Here's another insightful transcript from the ever reliable Ronnie Nathanielsz of Inside Sports. He interviewed Oscar De La Hoya.

DLH: Hello Ronnie.

RN: How are you Oscar?

DLH: Hello Ron!

RN: Can you hear me Oscar?

DLH: I hear you good.

RN: I’m glad you could. Now, lets get straight to the point.

DLH: How is the Philippines?

RN: Very well. Of course we are feeling very disappointed at what happened to AJ Banal but they’ve got to look deeper into that because apparently his potassium level was extremely low and according to the doctor when that happens your mind goes blank, your muscles tighten up and you get exhausted in a hurry.

DLH: Wow. But he’s young and he’ll be back.

RN: Yes, he will be back. But what about you Oscar, what’s the plan? There’s lots of talk about a Pacquiao fight . How do you respond to that?

DLH: This is the first time that I respond to Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao and I see it as a challenge and I think that if MP wants to consider himself a legend I think by having a fight with me will put him in the history books forever.

RN: Of course the reason you are responding I think is because you are being challenged, you are a champion, you are fighter and when somebody says the kind of things that Freddie Roach said about you that he will knock you out, you cannot pull the trigger, you have to react as a fighter, a champion and a human being.

DLH: I’m a very competitive fighter and I remember when Bernard Hopkins was challenging me and at the time I was a welterweight and he was fighting as a light heavyweight and he called me out and as a fighter I felt I had to challenge him so I did. Now Manny Pacquiao is challenging me and I am definitely considering it.

RN: Now of course Oscar there are lots of things that will have to be ironed out. Let’s face it. You are the star, you own Golden Boy Promotions and I don’t think there is any way you can compromise without allowing Golden Boy to be the lead promoter. It looks as clear as daylight.

DLH:… Golden Boy will have to be the promoter in order to make it a record-breaking fight. Golden boy has to promote. No other promoter can generate the numbers that we do.

RN: Will Top Rank be allowed any kind of role in a joint promotion. In other words a minor role in a joint promotion, Oscar?

DLH: Well , If this fight can take place I am sure Richard Schaefer and Bob Arum can work something out.

RN: I’m sure. Richard is a genius at doing the impossible. He is a very smart and astute gentleman . You can really depend on Richard. He is a fine person too and he won’t let you down in that sense.

DLH: I have never met anybody smarter in boxing than Richard Schaefer and if there is anybody who can make this fight huge – not big but huge – it is me, Manny Pacquiao and Richard Schaefer.

RN: Oscar would you be agreeable to coming down to fight at 147 because that will be a struggle for you.

DLH: No struggle at all.. I am a natural welterweight. I can make the weight easy. There’s no problem. The weight is no problem.

RN: Freddie Roach says that if Pacquiao fights you on fight night he will cone in at 145. I reckon you’ll come in at 157-160. Am I correct?

DLH: No. I only gain maximum of 4 pounds by fight night because I am a natural 145-146 pounder. I don’t gain much. In my last fight against Steve Forbes I weighed in at 149 and by fight night I was only 151.

RN: Well that shows what a great athlete you are and how you sort of control your diet and your nutrition which is very, very important.

DLH: Yes, the most I gain in-between fights – the maximum – is 6 to 7 pounds. That’s all I can go.

RN: The other thing of course is there are a couple of sticky issues that have to be resolved because the people around Manny Pacquiao are talking about $20 million. Now that, I don’t think is a workable figure. Because if you give him $20 million what are you going to get. It has to be more realistic than that, wouldn’t you think?

DLH: I’m sure when Richard gets back from his vacation which will be tomorrow, we can come out with a formula where Manny can make the most money he will ever make. Manny can make 2 or 3 or even 4 or 5 times what he’s been making now. So I feel that Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer can realistically make this fight happen.

RN: I am going to ask you a question very directly Oscar. I hope you don’t mind.

I feel deep down inside of me that you must feel bad over what happened in the case of Pacquiao. His signing with you and then going with Arum. Does that still linger?

DLH: : Well I think its very personal because I felt I accepted Manny and I trusted Manny and when we looked into each others eyes and we shook hands I felt we had reached a deal. But the past is the past and if we get in the ring it has to be very personal.

