Club Level is one of the -if not THE- hottest spot in Miami's trendy South Beach. Owned by a very young man named Noah Lazes, it is a playground for the rich and famous, as well as for party animals from all over. As a diligent crew went about their job of disassembling the main dance floor area to make room for the ring, and after the official press conference was over, Oscar de la Hoya held court, one on one with the media.

This is what he and I talked about...

BRC:  What does it mean to you to bring your show here to Miami at a time when the area seems to be experiencing such a boxing renaissance?

DE LA HOYA: I'm super touched because we are not just bringing HBO Latino here to Miami, we are bringing a very good card, with quality fighters. I am excited to bring this type of event to Miami.

BRC:  Do your derive great pleasure out of being able to help these young fighters? Does it bring memories of when you were up and coming?

DE LA HOYA: Oh yes! I wish I had this opportunity. This is a great opportunity for a lot of young fighters and that's what we are trying to look for, it's the future of boxing.

BRC:  I hate to bring this up, but... Winky Wright???

DE LA HOYA: Shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head motioning no...

BRC:  Why not?

DE LA HOYA: People keep saying fight Winky Wright, I keep telling people... just give me time, there are so many people that want to fight me, that, you know, I can't fight everybody at one time. I do have my agenda of fighting Yory Boy Campas in May as a tune up fight. It's not going to be a fight that he's going to beat me, I mean, it's no secret that it's a tune up fight and then in September fighting Shane Mosley and the reason why I want to fight Shane Mosley is because he beat me and I want to get revenge.

BRC:  Is that set now? Is Mosley accepting the "chump change?"

DE LA HOYA: (Laughing)It's close, it's close... Wow, it's no chump change...

BRC:  That's what he called it... (Laughing) Did you sweeten the pot any to make him change his mind?

DE LA HOYA: Well, I mean... (Oscar's tone and demeanor change completely, he's all business here) He has no other opportunity. If he doesn't take the fight and he has no fight with HBO, he has nothing, so, he is considering it. I think that he is at 95%...

BRC:  Did you really offer him an extra $500,000 coming out of your purse if he beats you?

DE LA HOYA: Yeah, that's true, if he beats me then he can have an extra $500,000 but he is not going to have it because he won't beat me.

BRC:  Let's say Shane doesn't happen, who's next, because Tito is retired.

DE LA HOYA: Yeah, Trinidad is retired...

BRC:  (Rudely interrupting... sorry, champ!) Would you consider Winky at this point in the agenda?

DE LA HOYA: No, I wouldn't consider him because I don't think he is at that level yet, and I believe a lot of people told me that he didn't show it in his last fight (Referring to Winky Wright vs J. C. Candelo). I would consider maybe a Vernon Forrest...

BRC:  Vernon Forrest???

DE LA HOYA: Yeah, Vernon... He did get knocked out but that doesn't make him any less of a fighter than he was before he lost. I think that because of him beating Shane Mosley, I think it will make more sense for me to fight him.

BRC:  What did you think of Shane in his last fight?

DE LA HOYA: He wasn't impressive at all. He's obviously not the same fighter but if it's going to... if it's... I just want to go up there and beat him!

BRC:  Is this personal?

DE LA HOYA: Oh yeah, he took something from me that, you know, that it's mine and he still has it. It's like that ego thing in boxing, I gotta have it back.

BRC:  Floyd Mayweather, Sr.?

DE LA HOYA: The best trainer that ever lived, I can guarantee that. I can guarantee it! Any fighter who trains with him will even tell you that he is the best trainer.

BRC:  You have learned from him even though you were a made fighter when he came around to train you?

DE LA HOYA: Oh yeah, the day I stop learning that's the day I quit boxing, that's just the way it should be.

BRC:  The criticism aimed at Floyd... Does it bother you?

DE LA HOYA: No, no, because people don't know how he trains, people just don't know... If you watch him train, you'll be impressed, I mean, it's incredible, amazing; any fighter will tell you that.

BRC:  Fernando Vargas... The bad blood was real?

DE LA HOYA: Oh yeah...

BRC:  When the bell rang in the opening round, and he came at you, what did you feel, what did you see, what went on in your mind?

DE LA HOYA: Actually, you know what? It went so fast that when the bell rang I was like, oh yeah, (impish smile across his face), let's get it on! Let's do it! I was ready...

BRC:  Were you surprised about his positive test for anabolic steroids?

DE LA HOYA: Yeah, I was. I didn't have no idea, I didn't know... I did feel his punches were very heavy in the first four rounds and then after that he started to deteriorate. I didn't think he took steroids, though, I didn't think he would go to that extreme to try and beat me.

BRC:  When Floyd instructed you to go and knock him out, you went and knocked him out...

DE LA HOYA: Oh yeah, I knew I had him, I knew that in the later rounds I was going to take him out, I just knew... I had that feeling, you sense it over the rounds, you just know...

BRC:  What makes you 'golden?'

DE LA HOYA: You know what it is... I think what it is... I think it's the way I grew up and the way that I still am. My wife was telling me the other day, 'don't ever change,' and I said to her, why would I? I've been like this for years. I mean, I don't think I've even reached the peak of my career and I am still the same person as when I was... 10? I think the heart that I have, the lending hand that I love giving people, I think it's that sincerity...

BRC:  I remember when you always used to look up and dedicate your fights to your Mom... You don't do that anymore...

DE LA HOYA: I don't do that anymore because... (measuring his words with great care) when I had decided to start doing the music and I kind of -not left boxing- but I was kinda not interested in boxing anymore, a couple of years ago... I said to myself, you know what? I think everything that my mother wanted me to accomplish from the gold medal to the world title, ok, it's done, and I think now when I came back to fight Gatti and Castillejo and Vargas.. those fights now are like, those are for me, this is revenge. This is... I want to get back on top of the boxing world and do it for ME, so I let that rest (voice softens again) and I gave my mom peace. I still pray to her, I still do before the fights but now it's just looking into my opponents' eyes and being determined and doing it for myself..

BRC:  What would you like to tell the fans?

DE LA HOYA: The fans, I mean, thank you for all your support. You make boxing, you make the fighters, there's no words that can describe the thanks that I want to send out to every one that has supported our boxing careers.

With that we shook hands, and I couldn't help but think about the young, skinny kid who won gold in what now seems like an eons ago. Looking at his face during this Q&A session, I kept thinking to myself that he is just too damn good looking to be a fighter. I also wondered how come he shows no signs of his 37 professional fights.

The sweet voice that has been the butt end of so many jokes, it's not as soft when one on one. He has many faces too... there was the impish kid with the devilish smile; the guy who just wants to answer all the questions and be done with it; the business man who can eat, breathe, sleep and you know what else, money. I saw all those manifestations come alive during our conversation; the transitions, smooth and swift, were simply amazing.

Oscar de la Hoya, an American born kid who is now Mexican by paperwork, Puerto Rican by marriage, and golden through it all...