The interim WBC lightweight champion, Antonio DeMarco (23-1-1, 17 KOs) of Los Mochis, MX, began his training camp mid December in his adopted hometown of Tijuana, MX, for his challenge for the full fledged WBC title of Venezuela’s Edwin Valero (26-0, 26 KOs) on February 6th in Monterrey, MX. “We had a good rest, we went home to Los Mochis and I visited my family. We got back and began training in mid December. They called us about the fight and we came back to train, it’s not such a big deal, this is our work and it is what we love to do and we are ready,” DeMarco stated after an intense training session.

DeMarco was crowned as the WBC interim champion after stopping Jose Alfaro of Nicaragua in ten rounds last October in Las Vegas, NV. Now, DeMarco trains with the same intensity that he did three months ago.

“It’s the same, the same rhythm and with the same effort. My whole team and myself, we are working hard so that we can win this fight” DeMarco stated. “One thing I can say, this is the hardest I have worked in training camp because my bout against Valero is personal.”

DeMarco,23, also mentioned that the championship bout against the undefeated Valero came at the right time in his career.

“I have always said that God does certain things for a reason. God put this opportunity at my doorstep and I have to take advantage of it. This is the right time for me for this fight,” DeMarco said. “As far as Valero, when I said it was personal, I meant it as it is a personal challenge for myself. There is a lot of negative people that say that I won’t make it past three rounds in this fight and it is a personal challenge for myself to prove to those people and to myself that I am ready for Valero and much more.”

DeMarco, 23, does not deny that he has heard some of the comments that Valero has made in the press but he will not succumb to what he believes is another facet of the profession he chose.

“To me, they are just rumors that people say or even Valero himself who said that Humberto “Zorrita” Soto and myself are little Mexican girls because we weren’t willing to face him in Venezuela. I have respect for him because he is a fellow boxer and we both know what we have to sacrifice to climb into a ring,” DeMarco stated. “I have a lot of respect for him as a person and as a fighter because I have nothing against him. Once in the ring, that respect goes away because this is a sport in which one has to go in with everything, to win, to try to knock out your opponent because he is trying to knock you out.”

DeMarco added that it does not bother him if his next opponent talks about him.

“No, on the other hand, I like it, I like that he mentions me even in that way,” DeMarco says chuckling. “For me it is something natural in this sport, the thrash talk, but it is not about that, it is about getting ready for a fight and climbing into that ring and putting on a great fight for the fans and for oneself.”