In the state where football is king, the throne was vacated for a day as the “Dream Tour” made the first of two Texas stops at Space Centre Houston. Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao took center stage and posed for the crowd with the Space Center Houston mascot astronaut. The on-going drama between Pacquiao trainer Freddy Roach and the Golden Boy continued in front of a replica backdrop of NASA’s Mission Control. De La Hoya prophesized that come fight night, Roach’s only words for his fighter would be “Houston, we have a problem.”
The stop in Houston was much more than just a press conference; it was a chance for the fighters to give back to the city recently ravaged by Hurricane Ike. In conjunction with the Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo (De La Hoya is part owner), De La Hoya and Pacquiao gave $10,000 to start a Hurricane Ike Relief fund and encouraged the media and fans in attendance to give in whatever capacity they can. The president of the Houston Dynamo, Oliver Luck, was in attendance to accept the donation and express his sincere appreciation for the fighters’ generosity.
Photo Credit: Aaron Sprecher - Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions
Oscar De La Hoya
“A fight with Manny Pacquiao, who ever dreamed of it? I never dreamt it and I am sure he never dreamt of fighting me.
“My trainer is predicting a knockout and my CEO is predicting a knockout. I have to head to the gym now.
“We fighters know that this is going to be one heck of a fight. I know Manny Pacquiao comes forward and fights. He is younger and faster. For someone who is 35 years old, I have a lot of homework to do. I have to be in great shape.
“This is one of those fights that the whole world will be talking about. The whole world will wait with anticipation. We have to give one of those performances that people will like watching.
“Freddie Roach has been talking about how I cannot pull the trigger. (To Roach) I am going to get you Freddie!
“And yes he (Freddie Roach) knows me as a fighter. And yes I know Freddie too.
“I know what he is going to say in the corner to Manny. He is going to say ‘Houston, we have a problem!”
Manny Pacquiao
“Dec 6th is going to be a great, great fight between Oscar and me. Everybody knows that I don’t want people to be disappointed.
“I have to train hard this fight to make people happy. I am going to win the fight. It is going to make history in boxing.”
Richard Schaefer, CEO Golden Boy Promotions
“Houston has become our home away from home. It is always great to come back here.
“The Space Center in Houston is a landmark of dreams. It took many dreams to send people to space.”
“I know that the city of Houston has gone through some devastating times in the last few weeks. We are starting a hurricane relief fund together with the Houston Dynamo. Both of the fighters have started the fund with an initial $10,000 donation.
“Our hearts go out to those who were affected by the hurricane and I hope this is one of the first of many donations.
“Dec 6th is about two careers, two great fighters, two guys who only know one thing and that is going forward. You want to make sure that you don’t want to miss it.
Bob Arum, Chairman of the Board Top Rank Inc.
“These donations are very important. The essence of being a good American and a good citizen is that we help our neighbors and our brothers. This is something that we all owe to our fellow citizens. We hope you will tell your friends to contribute and help our neighbors with their trouble.
“Why is this fight getting the attention that it is? It is obvious to me. It matches the most popular fighter in the world, Oscar De La Hoya; who has thrilled so many audiences for so many years against the pound for pound best in the world. That alone will be enough to excite most fans.
“I too am excited to be in Houston, so you can catch some essence of what this event is about. It was in this town that the George Forman Grill was announced, and George really cleaned up!
“Take our guy because our guy is going to win. We will see what happens on December 6, but we are going into this fight with extreme confidence and enthusiasm.”
Mark Taffet, Senior Vice President of HBO Pay-Per-View & HBO Sports
“For the sport of boxing, it is critical that at least once a year there is a match up that truly transcends the sport; something that has everyone talking and everyone buzzing. De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao is that fight.
“I am happy to say that all 18 of Oscar De La Hoya’s Pay-Per-View fights have been on HBO.
“While the indoor is sold out, 70 million seats are still available in the electronic area, in your homes on HBO Pay-Per-View.”
Nacho Beristain, De La Hoya Trainer
“Dec 6 is going to be a very important date for Oscar De La Hoya and our team.
“We are going to stop the Manny Pacquiao train. We are going to derail him. Manny Pacquiao is going to be over on December 6.”
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao Trainer
“This is a big fight. When I heard about it I didn’t think it would happen at first.
“I think this fight is a big fight money wise, but it is not about that. It is what it does for Manny Pacquiao as a super star.
“I had the opportunity to work with Oscar De La Hoya. We had a good fight against Mayweather. I keep hearing that Oscar is too big for Manny. That is not what is going to win this fight. What is going to win it is speed, speed and speed.
Oliver Luck, President of the Houston Dynamo
“We would like to thank the fighters for these initial donations. Our residents have lost a lot in the recent past and we appreciate your generosity.”
Source: http://www.goldenboypromotions.com/media/2008/oct/10.13.08/10.13.08.htm
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