GL: It's been a while since we've had you on Boxingtalk. Golden Boy Promotions has been quite busy as of late. Before we begin to discuss some of your upcoming events, can you share with us some thoughts on GBP's recent settlement with Bob Arum and Top Rank? "Well, I think it's the right thing for the sport of boxing. I think it's the right thing for both promotional companies, Top Rank and Golden Boy. You know the fact is, I met Bob and we talked several times already and we're working on some exciting stuff. I think we realized as we speak and started having a relationship again, I actually enjoy working with Bob, I think we get along well and we're excited to bring some of the biggest and best fights to the fight fans and I think the big winner out of this is clearly the fight fans and I guess the big losers are the attorney's."

GL: So although Pacquiao was the focal point of the dispute, Golden Boy and Top Rank will be working together to make other fights as well, correct?

Richard Schaeffer: "Absolutely! What it does is open the door for a lot of great fights. When you have the two biggest boxing promoters in the world working together, it opens up tremendous opportunities."

GL: Is Shane Mosley-Miguel Cotto one of the fights you and Bob are already talking about?

RS: "I think there's a lot of things going on this weekend with Margarito fighting and so on. We've discussed potential fights for Shane and we've discussed other fights we could put together. He and I plan on sitting down together next week in Vegas to discuss some of these potential match-ups. Another great fight would be (Humberto) Soto and (Joan) Guzman."

GL: We slightly more than a week away from the "Coming to Fight" event featuring light heavyweight king Bernard Hopkins and elite level pound for pounder Winky Wright. Can you give us some thoughts on that promotion and what boxing fans can look forward to next Saturday night?

RS: "In Bernard Hopkins you have a legendary fight and in Winky Wright he doesn't know how to lose. When you have two such highly skilled fighters going at it, they both know what's on the line and they're both going to be coming to fight. They're both coming to prove who the better man is. They've both had tremendous camps, ticket sales have been very strong. The gate has already exceeded what we've done for Hopkins and Tarver and Hopkins and Taylor and I'm looking forward to sparks flying next Saturday night."

GL: Can you tell us why you dismiss the notion that this might not be a crowd pleasing fight?

RS: "well, I don't know why those people say that. They said the same with Bernard when he fought Tarver and I think that was a really exciting fight. Tarver got dropped by Bernard. When Winky was going to fight Taylor they said the same thing and that was one of the most action packed fights of the year. These are two very crafty fighters, they've been in the sport for so long and they both have legendary status. When you put two fighters like that together, two big names, the pride they have and the passion they have and only one of them is going to win. I don't know who it's going to be and that's what makes it interesting."

GL: September 15 is taking shape. Juan Manuel Marquez will face Jorge Barrios. Kassim Ouma will face Sergio Mora, Forbes-Bojado and Guerrero and Juarez. What can you tell us about that event?

RS: "The Rocky Juarez-Guerrero fight is not done, it's in the works. I think this is one of the best cards we've ever put together. We call it fireworks because each one of the fighters and each one of the names there comes to fight. I think it will be a fitting celebration of the Mexican Holiday by having some fireworks in the ring on September 15 at the MGM Grand. It's going to be a great weekend. Half of Mexico is going to be there to cheer on their warriors and it's going to be a great night of boxing. You know what is interesting as well. Jorge Barrios has a new trainer and that is none other than Rudy Gutierrez, the trainer for Marco Antonio Barrera."

GL: What does the future have in store for Oscar De La Hoya, the boxer?

RS: "Oscar already hinted to me about a couple of possibilities that I am not at liberty to discuss with the public, but if I would be a fight fan I would very much be looking forward to 2008."

GL: Who is Shane Mosley going to fight and when?

RS: "You know there are a lot of different scenarios and possibilities. The fact is Shane Mosley is going to return to the ring in November. It could be a Cotto fight, it could be a Margarito fight, it could be a Mayweather fight. If Arturo Gatti looks sensational it could be an Arturo Gatti fight."

GL: In other words, ask you on Monday after all of this weekend's action.

RS: "Ask me on Monday. Kermit Cintron is another possibility if he looks sensational. With Shane being the WBC 147 pound interim champion there is a possibility to have a unification there. There's a host of differnet fighters and Shane just happens to be a big name in a hot weight class so he has options."

GL: Do you think Shane made a mistake by not fighting Floyd last November?

RS: "If Floyd is serious about returning to the ring, eventually I feel that fight is going to happen. When you do online polls and ask fight fans what fight they want to see, or who they want Mayweather to fight, the majority of them are saying they want to see Mayweather fight Shane Mosley. With Floyd being the great champion he is, maybe the fight will happen as early as November. Maybe not, but I think the demand from the fight fans will make that fight happen moreso than anything else. Having passed up the fight last November, I don't think you can call that a mistake because ultimately that fight will happen and that's what counts most."

GL: Is there anything else that Golden Boy is working on behind the scenes that we can bring to the light during this conversation?

RS: "We've got a lot of other different businesses, which we're working on. From our Hispanic consumer finance business, which is shaping up very nicely. We've got major real estate in Dallas and Los Angeles and that is shaping up very nicely. We've got some other big news coming out in a month or maybe less, there's a lot of exciting news with Golden Boy and the Golden Boy Brand the the fans out there are going to appreciate and be excited about."

GL: Does Barrera have a chance against Pacquiao?

RS: "First of all, certain elements of the fight are still being negotiated, which Barrera is hopefully going to be signing off on in the next couple of days. But I'm convinced that the fight is going to happen. The bottom line is, I believe Barrera has a very good chance and I'll tell you why. Every time people have counted out Barrera he has performed at his best. Think about the Hamed performance. People didn't give him a chance and look what he did. The same with the Morales III fight. Everybody counted him out and look at the performance he turned in. Also, the fight he had with Juan Manuel Marquez was a very close fight and there was some controversy there with the knockdown not being ruled a knockdown and it was a close fight. I think Barrera's career has been built on challenges and Barrera lives for these fights and these kind of big challenges. I think we will see Marco Antonio Barrera yet again turning back the clock to make everyone a believer."

GL: Now that Golden Boy and Top Rank are working together again, how confident are you that Marquez will be able to fight the winner of Pacquiao-Barrera II?

RS: I'm very confident and this is a fight that Bob and I have already discussed. Again, Bob wants to make the biggest fights and so do we and that would be the biggest fight. We're going to give the fans what they demand and if the fans continue to demand these kind of match-ups it's going to put tremendous pressure on the promoters and the fighters to get the fight done. I am convinced that will be a fight that the fans will most likely see in the next year assuming Marquez wins. If Barrios wins, he's been one of the most exciting fighters over the years and if he wins think about the fireworks in Barrios-Pacquiao. Barrios was here in the office recently and he told me that was going to win that fight if he had to walk out of the ring with his eyes in one hand and his mouth in the other, I'm going to win he said."

GL: De La Hoya-Mayweather II is the biggest money fight out there period. With that being said why is Oscar not interested in making the rematch?

RS: "I think what the fight fans really want to see is Mayweather-Mosley. If you ask the fight fans that's what they want and that would be an exciting fight. Mayweather is the fight for Mosley. Oscar has some other plans, but like they say you can never say never."

GL: Is there anything you'd like to say in closing?

RS: "I'm glad to be back on Boxingtalk, I read Boxingtalk Greg Leon is a great guy and for the latest and greatest in boxing all you have to do is check out Boxingtalk."

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