World welterweight champion Carlos “Tata” Baldomir has been undefeated for nine years. However, he was stuck in obscurity until this year when he claimed victories over boxing favorites Zab Judah and Arturo Gatti. Now, in a fight scheduled for November 4, 2006 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, even though he has the superior claim to the world welterweight championship, Baldomir will be the underdog against the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Floyd Mayweather Jr. In a conference call today, Baldomir explained his game plan for how he’s preparing to destroy undefeated “Pretty Boy” Floyd.
He began by apologizing for missing his conference call last week and then addressed a question from a previous press conference about knocking out Floyd Mayweather in four rounds on November 4. “I never said the round number, but I’m still going to knock him out,” he said. “I’m ready.”
Dan Rafael asked if Baldomir thinks Mayweather is the best fighter today, and if so, how he plans to beat him. “Basically, I do think he’s the best fighter out there as far as talent,” Baldomir said. “But I think that once we get together, I am going to come out with the victory. First of all, because of my last two outings with Gatti and Judah. I’m a true champion. I believe in myself. It’s going to come down to me and my willingness to push him throughout the whole fight, throwing punches without giving him a chance. It’s going to be me coming forward the whole time. I think this fight will be easier than Judah because Judah’s a southpaw and Floyd’s a righty. I wasn’t able to knock Judah out because he was holding on the whole time. I am confident that if it does go the 12 rounds though, I can win a decision. Me believing in myself, it will be enough for me.”
When asked about Floyd’s boxing ability, Baldomir seemed unfazed. “His velocity and his speed do not bother me one bit. He was 135, now 147. You guys forget that he’s fighting at a heavy weight now. He’s not going to be as fast. I’m just going to come into fight. It’s very simple. I’m just going to throw punches throughout the whole fight. I will know when I hurt him and if I do hurt him, he will go down.”
Baldomir explained his heritage a bit, stating that he comes from a very humble family in Argentina. “I had to fight hard and train hard to get where I’m at. I have gone back home to Argentina and they have truly welcomed me like a true legend, a hero.” Though he likes Los Angeles, he said of his home: “My country, I would never change it for anything.” When asked about his sudden fame, he said, “It’s a big difference. It’s beautiful now that people come to me all the time after I beat the last few opponents. I know that this is already a legacy that I’m building and I’m trying to make it bigger.
“Carlos Monzon made me want to be a fighter,” Baldomir continued. “I wasn’t a troublemaker or a street fighter. My relatives and friends would gather about 50 people together to watch fights. When I was watching the Monzon fights, I was 5 years old. When I was 13, I knew I wanted to be a fighter and went to a gym. At 16, I had my first amateur fight. But no one has had influence on me, just me. Myself.”
Carlos explained he loves many things about boxing. “First of all, I love the sport especially because of the last two earnings. I did see a change – fame and more money. I saw that it wasn’t just a sport. It was a business. Because of all the fights I have previously had, I made no money. In the last two fights, I have made some pretty good money.”
When speaking of title belts, he said, “Two months before the fight with Judah, I knew I was going to be a world champion. Judah was talking about Mayweather when he was fighting me – he kept thinking about Mayweather and not me. I knew him not thinking about me but another fighter was his downfall. As long as I beat Mayweather, the title is on the side. When the people see you win the fight, that’s all they have to see, regardless of any titles.”
He went on to squash headlines about weight problems. “Never. I have always been on weight. I’ve never had any problems. Papers sometimes just like to get headlines.”
One reporter asked what Baldomir brings to the table that Floyd hasn’t gotten out of his other 36 opponents. “There’s nothing different,” Baldomir said. “The only thing different that I’m going to bring is more heart and more balls.
Another reporter brought up the recent news that Floyd’s uncle, Roger Mayweather, was put in jail and is currently unable to train him. Baldomir stated, “It’s just going to be a big excuse for Mayweather when he loses.”
Will Mayweather have an excuse? Does Baldomir have more heart and balls? Or will his assumptions about Mayweather’s diminished speed seal his victory? There’s only one way to find out. Tune in to PPV’s “Pretty Risky” fight on November 4 to see who will be victorious in this welterweight title fight.
