Boxing: Oscar De La Hoya intends using Floyd Mayweather's jibes as motivation as the pair prepare to meet in the ring on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
De La Hoya has used such a ploy before when he was constantly derided by Nicaraguan opponent Ricardo Mayorga in the build-up to the fight which the 'Golden Boy' won with a clinical sixth-round stoppage.
Now he intends to do exactly the same to Mayweather and believes his opponent's jibes are hiding the pressure he is feeling ahead of their fight.
"As the fight gets closer and closer, the way he acts, you tend to see he is getting more nervous and more nervous and more nervous," De La Hoya said.
"I can see these things and obviously a big event like this can make you jumpy. As the fight gets closer, we can see it at first hand 24-7. Mayweather is just getting nervous."
De La Hoya has lost all respect for Mayweather over the course of their extended, 11-city press tour to promote the Las Vegas showdown, which is expected to become the highest-grossing fight in boxing history.
But the 34-year-old insists he has learned enough through his 42-fight career to switch off his personal feelings once the first bell has sounded in the MGM Grand Arena.
"I am not going to fight angry. I trained angry, but I am not going to fight angry and that is going to be the difference.
"It's just that everything that comes out of his mouth is motivating to me because it just makes me work that much harder. There is no respect whatsoever there.
"When a fighter just talks that little trash, for some reason it just sparks something in me. It takes me to a whole new level. I want to run extra miles. I want to spar more rounds."
