You watch how people are going to come out and bet on me. Just watch. I am going to be the favorite to win, two days before the fight."
- Ricardo "El Matador" Mayorga

On May 6th, signs declaring the MGM Grand, as a "Danger Zone" will be posted throughout the arena. However, judging by the total disdain that the WBC junior middleweight champion Ricardo Mayorga has for the six-division champion Oscar De La Hoya, the "Danger Zone" has now become more of a "War Zone." De La Hoya has had to put up with insult after insult. Mayorga's lack of respect has him questioning Oscar's sexuality, his internal fortitude to continuing fighting when the going gets tough [the Trinidad & Hopkins fight] as well as verbally bashing his wife. About Mayorga's shenanigans, De La Hoya says, "This guy has gotten under my skin."

Mayorga, who is known for his vulgarity and circus antics, was asked to elaborate on why he has so much hatred for a man that has been so good for the sport of boxing. The Nicaraguan native, who is never at a loss for words, spewed furious venom at his counterpart.

"There are several reasons why, I will give you an example. At a press conference in New York a few weeks ago, he declined to take a picture with me and Don." As the visibly angry Mayorga continued in his monologue, the champion said, "He is very disrespectful! He disrespected the greatest promoter in the world, he disrespected his people and most importantly he disrespected me!" As he reminded us of an earlier altercation between himself and De La Hoya, "El Matador" boasted "That's the reason why I slapped him on the back of his head. I wanted to remind him that I am the champion. He must respect me."

But if it's respect that he wants then apparently something is missing. As our mothers used to say when we were kids, "If you want respect then you are going to have to give it." Obviously Mayorga isn't giving any to the self proclaimed "Golden Boy" as he questioned Oscar's "balls" [testicular fortitude]. As his interpreter Tony Gonzalez translated, "De La Hoya doesn't have the 'balls' to stand in there and fight. That's when he loses."

The first-ballot Hall of Famer De La Hoya has fought the best boxing has had to offer from 130 all the way to 160 pounds. Oscar, who has proven to be a stylistic nightmare to practically every prizefighter that has stood in front of him, is a natural lefty that fights conventional. De La Hoya's lead left hook has put away top-notch opposition. Considering Oscar's pedigree, what could possibly make Mayorga so sure that he can beat him so easily?

The confident Mayorga responded by citing his biggest accomplishments in the ring. Ricardo asked if we remembered when he knocked out Vernon Forrest in three rounds. "Remember this. Shane Mosley beat Oscar De La Hoya twice and Vernon Forrest beat Shane Mosley twice and I beat Vernon Forrest twice." In other words he beat the man who beat the man who beat the man.

However, when reminded of the old axiom that styles make fights, Mayorga interjected and pulled a page out of Teddy Atlas's play book trading his boxing gloves for a microphone. Giving the blow-by-blow breakdown, Mayorga said, "I don't consider this a fight. He is going to try to fight with me, he is going to try to outwork me, he is going to see how he can beat me. I am going to beat him easily. I am going to beat him down and it will be over. In three or four rounds, I am going to destroy him."

Considering the reputation that Ricardo has amongst boxing fans and pundits, his lack of discipline could force even his biggest believer to seriously question the validity of his prognostication. Why should we believe an athlete that has smoked and drank on camera for the whole world to see? The doctor of trash talking intensely said, "I am taking this very seriously. This is war. I didn't come here to clown around. I didn't come here to play around like he does, this will be a war. I am going to destroy him. You watch how people are going to come out and bet on me. Just watch. I am going to be the favorite to win, two days before the fight."

Mayorga appears to be as focused and intense as he has ever been his whole career. However, whether his dislike for De La Hoya is genuine or not, it's still his way of selling a fight. Ricardo employed the same tactics before he fought the former undisputed welterweight champion Cory Spinks a few years ago. He badmouthed Spinks endlessly. It was no holds barred as Mayorga crossed sacred grounds when he spoke about Cory's deceased mother. After the fight the two combatants embraced and Mayorga was extremely classy in defeat.

When asked the possibilities of seeing the same thing happening again with Oscar, the brash Nicaraguan angrily refuses to bury the hatchet with the "Golden Boy." The vociferous foul-mouthed "sweet science" aficionado set the record straight. "Nah, I have never been friends, nor do I want to be friends with that faggot. After I knock him out and they release him from the hospital, I will beat him up again. Don't talk to me about being friends with that faggot."

The "Danger Zone" is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Don King and the MGM Grand. The telecast is being distributed by HBO PPV and begins at 9 pm ET/ 6 pm PT. Tickets for this event are on sale now and can be purchased through ticketmaster. Tickets for this event begin at $150, $350, $750, $950 and $1,250