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How do you prepare for a fight?
It all depends on the fight. Every time I move up in weight I try to work on my upper body. Leading up to my Nov. 4 fight I’ll work on my lower body. I want my legs to be extremely strong. I’m a throwback fighter. I’m a 15-round fighter. But I never scout an opponent. When you get in there and the adrenaline is rushing and the crowd is there, you don’t think, ‘Damn, let me think about the tapes of him fighting.’ You say, ‘Shit, it’s time for me to fight.’
What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to drop weight?
At 147 I’m always at weight. But when I was at 130 I had problems making weight. I about killed myself by running twice a day and just eating lettuce. Now, I eat the right food—fish, chicken and turkey. No pork, no beef.
Have you ever trained to the point that you’ve vomited?
I threw up in a fight before. I ate before a fight because I wasn't sure what time I was going to be going into the arena. Then I got the call that I had to be at the arena right away. While I was in the fight I knocked my opponent down. He got up and swung a couple of wild punches. While I was going for his head, he was going for my body and hit me in the stomach. I went back to the corner and threw up. I was feeling funny when the bell rang for the next round, but I ended up knocking him out in that round.
How long does it take for your body to recover?
I recover quickly from the fights because I don’t really take punishment. Even after training I go to the fitness club, play basketball, do sit-ups, work the machines, do leg lifts—just so my body stays looking good. You also have to get the proper rest. You need like 9 or 10 hours of sleep because boxing puts so much demand on the body.
What’s the difference between hitting with a glove and a bare fist?
There’s not much difference between a bare fist and an 8-oz glove. That’s why the sport pays like it pays. That’s why it’s so exciting. That’s what people want to see: blood, sweat and tears. It’s like the old-school gladiators.
How do you throw a punch with power?
Power doesn’t come from how many muscles you have; it comes from how you turn your body. I’m right-handed so my right leg is to the back. All your power comes from your legs. My left hand is up front. That’s the jab hand. The jab is to keep you occupied so you can set up and throw the big right hand—the big boom.
What punch in a boxer’s arsenal does the most damage?
The punch that gets the most knockouts in boxing is the left hook because it comes from the blind side. If you land a hit anywhere in the face area or anywhere in the body area you're going to do some damage. They don’t see that punch coming.
Where is the worst place to be hit?
I don’t want any low blows. Shit, I got hit with a low blow in my last fight—that wasn’t a great feeling.
What’s the most common mistake that young fighters make?
Today’s fighters don’t use the jab and all they’re looking for is the knockout. Me, I like to get knockouts because everybody pays to see people get put on their ass. But let them see a little bit of blood first. Let the guy sitting ringside get some blood on his suit. If a guy went out and spent $800-$1,000 on a ticket, I’m not going to give him just three minutes of work. I like to give people a chance to enjoy their popcorn.
Can the average guy learn anything from watching Rocky?
Rocky is complete bullshit. If a guy get hit that much he’s going to be down and he’s gonna die.
Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather takes on Carlos “Tata” Baldomir for the WBC Welterweight Championship on November 4 on HBO Pay-Per-View. |
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