RN: The other thing of course is Freddie Roach. He trained you for the Mayweather fight, then he goes and says these things about you in public that you can’t pull the trigger, Pacquiao will knock you out . Would you consider that somewhat disrespectful at the very least?

DLH:… I have a great respect for Freddie Roach and Freddie Roach is one of the best trainers in the world but I know that I can prove Freddie Roach wrong and if Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao are calling me out then I am right here waiting.

RN: Oscar, obviously with the defeat of Cotto , Trinidad not willing to come below 175 or 170 the options open to you are very few. Why else can you fight?

DLH: There are several names that I have been thinking about. One of them is Sergio Mora ..another one is Shane Mosley and another one which I do not exclude is again .Felix Trinidad. I still think that the fight can be made – Richard Schaefer has been talking to Don King but we’ll have to wait and see because this is my last year, my last fight and I think that me and Manny Pacquiao can really make history inside that ring on December 6.

TRAIN? I will train for 4 months. I keep myself in good shape now ..my pl

RN: If this fight goes through Oscar, how long are you likely to train for the fight?

DLH: I will train for four months. I keep myself in good shape now. My plan for this year was to fight three times andt with the Floyd Mayweather retirement it derailed my plans but I kept myself in shape and now I am getting ready for December. so I’ll be ready for whoever I fight.

RN: Do you think you can entice Mayweather out of retirement or has he made up his mind?

DLH: I feel I can. Absolutely. I still think that Mayweather retired prematurely.

RN: The other very sticky issue is the television coverage. As we know Golden Boy is in some way linked with ABS-CBN which does a tremendous job as far as promoting fights and covering fights are concerned. Pacquiao is tied up with Solar Sports. Now how are you going to resolve that? Leave it to Richard

DLH: as far as I know ABS-CBN is by far the biggest and the best when it comes to covering fights and December 6 is my date, I choose where the fight gets covered and whoever brings the better deal to the table then they are the ones who get it and from what I have seen in the past ABSA-CBN has been the best at bringing the best fights to the Philippines.

RN: Yes, that’s very true. And you know their promotional capability is incredible, remarkable really. The way they promote a fight through their various media outlets.

DLH: ABS-CBN can promote the young fighters in the Philippines ..they can promote anything they want to promote because they are the best you know. If me and Manny Pacquiao fight there is no reason why ABS-CBN shouldn’t get the fight.

RN: What is going to happen to AJ Banal? I was telling you his potassium levels were very low and the doctors said that was the cause of all the problems . He dehydrated in a hurry.. He was limp after three or four rounds he dominated. In fact when the fight was stopped he was ahead on all three scorecards. Any plans for him in the future? What are you going to do?

DLH.. AJ Banal is still young, still hungry.. I feel he will be a world champion down the road. Banal is a hard worker, he fights for his fans and the plan is we will get him a few fights where he gets his confidence back . I just feel that AJ Banal like you said his strength was low, his potassium was low and it sometimes happens with fighters when they train so hard and that was the case with banal. He trained so hard for the fight that sometimes you get over-trained ..that’s something that fighters do but he’ll be back………………………………….

RN: Bautista is fighting on August 30 and it will be interesting to find out how he comes back also.

DLH: Yes. I’m going to make the decision in a few days as to whether or not I will be going to the Bautista fight ..’I will be talking to my wife Millie if we can make plans to go to the Philippines and hopefully we can have an answer with Manny Pacquiao.

RN: That will be great and Millie can come along and sing a few songs because she’s fantastic singer.

DLH: Laughs ha, ha, ha!

RN: Why are you laughing?

DLH: Absolutely. She is a beautiful singer.

RN: She is a beautiful lady, beautiful singer and hey I got your CD and you sing very well to.

DLH: Thank you very much.

RN: I enjoy it. I put in my car and play it sometimes when I need soothing music and the voice of Oscar De La Hoya comes through and I feel good. I wont keep you waiting much longer and by the way Eric Gomez was here and what a fine guy he is. He is something else. A wonderful person.

DLH: He is a fantastic guy and I can always count on him. Thank you Ronnie.

RN: Thank you very much Oscar and God bless you, my regards to your family.