Hoya fired up, slims down for Pacman

BIG BEAR CITY, California – Perhaps more “Golden Guy” than “Golden Boy” now, 35-year-old Oscar dela Hoya still has a childlike enthusiasm for the job.

“Hey, I love this. I love boxing. I love training,” Dela Hoya said, his eyes sparkling. “I see other guys in here, my sparring partners or other guys just training here, and I’ll see them sitting down between rounds and drinking water.

“And I say to myself, `What the heck is that?’ I would never do that. If you’re going to be a champion, train hard. After all these years, I still surprise myself how much I love this.”

Does that mean he won’t be hanging up his gloves anytime soon?

“It’s not looking like it,” Dela Hoya said, chuckling.

Next up is Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas on Dec. 6, and Dela Hoya is back to being a mountain man as he prepares for the fight.

Looking trim and energetic as he entertained a large group of reporters, photographers and cameramen at his camp on Wednesday, Dela Hoya said he was happy to be back where he prepared for many of his memorable bouts in the past.

“I didn’t realize how difficult training in Big Bear was until I came back,” he said. “I think it’s been about six years since the last time I was here. I think it was the best decision I’ve made, at this point of my career.”

The elevation in the mountain resort area is 6,752 feet (2,000 meters), obviously a factor in training. So he decided to hold camp in Big Bear, rather than at his home in Puerto Rico.

“The thinner air is the difference. Training in Puerto Rico is nice; I work hard regardless, I’m focused, regardless,” Dela Hoya said. “But the altitude is a killer. You have to work that much harder to get in shape.”

Comedian George Lopez, a friend of Dela Hoya’s who was at the training camp opening, said, “I can’t imagine running at this altitude, what kind of condition that would put you in. Or the isolation factor up here. If you want to be alone, bro, this is the place to be.”

Richard Schaefer, CEO of Dela Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, said the fighter already was in excellent condition.       (AP)