
Q:
Do you expect to make any adjustments earlier in the fight because even though you got the knock out in the first fight, it appeared that he was winning some of the earlier rounds by out working, even though as you said, you picked off a lot of his punches. But do you expect to have to make any adjustments from the first fight to the rematch?
J. Marquez:
What we are going to do to counter that is we’re going to do a great fight up in the ring with a lot of technical boxing, a lot of finesse, a lot of movement and angles and that’s how we will counter his aggressiveness.
R. Schaefer:
Excellent. Thank you, Juan. Thank you, Nacho. I want to thank all the media members for today’s call and I’ll see you all in a week, in 10 days, July 31 for the great fight between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz. Thank you.
END OF CALL
Marquez vs. Diaz II “Fight of the Year: The Rematch” is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Marquez Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. The 12-round rematch of the “2009 Fight of the Year” is scheduled for Saturday, July 31 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be for Marquez’s Ring Magazine, WBA and WBO Lightweight World titles. The championship fight will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View