At the press conference following the Shane Mosley vs. Miguel Cotto fight, Oscar De La Hoya stated that he plans on fighting next on May 3rd, against an unnamed opponent. However, when pushed on the subject, De La Hoya, 34, said that he hoped it would be Ricky Hatton, whom he’s had considerable interest in fighting for the past couple of months. No doubt, De La Hoya sees huge dollar signs, with a worldwide audience. However, unlike many boxing experts, who don’t give Hatton much of a chance at beating Mayweather, De La Hoya seems oblivious to what they’re saying, still thinking that Hatton will pull off the upset somehow.
In some ways, it seems that De La Hoya has made up his mind to fight Hatton regardless of the circumstances. Of course, if Hatton gets brutally stopped by Mayweather – a high probability – that might give De La Hoya a dose of reality, and turns his eyes elsewhere. However, for what the 34 year-old De La Hoya is looking for – a vulnerable fighter with star appeal – there’s not a whole lot of them out there that he could beat at this point in his career. To be sure, De La Hoya is really reaching by even entertaining the idea of fighting diminutive Hatton, a natural super lightweight (140 lbs) who stands five inches shorter than De La Hoya. It’s hardly sporting, when you think about it.
Though, I’m not sure whether De La Hoya cares about that or not, just as long as the bout brings in huge money. If Hatton does get thoroughly beaten by Mayweather, then De La Hoya will have to face some ugly choices. He can opt to face someone like Miguel Cotto and risk getting knocked out, or move up against a middleweight like Kelly Pavlik. However, if a light-hitting middleweight like Felix Sturm and Bernard Hopkins can give De La Hoya problems, Pavlik would be even a bigger mismatch for De La Hoya. Unless I miss my guess, De La Hoya will instead opt to face Mayweather in a rematch, knowing that this will bring in another huge payday without the risk of him being knocked out or badly humiliated in front of a worldwide audience.