"I think 135 would be a better weight for me because most of my knockouts have been at 135."

BoxingTalk: Carlos, before we start talking about boxing, I know you have even bigger news to share.

Carlos Hernandez: You know Darren, forget the titles and everything else, the most beautiful thing is to see your newborn baby being born. I totally loved it, watching my girl entering the world was just beautiful.

BoxingTalk: What did you think of the Pacquiao-Morales fight last month?

Carlos Hernandez: Pacquiao looked fast and very strong. A friend of mine put $1,000 on Morales to win, but I told him that I felt Pacquiao was going to do it. I personally don’t think Morales was all there with him changing training camps, trainers, and being married recently. He didn’t look bad for half the fight, but after the 6<sup>th round you could tell he didn’t have it anymore. Pacquiao is the guy to beat now.

BoxingTalk: Many people agree that Morales has been in too many wars recently, and that is why he lost against Pacquiao. Do you feel your fight with Morales in 2004 played a role in Morales’ loss?

Carlos Hernandez: Not just mine, but all the other ones too. Morales has been in war after war after war, and hasn’t knocked out anyone since Guty Espadas in 2003. He’s had some great fights, but I think coming into this fight with Pacquiao after a losing against Zahir Raheem also played a role too.

BoxingTalk: Boxrec.com recently posted that you are fighting Bobby Pacquiao in a rematch on February 4th, is that true?

Carlos Hernandez: I had people calling me from El Salvador asking me why I didn’t tell them that I was fighting Bobby Pacquiao on the 4th. The reason I didn’t tell them was because I’m not. I wanted to fight him on the Morales-Pacquiao undercard, but it never materialized. I haven’t heard anything yet, but right now I’m just happy to be a father again.

BoxingTalk: There is no question that you were robbed in that fight with Pacquiao, but do you have any interest in fighting him again?

Carlos Hernandez: I would like the rematch, but I’m not in a rush, because I want to enjoy my daughter’s first days with me.

BoxingTalk: Would you want a rematch with Pacquiao to be your next fight?

Carlos Hernandez: It doesn’t matter to me if my next fight is with him. My promoter Top Rank even asked me why I would want to fight a guy I beat. They’re looking in other directions for me. I trust them, and they’ve been nothing but good to me since day one.

BoxingTalk: You had some two fights in 2005 that easily and arguably could have gone your way but did not. What have you learned from this, and how do you make 2006 be different for you?

Carlos Hernandez: I have learned from last year, but I haven’t been able to practice on making things different because of my new baby. I was in the process of training hard for my next fight, but I had to go to the hospital instead to see my baby girl being delivered, and I haven’t gone back to the gym yet.

BoxingTalk: You have been champion and have fought the best in your division. At this point in your career are you looking to fight opponents who will get you back on top of your division, or are you only interested in the big fights?

Carlos Hernandez: Both. I’m looking for the big fights and for the ones who will get me back on top. I’ve been inspired by two people recently. The first is the newly crowned WBC featherweight champion, Takashi Koshimoto, who just defeated Injin Chi at the age of 35. You have got to applaud him for that. The second person who has inspired me recently is Nate Campbell. He’s just so cool. I saw him recently and we talked about my fight with Pacquiao. I told him how bad I felt about losing that one, but he assured me that I won that fight against Pacquiao, to forget about it, and not to let it bother me. He encouraged me to keep fighting, and not to let age be a factor. We’re about the same age, and he said he feels great, so Nate has really motivated me. I know he won by knockout recently, so I want to congratulate him, and also thank him for him for his kind words to me.

BoxingTalk: Who has Top Rank mentioned as your possible next opponent?

Carlos Hernandez: They gave me a March date but that will be too soon for me because of the baby. I want to take another week off to spend with my family before heading back to the gym. When I train, I fully train, and I train hard. I train in the morning, then I go to the gym, and then I run at night. Right now, the money or titles don’t really matter because I want to be with my wife, my two year old son, and my baby girl. But I know if I want the best for them, then I will need to get back to work, so I’m looking to get back into the ring around April.

BoxingTalk: Could your next fight be at 135?

Carlos Hernandez: It could be. I think 135 would be a better weight for me because most of my knockouts have been at 135. I felt stronger than Morales when I fought him, but I know I lost that fight at 130, and maybe it is time to move up. There could definitely be some bigger and better things for me at that weight.

BoxingTalk: Who would you like to fight next?

Carlos Hernandez: In the next year I’d like to fight a named fighter. I know I need to prepare myself, and I want all my fans on Boxingtalk to know that even though 2005 could have gone better, 2006 will definitely be a great year for me.</sup>

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