“I’m definitely not afraid to take on any type of challenge.”

I’ve been boxing since I was 7 years old.

If I’m fighting the best, then I can inspire a younger generation. I walk into the gyms and see girls boxing. They say I’m their inspiration. I love that.

Madison Square Garden has held some of the best fights of all time. Many legendary fighters have fought there. Being able to fight there is an honor.

Promoters need you. You don’t need them. The boxer has the leverage, and a lot of boxers don’t know that.

That’s one of my idols, I really look up to Pacquiao. This guy is everything I would want to be.

There’s so many people who come to me here in L.A., promising me this and promising me that. What I’m learning is figuring out what’s real versus what’s just talk.

Canelo’s a very disciplined guy, but he’s very relaxed in the ring. He taught me that there are ways to relax so you won’t get hit with certain punches. He showed me that the more relaxed you are, the easier it is to fight your fight by staying put.

I just love challenges.

Canelo has experience and is a superstar. He’s showed me a lot as a mentor. It’s the biggest blessing that I can have.

Everything takes a vision and I have a very definitive vision of what my future will be like, in the ring and then outside of it.

I want to become a movie director and win an Academy Award. That’s what I’m trying to do.

I’m looking to expand my brand everywhere. I want to be worldwide, I want to reach the world.

My mom is the Kris Jenner of boxing.

The Velez fight wasn’t my best.

I’m learning along the way, and there’s going to be some little bumps and bruises, but as long as I keep rolling with the punches, I will keep moving up.

I know I need a work ethic to match my talent.

Naw, I ain’t never been out the country. I been a felon for a minute, so there’s all types of restrictions on my movement, where I can go.

In the studio, I always put on National Geographic for inspiration. Looking at lions eating gazelles, all that type of stuff.

I don’t really care what type of beat it is. As long as it appeals to my ear, I’m gonna do a song to it.

There are two types of warriors: the one that rides through on his horse and tries to slay everyone, and the sniper. I try to be more like the sniper. Bang. Bang. Bang. Break them down, shot by shot.

I’m not the ‘rappity-rapper’ type dude. All my music is really true. I can’t just rap about nothing, just metaphors and putting words together. I can’t just smash out material like other guys. I just want my albums to be crazy every time I drop one.

I ain’t never been the type of person out at the movies and holding hands and riding around listening to R. Kelly.

Healing is a different type of pain. It’s the pain of becoming aware of the power of one’s strength and weakness, of one’s capacity to love or do damage to oneself and to others, and of how the most challenging person to control in life is ultimately yourself.

Begin with an individual, and before you know it you find that you have created a type; begin with a type, and you find that you have created – nothing.