Eddie Sanchez vs. J.C. Candelo

RL: It has been reported that a rematch has been finalized between your fighter, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Manny Pacquiao for February. Is this true?

IB: What we have now is a fight between Juan Manuel and Orlando Salido on September 18th. We do not like to think about any other fight, aside from the one at hand. We prepare ourselves and do not think about anything else.

RL: How would you rate Rafael Marquez's knock-out performance against Heriberto Ruiz?

IB: He looked good in a brief fight. He continues to make a big impact on the boxing public. He has had seven fights in Las Vegas and won them all by knock-out. When he was a rookie, he fought at The Tropicana. He has a strong following.

RL: Is his near future at 118 pounds, or will he be moving up to 122 pounds?

IB: I think he have three of four more fights at Bantamweight. He will be fighting on Erik Morales' next card. They are asking for him because he brings people to the arena.

RL: Any idea who his opponent might be?

IB: We do not know because his last two fights have been mandatory fights. That does not seem very just to me. We are waiting to see who will be named as his opponent.

RL: Who do you think presents the best fight for Rafael Marquez at 118?

IB: The best fight would be the one which pays him the most money. A fight with the W.B.C. Champion, he is a Filipino (NOTE: Actually a fighter from Thailand, Veeraphol Sahaprom), or a fight with the W.B.A Champion who is Danish (Johnny Bredahl). These fights would culminate his career at Bantamweight and propel him to Super Bantamweight.

RL: How is the progress of Cuban heavyweight Damian Norris?

IB: Very good he fights on Saturday in Puerto Vallarta. Mexico. I am trying to fight him again on September 4th.

RL: In regards to the possibility of fighting in the United States, how does it look?

IB: The first thing we need to do is get him a visa, so he can travel to the United States. That is something that has been quite difficult because he is Cuban. We are working on the visa. We are going to try and get a visa and if we cannot, he will have to fight in Europe.

RL: Returning to Juan Manuel Marquez, do you think after fighting in an incredible bout with Manny Pacquiao, he might be looking to the future for a rematch and not focus fully on his bout with Salido?

IB: No, that will never happen. We never think about the future, we are focused on the obstacle before us. After Orlando, we will think about our next opponent, who might be Manny Pacquiao or someone else. We do not know out next step?

RL: Who do you think wins, Oscar De La Hoya or Bernard Hopkins?

IB: It all depends on Oscar's physical state. In the end, I believe,
logically, Hopkins will win. Hopkins is bigger and stronger. He is
accustomed to fighting with men bigger than Oscar. Hopkin's style will defeat Oscar.

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