Fres Oquendo BoxingInsider.com Exclusive Biofile Published by Scoop Malinowski Last Updated on April 11th, 2008

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Status: Heavyweight contender challenges IBF Heavyweight Champion Chris Byrd on September 20.

Ht: 6-2 Wt: 230

Born On: April 1, 1973 In: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Childhood Heroes: “I looked up to Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhummad Ali and my mother (Arquelia).”

Nicknames: “The Big O – when I first started. Fast Fres – I’m pretty fast in the ring.”

Hobbies/Interests: “I like to play basketball, running mini-marathons, bowling, play some tennis once in a while. I like tennis.”

Favorite Movies: “Scarface, Jurassic Park, Swordfish.”

Musical Tastes: “Variety of music, alternative, R&B, of course rap, salsa, progressive alternative, Jamiroquai, U2, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode.”

Funny Boxing Memory: “At the U.S. Olympic Festival in San Antonio in 1993. I was with a fighter from the lightweight division, (former U.S. champion) Abdul Jameel. We both went out from camp. It was very, very late. As we were coming back to camp, the guards didn’t want to let us in unless we had an adult or someone supervising, to let us in. So we sneaked our way to a pay phone and called Lance Whitaker and told him to come over and play it off like he was our dad. And Lance ended up coming by and said to the guard, ‘Oh, yeah, yeah, they’re with us. That’s my fighters, they can come in.’ If it wasn’t for him, we couldn’t have got back in. That was funny. We was all laughing that night. This guy – actually we were on the same team – just ’cause of his size and how big he was, they went for it [smiles].”

Favorite Meal: “I love filet mignon steak, porterhouse. Salmon. Tuna sandwich – like I’m eating now [smiles].”

Favorite Breakfast Cereal(s): “I love Lucky Charms, Fruity Pebbles, Cookie Crisp and there’s another one…(his wife says Cinnamon Toast Crunch)…yeah, that’s the one.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Chocolate chip cookie dough, oreo cookies and banana splits. French vanilla.”

First Job: “When I was a sophomore in high school, I worked at Toys R Us.”

First Car: “I had a blue 1986 Delta 88 Oldsmobile with nice rims and nice, little fluffy air seats. Very nice designed car.”

Pre-Fight Feeling: “Of course, you’ve got to have a little jitter bugs. Nervousness. If you don’t have that, you’re not really a fighter. But once the bell rings, all that leaves. (Upon entering the ring, do you look at your opponent?) Oh yeah, dead in his eye. Dead in his eye. Just basically letting him know that he’s in for something. There’s gonna be war.”

Early Boxing Memory: “When I won the national Golden Gloves in 1993. It was a great moment for my boxing career, amateur-wise. I beat some future heavyweight contender, like the all-services heavyweight champ, to make it to the final. In the finals, I fought the St. Louis champ named Salisbury. I beat him by unanimous decision. And I became the first Latino heavyweight champion in Golden Gloves history.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “When I knocked out the supposed to be “next Joe Frazier,” Clifford “The Black Rhino” Etienne. When I knocked him down seven times. That was a great moment for me, my family and for boxing. With the will and the heart I have, the desire I have to be champion, we overcame him.”

Most Painful Moment: “Honestly, to tell you the truth, as far as boxing, at this moment…my loss to David Tua.”

Worst Injury: “When I fought a guy named Val Smith, I hurt my right hand on his big head (in ‘97). And the rematch, I ended up knocking him out in the second round with the right hand (’98).”

Favorite Vacation Spot: “I’d like to go to Africa on safari. Then one day go to the jungle. I’d like to go to the Bahama Islands, even though I live on the islands of Puerto Rico.”

Favorite Boxers To Watch: “Technical-wise, the former flyweight champion (Ricardo) “Finito” Lopez. Sugar Shane Mosley. And, of course, Felix Tito Trinidad.”

Family: Wife, Stacey; daughters, Maya, Naeen, Jada; sons, Fres Jr., Sulayman; cat, Charlie.