Freddie Roach Talking with De La Hoya

World renowned boxing trainer Freddie Roach is negotiating with Golden Boy Promotions to prepare Oscar De La Hoya for his WBC junior middleweight title defense against Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 5.

“We’ve been talking the last few days,” Roach, 46, told www.theSweetScience.com on Friday. “It’s all about the money at this point.”

Calls to Golden Boy Promotions were not returned on Friday.

Roach, who also trains Manny Pacquiao, James Toney and Israel Vazquez, has been one of several boxing trainers eyed by Golden Boy Promotions to prepare De La Hoya for one of the biggest boxing matches in the history of the sport.

De La Hoya, 33, expects to make more than $26 million not including pay-per-view buys and Mayweather more than $12 million.

On Thursday, De La Hoya appeared at a press conference in West Hollywood to promote an upcoming bout between Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez.

“I’m meeting with people to discuss my new trainer. I have to decide right away,” De La Hoya said Thursday while at the House of Blues. “I’ve been getting calls from every trainer around.”

De La Hoya said he expects to announce his new trainer by Monday.

Other boxing trainers considered are Jack Mosley, Teddy Atlas, Nacho Beristain, Emanuel Steward and others.

Based in Hollywood, Roach has been one of the frontrunners because of his work in shaping Pacquiao into one of the most explosive fighters in the world. The Filipino southpaw slugger stopped Mexico’s Erik Morales twice in 2006.

Ironically, Pacquiao had signed a contract with Golden Boy Promotions then signed another with rival Top Rank. The two companies are now in litigation over Pacquiao, who is scheduled to fight on April 28 in Macau, China against Korea’s Injin Chi. That fight could be suspended due to legal technicalities.

“I received a subpoena from Top Rank,” said Roach who has trained Pacquiao since 2001 and serves as an advisor.

Earlier this week Floyd Mayweather Sr., who had trained De La Hoya for all of his fights since 2000 and is the father of De La Hoya’s next opponent, was relieved of his duties for the upcoming fight.

“Mayweather has trained me for six years. It was a difficult decision,” said De La Hoya. “I didn’t want to be caught in the middle of their family.”

The bulk of training for De La Hoya will take place in Puerto Rico.

“I’m already doing some work with my physical trainer,” De La Hoya said.